diff --git a/src/attributes/targetregion.c b/src/attributes/targetregion.c
index 600d2e184..4f5a2101a 100644
--- a/src/attributes/targetregion.c
+++ b/src/attributes/targetregion.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ write_targetregion(const variant *var, const void *owner, struct storage *store)
 
 static int read_targetregion(variant *var, void *owner, gamedata *data)
 {
-    if (read_region_reference(data, (region **)&var->v, NULL) <= 0) {
+    if (read_region_reference(data, (region **)&var->v) <= 0) {
         return AT_READ_FAIL;
     }
     return AT_READ_OK;
diff --git a/src/kernel/curse.c b/src/kernel/curse.c
index 62e7ab9b2..bf3c8fef0 100644
--- a/src/kernel/curse.c
+++ b/src/kernel/curse.c
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ int curse_read(variant *var, void *owner, gamedata *data)
         READ_INT(store, &c->data.i);
     }
     if (c->type->typ == CURSETYP_REGION) {
-        int rr = read_region_reference(data, (region **)&c->data.v, NULL);
+        int rr = read_region_reference(data, (region **)&c->data.v);
         if (ur == 0 && rr == 0 && !c->data.v) {
             return AT_READ_FAIL;
         }
diff --git a/src/kernel/region.c b/src/kernel/region.c
index fee51d13c..192469b8e 100644
--- a/src/kernel/region.c
+++ b/src/kernel/region.c
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ static void unhash_uid(region * r)
     uidhash[key].r = NULL;
 }
 
-static void hash_uid(region * r)
+static void rhash_uid(region * r)
 {
     int uid = r->uid;
     for (;;) {
@@ -761,32 +761,35 @@ static region *last;
 
 static unsigned int max_index = 0;
 
+region *region_create(int uid)
+{
+    region *r = (region *)calloc(1, sizeof(region));
+    assert_alloc(r);
+    r->uid = uid;
+    rhash_uid(r);
+    return r;
+}
+
 region *new_region(int x, int y, struct plane *pl, int uid)
 {
     region *r;
 
     pnormalize(&x, &y, pl);
     r = rfindhash(x, y);
-
-    if (r) {
-        log_error("duplicate region discovered: %s(%d,%d)\n", regionname(r, NULL), x, y);
-        if (r->units)
-            log_error("duplicate region contains units\n");
-        return r;
+    if (!r) {
+        r = region_create(uid);
     }
-    r = (region *)calloc(sizeof(region), 1);
-    assert_alloc(r);
     r->x = x;
     r->y = y;
-    r->uid = uid;
     r->age = 1;
     r->_plane = pl;
     rhash(r);
-    hash_uid(r);
-    if (last)
+    if (last) {
         addlist(&last, r);
-    else
+    }
+    else {
         addlist(&regions, r);
+    }
     last = r;
     assert(r->next == NULL);
     r->index = ++max_index;
@@ -1263,7 +1266,7 @@ void resolve_region(region *r)
     resolve(RESOLVE_REGION | r->uid, r);
 }
 
-int read_region_reference(gamedata * data, region **rp, resolve_fun fun)
+int read_region_reference(gamedata * data, region **rp)
 {
     struct storage * store = data->store;
     int id = 0;
@@ -1271,7 +1274,7 @@ int read_region_reference(gamedata * data, region **rp, resolve_fun fun)
     READ_INT(store, &id);
     *rp = findregionbyid(id);
     if (*rp == NULL) {
-        ur_add(RESOLVE_REGION | id, (void **)rp, fun);
+        ur_add(RESOLVE_REGION | id, (void **)rp, NULL);
     }
     return id;
 }
diff --git a/src/kernel/region.h b/src/kernel/region.h
index bf932e9c3..436434024 100644
--- a/src/kernel/region.h
+++ b/src/kernel/region.h
@@ -225,6 +225,7 @@ extern "C" {
     const char *write_regionname(const struct region *r, const struct faction *f,
         char *buffer, size_t size);
 
+    struct region *region_create(int uid);
     struct region *new_region(int x, int y, struct plane *pl, int uid);
     void remove_region(region ** rlist, region * r);
     void terraform_region(struct region *r, const struct terrain_type *terrain);
@@ -252,7 +253,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #define RESOLVE_REGION (TYP_REGION << 24)
     void resolve_region(region *r);
     void write_region_reference(const struct region *r, struct storage *store);
-    int read_region_reference(struct gamedata *data, region **rp, resolve_fun fun);
+    int read_region_reference(struct gamedata *data, region **rp);
 
     const char *regionname(const struct region *r, const struct faction *f);
 
diff --git a/src/triggers/createunit.c b/src/triggers/createunit.c
index 5adabc7ea..82155de55 100644
--- a/src/triggers/createunit.c
+++ b/src/triggers/createunit.c
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ static int createunit_read(trigger * t, gamedata *data)
         result = AT_READ_FAIL;
     }
 
-    read_region_reference(data, &td->r, NULL);
+    read_region_reference(data, &td->r);
     td->race = read_race_reference(data->store);
     if (!td->race) {
         result = AT_READ_FAIL;
diff --git a/src/triggers/gate.c b/src/triggers/gate.c
index 065be8cf8..bd67e56f4 100644
--- a/src/triggers/gate.c
+++ b/src/triggers/gate.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ static int gate_read(trigger * t, gamedata *data)
 {
     gate_data *gd = (gate_data *)t->data.v;
     int bc = read_building_reference(data, &gd->gate, NULL);
-    int rc = read_region_reference(data, &gd->target, NULL);
+    int rc = read_region_reference(data, &gd->target);
 
     if (bc <= 0 && rc <= 0) {
         return AT_READ_FAIL;
diff --git a/src/wormhole.c b/src/wormhole.c
index 382e64d16..1ce6686c9 100644
--- a/src/wormhole.c
+++ b/src/wormhole.c
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ static int wormhole_read(variant *var, void *owner, struct gamedata *data)
     if (data->version < ATTRIBOWNER_VERSION) {
         READ_INT(data->store, NULL);
     }
-    id = read_region_reference(data, (region **)&var->v, NULL);
+    id = read_region_reference(data, (region **)&var->v);
     return (id <= 0) ? AT_READ_FAIL : AT_READ_OK;
 }