diff --git a/src/battle.test.c b/src/battle.test.c
index e8187c772..946d5fcee 100644
--- a/src/battle.test.c
+++ b/src/battle.test.c
@@ -225,10 +225,10 @@ static void test_natural_armor(CuTest * tc)
     set_level(u, SK_STAMINA, 2);
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, rc_armor_bonus(rc));
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, natural_armor(u));
-    set_param(&rc->parameters, "armor.stamina", "1");
+    rc_set_param(rc, "armor.stamina", "1");
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 1, rc_armor_bonus(rc));
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 2, natural_armor(u));
-    set_param(&rc->parameters, "armor.stamina", "2");
+    rc_set_param(rc, "armor.stamina", "2");
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 2, rc_armor_bonus(rc));
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 1, natural_armor(u));
     test_cleanup();
diff --git a/src/economy.c b/src/economy.c
index 2d9fe6666..dcbc7431e 100644
--- a/src/economy.c
+++ b/src/economy.c
@@ -422,10 +422,7 @@ static void expandrecruit(region * r, request * recruitorders)
 
 static int recruit_cost(const faction * f, const race * rc)
 {
-    if (is_monsters(f) || f->race == rc) {
-        return rc->recruitcost;
-    }
-    else if (valid_race(f, rc)) {
+    if (is_monsters(f) || valid_race(f, rc)) {
         return rc->recruitcost;
     }
     return -1;
diff --git a/src/kernel/faction.c b/src/kernel/faction.c
index 28ac2e203..30a623e44 100755
--- a/src/kernel/faction.c
+++ b/src/kernel/faction.c
@@ -558,15 +558,20 @@ void faction_setpassword(faction * f, const char *pwhash)
     f->_password = strdup(pwhash);
 }
 
+const race *other_race(const race *rc) {
+    if (rc->parameters) {
+        const char *str = get_param(rc->parameters, "other_race");
+        return str ? rc_find(str) : NULL;
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 bool valid_race(const struct faction *f, const struct race *rc)
 {
     if (f->race == rc)
         return true;
     else {
-        const char *str = get_param(f->race->parameters, "other_race");
-        if (str)
-            return rc_find(str) == rc;
-        return false;
+        return other_race(f->race) == rc;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/kernel/faction.test.c b/src/kernel/faction.test.c
index 1b1a0236b..c01731964 100644
--- a/src/kernel/faction.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/faction.test.c
@@ -209,6 +209,22 @@ static void test_max_migrants(CuTest *tc) {
     test_cleanup();
 }
 
+static void test_valid_race(CuTest *tc) {
+    race * rc1, *rc2;
+    faction *f;
+
+    test_setup();
+    rc1 = test_create_race("human");
+    rc2 = test_create_race("elf");
+    f = test_create_faction(rc1);
+    CuAssertTrue(tc, valid_race(f, rc1));
+    CuAssertTrue(tc, !valid_race(f, rc2));
+    rc_set_param(rc1, "other_race", "elf");
+    CuAssertTrue(tc, valid_race(f, rc1));
+    CuAssertTrue(tc, valid_race(f, rc2));
+    test_cleanup();
+}
+
 CuSuite *get_faction_suite(void)
 {
     CuSuite *suite = CuSuiteNew();
@@ -222,5 +238,6 @@ CuSuite *get_faction_suite(void)
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_set_origin);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_set_origin_bug);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_check_passwd);
+    SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_valid_race);
     return suite;
 }
diff --git a/src/kernel/race.c b/src/kernel/race.c
index 7f6fe15c2..0e9371e39 100644
--- a/src/kernel/race.c
+++ b/src/kernel/race.c
@@ -299,6 +299,20 @@ int rc_migrants_formula(const race *rc)
     return (rc->flags&RCF_MIGRANTS) ? MIGRANTS_LOG10 : MIGRANTS_NONE;
 }
 
