diff --git a/src/automate.c b/src/automate.c
index 1a553df29..9a3516c44 100644
--- a/src/automate.c
+++ b/src/automate.c
@@ -34,17 +34,19 @@ int autostudy_init(scholar scholars[], int max_scholars, region *r)
     int nscholars = 0;
 
     for (u = r->units; u; u = u->next) {
-        keyword_t kwd = getkeyword(u->thisorder);
+        keyword_t kwd = init_order(u->thisorder, u->faction->locale);
         if (kwd == K_AUTOSTUDY) {
-            if (long_order_allowed(u) && unit_can_study(u)) {
+            if (long_order_allowed(u)) {
                 scholar * st = scholars + nscholars;
-                init_order(u->thisorder, u->faction->locale);
-                st->sk = getskill(u->faction->locale);
-                st->level = effskill_study(u, st->sk);
-                st->learn = 0;
-                st->u = u;
-                if (++nscholars == max_scholars) {
-                    log_fatal("you must increase MAXSCHOLARS");
+                skill_t sk = getskill(u->faction->locale);
+                if (check_student(u, u->thisorder, sk)) {
+                    st->sk = sk;
+                    st->level = effskill_study(u, st->sk);
+                    st->learn = 0;
+                    st->u = u;
+                    if (++nscholars == max_scholars) {
+                        log_fatal("you must increase MAXSCHOLARS");
+                    }
                 }
             }
             else {
diff --git a/src/skill.c b/src/skill.c
index b279ab488..2521befc6 100644
--- a/src/skill.c
+++ b/src/skill.c
@@ -116,7 +116,9 @@ skill_t get_skill(const char *s, const struct locale * lang)
 int skill_cost(skill_t sk) {
     static int config;
     static int costs[MAXSKILLS];
-    int cost;
+    int cost = -1;
+
+    assert(sk >= 0 && sk < MAXSKILLS);
     switch (sk) {
     case SK_SPY:
         cost = 100;
@@ -146,5 +148,6 @@ int skill_cost(skill_t sk) {
 }
 
 bool expensive_skill(skill_t sk) {
+    assert(sk >= 0 && sk < MAXSKILLS);
     return (sk == SK_MAGIC) || skill_cost(sk) > 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/study.c b/src/study.c
index c978e69ad..738c591d7 100644
--- a/src/study.c
+++ b/src/study.c
@@ -523,6 +523,48 @@ static void msg_teachers(struct selist *teachers, struct unit *u, skill_t sk) {
     selist_foreach_ex(teachers, cb_msg_teach, &cbdata);
 }
 
+bool check_student(const struct unit *u, struct order *ord, skill_t sk) {
+    int err = 0;
+
+    if (sk < 0) {
+        err = 77;
+    }
+    /* Hack: Talente mit Malus -99 koennen nicht gelernt werden */
+    else if (u_race(u)->bonus[sk] == -99) {
+        err = 771;
+    }
+    else {
+        static int config;
+        static bool learn_newskills;
+
+        if (config_changed(&config)) {
+            learn_newskills = config_get_int("study.newskills", 1) != 0;
+        }
+        if (!learn_newskills) {
+            skill *sv = unit_skill(u, sk);
+            if (sv == NULL) {
+                /* we can only learn skills we already have */
+                err = 771;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    if (err) {
+        if (ord) {
+            cmistake(u, ord, err, MSG_EVENT);
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if ((u_race(u)->flags & RCF_NOLEARN) || fval(u, UFL_WERE)) {
+        if (ord) {
+            ADDMSG(&u->faction->msgs,
+                msg_feedback(u, ord, "error_race_nolearn", "race", u_race(u)));
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
 int study_cmd(unit * u, order * ord)
 {
     region *r = u->region;
@@ -536,7 +578,6 @@ int study_cmd(unit * u, order * ord)
     skill_t sk;
     int maxalchemy = 0;
     int speed_rule = (study_rule_t)config_get_int("study.speedup", 0);
-    bool learn_newskills = config_get_int("study.newskills", 1) != 0;
     static const race *rc_snotling;
     static int rc_cache;
 
@@ -544,32 +585,12 @@ int study_cmd(unit * u, order * ord)
         rc_snotling = get_race(RC_SNOTLING);
     }
 
-    if (!unit_can_study(u)) {
-        ADDMSG(&u->faction->msgs, msg_feedback(u, ord, "error_race_nolearn", "race",
-            u_race(u)));
-        return -1;
-    }
-
     (void)init_order(ord, u->faction->locale);
     sk = getskill(u->faction->locale);
 
-    if (sk < 0) {
-        cmistake(u, ord, 77, MSG_EVENT);
+    if (!check_student(u, ord, sk)) {
         return -1;
     }
-    /* Hack: Talente mit Malus -99 koennen nicht gelernt werden */
-    if (u_race(u)->bonus[sk] == -99) {
-        cmistake(u, ord, 771, MSG_EVENT);
-        return -1;
-    }
-    if (!learn_newskills) {
-        skill *sv = unit_skill(u, sk);
-        if (sv == NULL) {
-            /* we can only learn skills we already have */
-            cmistake(u, ord, 771, MSG_EVENT);
-            return -1;
-        }
-    }
 
     /* snotlings koennen Talente nur bis T8 lernen */
     if (u_race(u) == rc_snotling) {
diff --git a/src/study.h b/src/study.h
index cca0428b7..f85508dec 100644
--- a/src/study.h
+++ b/src/study.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ extern "C" {
     skill_t getskill(const struct locale *lang);
     bool is_migrant(struct unit *u);
     int study_cost(struct unit *u, skill_t sk);
+    bool check_student(const struct unit *u, struct order *ord, skill_t sk);
 
     typedef void(*learn_fun)(struct unit *u, skill_t sk, int days);