diff --git a/src/kernel/curse.c b/src/kernel/curse.c
index ac2e917a7..bc3cdbfba 100644
--- a/src/kernel/curse.c
+++ b/src/kernel/curse.c
@@ -97,6 +97,15 @@ static void cunhash(curse * c)
     }
 }
 
+curse *cfindhash(int i)
+{
+    curse *old;
+
+    for (old = cursehash[i % MAXENTITYHASH]; old; old = old->nexthash)
+        if (old->no == i)
+            return old;
+    return NULL;
+}
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------- */
 /* at_curse */
 void curse_init(attrib * a)
diff --git a/src/kernel/curse.h b/src/kernel/curse.h
index a1518bbdd..9f6688a4f 100644
--- a/src/kernel/curse.h
+++ b/src/kernel/curse.h
@@ -287,6 +287,7 @@ extern "C" {
     void ct_remove(const char *c);
     void ct_checknames(void);
 
+    curse *cfindhash(int i);
     curse *findcurse(int curseid);
 
     void curse_init(struct attrib *a);
diff --git a/src/kernel/unit.c b/src/kernel/unit.c
index ab3bd294c..2046a72c5 100644
--- a/src/kernel/unit.c
+++ b/src/kernel/unit.c
@@ -1938,6 +1938,7 @@ int newunitid(void)
     start_random_no = random_unit_no;
 
     while (ufindhash(random_unit_no) || dfindhash(random_unit_no)
+        || cfindhash(random_unit_no)
         || forbiddenid(random_unit_no)) {
         random_unit_no++;
         if (random_unit_no == MAX_UNIT_NR + 1) {