diff --git a/src/automate.c b/src/automate.c
index c1d4b384b..f195bb6db 100644
--- a/src/automate.c
+++ b/src/automate.c
@@ -40,8 +40,12 @@ int autostudy_init(student students[], int max_students, region *r)
             init_order(u->thisorder, u->faction->locale);
             st->sk = getskill(u->faction->locale);
             st->level = effskill_study(u, st->sk);
+            st->learn = 0;
         }
     }
+    if (nstudents > 0) {
+        qsort(students, nstudents, sizeof(student), cmp_students);
+    }
     return nstudents;
 }
 
@@ -55,7 +59,6 @@ void do_autostudy(region *r) {
         int i;
         skill_t sk = NOSKILL;
 
-        qsort(students, nstudents, sizeof(student), cmp_students);
         for (i = 0; i != nstudents; ++i) {
             if (students[i].u) {
                 if (sk == NOSKILL) {
diff --git a/src/automate.test.c b/src/automate.test.c
index d8dc8ed74..3ea640cdf 100644
--- a/src/automate.test.c
+++ b/src/automate.test.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
 static void test_autostudy(CuTest *tc) {
     student students[4];
-    unit *u1, *u2;
+    unit *u1, *u2, *u3;
     faction *f;
     region *r;
 
@@ -24,9 +24,27 @@ static void test_autostudy(CuTest *tc) {
     f = test_create_faction(NULL);
     u1 = test_create_unit(f, r);
     u1->thisorder = create_order(K_AUTOSTUDY, f->locale, skillnames[SK_ENTERTAINMENT]);
+    test_create_unit(f, r);
     u2 = test_create_unit(f, r);
     u2->thisorder = create_order(K_AUTOSTUDY, f->locale, skillnames[SK_ENTERTAINMENT]);
-    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 2, autostudy_init(students, 4, r));
+    set_level(u2, SK_ENTERTAINMENT, 2);
+    u3 = test_create_unit(f, r);
+    u3->thisorder = create_order(K_AUTOSTUDY, f->locale, skillnames[SK_PERCEPTION]);
+    students[3].u = NULL;
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 3, autostudy_init(students, 4, r));
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, u2, students[0].u);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 2, students[0].level);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, students[0].learn);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, SK_ENTERTAINMENT, students[0].sk);
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, u1, students[1].u);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, students[1].level);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, students[1].learn);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, SK_ENTERTAINMENT, students[1].sk);
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, u3, students[2].u);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, students[2].level);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, students[2].learn);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, SK_PERCEPTION, students[2].sk);
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, NULL, students[3].u);
     test_teardown();
 }