+void rc_set_param(struct race *rc, const char *key, const char *value) {
+    if (strcmp(key, "recruit_multi") == 0) {
+        rc->recruit_multi = atof(value);
+    }
+    else if (strcmp(key, "migrants.formula") == 0) {
+        if (value[0] == '1') {
+            rc->flags |= RCF_MIGRANTS;
+        }
+    }
+    else {
+        set_param(&rc->parameters, key, value);
+    }
+}
+
 const char* rc_name(const race * rc, name_t n, char *name, size_t size) {
     const char * postfix = 0;
     if (!rc) {
diff --git a/src/kernel/race.h b/src/kernel/race.h
index 67eea00f4..b500ed6a1 100644
--- a/src/kernel/race.h
+++ b/src/kernel/race.h
@@ -184,6 +184,8 @@ extern "C" {
     const char * rc_name_s(const race *rc, name_t n);
     const char * rc_name(const race *rc, name_t n, char *name, size_t size);
 
+    void rc_set_param(struct race *rc, const char *key, const char *value);
+
     double rc_magres(const struct race *rc);
     double rc_maxaura(const struct race *rc);
     int rc_armor_bonus(const struct race *rc);
diff --git a/src/kernel/race.test.c b/src/kernel/race.test.c
index b730676a4..132457cb4 100644
--- a/src/kernel/race.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/race.test.c
@@ -84,6 +84,21 @@ static void test_old_race(CuTest *tc)
     test_cleanup();
 }
 
+static void test_rc_set_param(CuTest *tc) {
+    race *rc;
+    test_setup();
+    rc = test_create_race("human");
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, NULL, rc->parameters);
+    rc_set_param(rc, "hodor", "HODOR");
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "HODOR", get_param(rc->parameters, "hodor"));
+    rc_set_param(rc, "recruit_multi", "0.5");
+    CuAssertDblEquals(tc, 0.5, rc->recruit_multi, 0.0);
+    rc_set_param(rc, "migrants.formula", "1");
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, RCF_MIGRANTS, rc->flags&RCF_MIGRANTS);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, MIGRANTS_LOG10, rc_migrants_formula(rc));
+    test_cleanup();
+}
+
 CuSuite *get_race_suite(void)
 {
     CuSuite *suite = CuSuiteNew();
@@ -92,6 +107,7 @@ CuSuite *get_race_suite(void)
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_rc_name);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_rc_defaults);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_rc_find);
+    SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_rc_set_param);
     return suite;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
index a0172313a..c07e19809 100644
--- a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
+++ b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
@@ -1734,17 +1734,7 @@ static int parse_races(xmlDocPtr doc)
             else if (strcmp((const char *)child->name, "param") == 0) {
                 xmlChar *propName = xmlGetProp(child, BAD_CAST "name");
                 xmlChar *propValue = xmlGetProp(child, BAD_CAST "value");
-                if (strcmp((const char *)propName, "recruit_multi")==0) {
-                    rc->recruit_multi = atof((const char *)propValue);
-                }
-                else if (strcmp((const char *)propName, "migrants.formula") == 0) {
-                    if (propValue[0] == '1') {
-                        rc->flags |= RCF_MIGRANTS;
-                    }
-                }
-                else {
-                    set_param(&rc->parameters, (const char *)propName, (const char *)propValue);
-                }
+                rc_set_param(rc, (const char *)propName, (const char *)propValue);
                 xmlFree(propName);
                 xmlFree(propValue);
             }
diff --git a/src/market.test.c b/src/market.test.c
index 1e0195a57..b4d5f05f5 100644
--- a/src/market.test.c
+++ b/src/market.test.c
@@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ static void test_rc_trade(CuTest *tc) {
     rc = test_create_race("human");
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 1000, rc_luxury_trade(rc));
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 500, rc_herb_trade(rc));
-    set_param(&rc->parameters, "luxury_trade", "100");
-    set_param(&rc->parameters, "herb_trade", "50");
+    rc_set_param(rc, "luxury_trade", "100");
+    rc_set_param(rc, "herb_trade", "50");
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 100, rc_luxury_trade(rc));
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 50, rc_herb_trade(rc));
     test_cleanup();