diff --git a/res/e3a/races.xml b/res/e3a/races.xml
index 83d356f75..b7111b4f1 100644
--- a/res/e3a/races.xml
+++ b/res/e3a/races.xml
@@ -699,7 +699,6 @@
   <race name="undead" maxaura="1.0" regaura="1.0" weight="1000" capacity="540" speed="1.0" hp="20" damage="1d7" unarmedattack="0" unarmeddefense="0" attackmodifier="1" defensemodifier="1" scarepeasants="yes" walk="yes" canlearn="no" teach="no" noheal="yes" undead="yes" equipment="yes">
     <ai splitsize="20000" moverandom="yes"/>
     <function name="name" value="nameundead"/>
-    <function name="age" value="ageundead"/>
     <attack type="4" damage="1d7"/>
     <attack type="5"/>
   </race>
@@ -752,7 +751,6 @@
   <race name="ghoul" magres="30" maxaura="1.0" regaura="1.0" weight="1000" capacity="540" speed="1.0" hp="30" ac="1" damage="1d7" unarmedattack="3" unarmeddefense="3" attackmodifier="3" defensemodifier="3" scarepeasants="yes" walk="yes" canlearn="no" teach="no" absorbpeasants="yes" noheal="yes" undead="yes" equipment="yes">
     <ai splitsize="10000" killpeasants="yes" moverandom="yes"/>
     <function name="name" value="nameghoul"/>
-    <function name="age" value="ageghoul"/>
     <skill name="crossbow" modifier="1"/>
     <skill name="bow" modifier="1"/>
     <skill name="catapult" modifier="1"/>
@@ -788,7 +786,6 @@
   <race name="zombie" magres="20" maxaura="1.0" regaura="1.0" weight="1000" capacity="540" speed="1.0" hp="40" ac="1" damage="1d7" unarmedattack="2" unarmeddefense="2" attackmodifier="5" defensemodifier="5" scarepeasants="yes" walk="yes" canlearn="no" teach="no" noheal="yes" undead="yes" equipment="yes" resistcut="yes" resistpierce="yes">
     <ai splitsize="10000" killpeasants="yes" moverandom="yes"/>
     <function name="name" value="namezombie"/>
-    <function name="age" value="agezombie"/>
     <skill name="crossbow" modifier="1"/>
     <skill name="bow" modifier="1"/>
     <skill name="catapult" modifier="1"/>
@@ -820,7 +817,6 @@
   <race name="skeleton" magres="10" maxaura="1.0" regaura="1.0" weight="500" capacity="540" speed="1.0" hp="20" ac="1" damage="1d7" unarmedattack="1" unarmeddefense="1" attackmodifier="6" defensemodifier="6" scarepeasants="yes" walk="yes" canlearn="no" teach="no" noheal="yes" undead="yes" equipment="yes" resistcut="yes" resistpierce="yes">
     <ai splitsize="10000" killpeasants="yes" moverandom="yes"/>
     <function name="name" value="nameskeleton"/>
-    <function name="age" value="ageskeleton"/>
     <skill name="crossbow" modifier="1"/>
     <skill name="bow" modifier="1"/>
     <skill name="catapult" modifier="1"/>
diff --git a/res/eressea/races.xml b/res/eressea/races.xml
index bce464d78..b9077d98b 100644
--- a/res/eressea/races.xml
+++ b/res/eressea/races.xml
@@ -723,7 +723,6 @@
   <race name="dragon" magres="70" maxaura="1.000000" regaura="2.000000" weight="10000" capacity="1000000" speed="1.500000" hp="900" ac="6" damage="2d30" unarmedattack="0" unarmeddefense="0" attackmodifier="7" defensemodifier="7" scarepeasants="yes" fly="yes" walk="yes" teach="no" getitem="yes" resistbash="yes" unarmedguard="yes" dragon="yes">
     <ai splitsize="2" killpeasants="yes" learn="yes"/>
     <function name="name" value="namedragon"/>
-    <function name="age" value="agedragon"/>
     <skill name="magic" modifier="8"/>
     <skill name="tactics" modifier="8"/>
     <skill name="perception" modifier="5"/>
@@ -735,7 +734,6 @@
   <race name="youngdragon" magres="50" maxaura="1.000000" regaura="1.000000" weight="20000" capacity="10000" speed="1.000000" hp="300" ac="4" damage="2d15" unarmedattack="0" unarmeddefense="0" attackmodifier="4" defensemodifier="4" scarepeasants="yes" fly="yes" walk="yes" teach="no" getitem="yes" resistbash="yes" unarmedguard="yes">
     <ai splitsize="6" killpeasants="yes" learn="yes"/>
     <function name="name" value="namedragon"/>
-    <function name="age" value="agefiredragon"/>
     <skill name="magic" modifier="4"/>
     <skill name="tactics" modifier="4"/>
     <skill name="stealth" modifier="2"/>
@@ -748,7 +746,6 @@
   <race name="undead" maxaura="1.000000" regaura="1.000000" weight="1000" capacity="540" speed="1.000000" hp="20" damage="1d7" unarmedattack="0" unarmeddefense="0" attackmodifier="1" defensemodifier="1" scarepeasants="yes" walk="yes" canlearn="no" teach="no" noheal="yes" undead="yes" equipment="yes">
     <ai splitsize="20000" moverandom="yes"/>
     <function name="name" value="nameundead"/>
