diff --git a/src/battle.c b/src/battle.c
index 4105cf73f..ad613a69f 100644
--- a/src/battle.c
+++ b/src/battle.c
@@ -1858,10 +1858,13 @@ static void do_combatspell(troop at)
 
 static void do_extra_spell(troop at, const att * a)
 {
-    const spell *sp = a->data.sp;
+    const spell *sp = spellref_get(a->data.sp);
 
-    if (sp->cast == NULL) {
-        log_error("spell '%s' has no function.\n", sp->sname);
+    if (!sp) {
+        log_error("no such spell: '%s'", a->data.sp->name);
+    }
+    else if (sp->cast == NULL) {
+        log_error("spell '%s' has no function.", sp->sname);
     }
     else {
         assert(a->level > 0);
diff --git a/src/kernel/race.c b/src/kernel/race.c
index c18761dcd..1bdba8a1b 100644
--- a/src/kernel/race.c
+++ b/src/kernel/race.c
@@ -182,7 +182,12 @@ void racelist_insert(struct race_list **rl, const struct race *r)
 
 void free_races(void) {
     while (races) {
+        int i;
         race * rc = races->next;
+        
+        for (i = 0; races->attack[i].type!=AT_NONE; ++i) {
+            spellref_free(races->attack[i].data.sp);
+        }
         spellref_free(races->precombatspell);
         free_params(&races->parameters);
         free(xrefs);
diff --git a/src/kernel/race.h b/src/kernel/race.h
index 496dfa763..19b7b7ad3 100644
--- a/src/kernel/race.h
+++ b/src/kernel/race.h
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ extern "C" {
         int type;
         union {
             const char *dice;
-            const struct spell *sp;
+            struct spellref *sp;
         } data;
         int flags;
         int level;
diff --git a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
index 238b04227..36fe2d7f8 100644
--- a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
+++ b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
@@ -1889,11 +1889,11 @@ static int parse_races(xmlDocPtr doc)
                 xmlFree(propValue);
             }
             else {
-                attack->data.sp = xml_spell(node, "spell");
+                attack->data.sp = xml_spellref(node, "spell");
                 if (attack->data.sp) {
                     attack->level = xml_ivalue(node, "level", 0);
                     if (attack->level <= 0) {
-                        log_error("magical attack '%s' for race '%s' needs a level: %d\n", attack->data.sp->sname, rc->_name, attack->level);
+                        log_error("magical attack '%s' for race '%s' needs a level: %d\n", attack->data.sp->name, rc->_name, attack->level);
                     }
                 }
             }