-    <function name="age" value="ageundead"/>
     <attack type="4" damage="1d7"/>
     <attack type="5"/>
   </race>
@@ -1019,7 +1016,6 @@
   <race name="ghoul" magres="30" maxaura="1.000000" regaura="1.000000" weight="1000" capacity="540" speed="1.000000" hp="30" ac="1" damage="1d7" unarmedattack="3" unarmeddefense="3" attackmodifier="3" defensemodifier="3" scarepeasants="yes" walk="yes" canlearn="no" teach="no" absorbpeasants="yes" noheal="yes" undead="yes" equipment="yes">
     <ai splitsize="10000" killpeasants="yes" moverandom="yes"/>
     <function name="name" value="nameghoul"/>
-    <function name="age" value="ageghoul"/>
     <skill name="crossbow" modifier="1"/>
     <skill name="bow" modifier="1"/>
     <skill name="catapult" modifier="1"/>
@@ -1053,7 +1049,6 @@
   <race name="zombie" magres="20" maxaura="1.000000" regaura="1.000000" weight="1000" capacity="540" speed="1.000000" hp="40" ac="1" damage="1d7" unarmedattack="2" unarmeddefense="2" attackmodifier="5" defensemodifier="5" scarepeasants="yes" walk="yes" canlearn="no" teach="no" noheal="yes" undead="yes" equipment="yes" resistcut="yes" resistpierce="yes">
     <ai splitsize="10000" killpeasants="yes" moverandom="yes"/>
     <function name="name" value="namezombie"/>
-    <function name="age" value="agezombie"/>
     <skill name="crossbow" modifier="1"/>
     <skill name="bow" modifier="1"/>
     <skill name="catapult" modifier="1"/>
@@ -1083,7 +1078,6 @@
   <race name="skeleton" magres="10" maxaura="1.000000" regaura="1.000000" weight="500" capacity="540" speed="1.000000" hp="20" ac="1" damage="1d7" unarmedattack="1" unarmeddefense="1" attackmodifier="6" defensemodifier="6" scarepeasants="yes" walk="yes" canlearn="no" teach="no" noheal="yes" undead="yes" equipment="yes" resistcut="yes" resistpierce="yes">
     <ai splitsize="10000" killpeasants="yes" moverandom="yes"/>
     <function name="name" value="nameskeleton"/>
-    <function name="age" value="ageskeleton"/>
     <skill name="crossbow" modifier="1"/>
     <skill name="bow" modifier="1"/>
     <skill name="catapult" modifier="1"/>
diff --git a/src/kernel/race.c b/src/kernel/race.c
index 56b0590ae..4e8e0817c 100644
--- a/src/kernel/race.c
+++ b/src/kernel/race.c
@@ -327,6 +327,7 @@ race *rc_create(const char *zName)
 {
     race *rc;
     int i;
+    char zText[64];
 
     assert(zName);
     rc = (race *)calloc(sizeof(race), 1);
@@ -350,6 +351,9 @@ race *rc_create(const char *zName)
     rc->index = num_races++;
     ++rc_changes;
     rc->next = races;
+
+    snprintf(zText, sizeof(zText), "age_%s", zName);
+    rc->age = (void(*) (struct unit *))get_function(zText);
     return races = rc;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
index 2ba8e2b75..5c294d13a 100644
--- a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
+++ b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
@@ -1795,9 +1795,6 @@ static int parse_races(xmlDocPtr doc)
             if (strcmp((const char *)propValue, "name") == 0) {
                 rc->generate_name = (race_name_func)fun;
             }
-            else if (strcmp((const char *)propValue, "age") == 0) {
-                rc->age = (void(*)(struct unit *))fun;
-            }
             else {
                 log_error("unknown function type '%s' for race %s\n", (const char *)propValue, rc->_name);
             }
diff --git a/src/races/races.c b/src/races/races.c
index a05f3d211..92a3d3e3d 100644
--- a/src/races/races.c
+++ b/src/races/races.c
@@ -84,10 +84,10 @@ void register_races(void)
     register_function((pf_generic)equip_newunits, "equip_newunits");
 
     /* function age for race->age() */
-    register_function((pf_generic)age_undead, "ageundead");
-    register_function((pf_generic)age_skeleton, "ageskeleton");
-    register_function((pf_generic)age_zombie, "agezombie");
-    register_function((pf_generic)age_ghoul, "ageghoul");
-    register_function((pf_generic)age_dragon, "agedragon");
-    register_function((pf_generic)age_firedragon, "agefiredragon");
+    register_function((pf_generic)age_undead, "age_undead");
+    register_function((pf_generic)age_skeleton, "age_skeleton");
+    register_function((pf_generic)age_zombie, "age_zombie");
+    register_function((pf_generic)age_ghoul, "age_ghoul");
+    register_function((pf_generic)age_dragon, "age_dragon");
+    register_function((pf_generic)age_firedragon, "age_youngdragon");
 }