diff --git a/src/common/kernel/item.c b/src/common/kernel/item.c
index 88de85d51..c7dedc47e 100644
--- a/src/common/kernel/item.c
+++ b/src/common/kernel/item.c
@@ -2150,6 +2150,28 @@ tagbegin(struct xml_stack * stack)
 			if (xml_bvalue(tag, "animal")) flags |= ITF_ANIMAL;
 			state->rtype->flags |= RTF_ITEM;
 			state->itype = new_itemtype(state->rtype, flags, weight, capacity);
+		} else if (strcmp(tag->name, "function")==0) {
+			const char * semi = xml_value(tag, "name");
+			const char * s = xml_value(tag, "value");
+			item_type * it = state->itype;
+			int i = atoi(s);
+			switch (semi[0]) {
+			case 'c':
+				if (!strcmp(semi, "capacity")) it->capacity=i;
+				break;
+			case 'f':
+				if (!strcmp(semi, "flags")) it->flags=i;
+				break;
+			case 'g':
+				if (!strcmp(semi, "give")) it->give = (int (*)(const unit*, const unit*, const struct item_type *, int, const char *))get_function(s);
+				break;
+			case 'u':
+				if (!strcmp(semi, "use")) it->use = (int (*)(unit *, const struct item_type *, int, const char *))get_function(s);
+				break;
+			case 'w':
+				if (!strcmp(semi, "weight")) it->weight=i;
+				break;
+			}
 		} else if (strcmp(tag->name, "weapon")==0) {
 			skill_t sk = sk_find(xml_value(tag, "skill"));
 			int minskill = xml_ivalue(tag, "minskill");
diff --git a/src/common/modules/gmcmd.c b/src/common/modules/gmcmd.c
index 00eed9ae2..27d6983dc 100644
--- a/src/common/modules/gmcmd.c
+++ b/src/common/modules/gmcmd.c
@@ -53,10 +53,27 @@ write_permissions(const attrib * a, FILE * F)
 }
 
 static int
-read_permissions(attrib * a, FILE * F)
+read_permissions(attrib * at, FILE * F)
 {
-	attrib ** p_a = (attrib**)&a->data.v;
+	attrib ** p_a = (attrib**)&at->data.v;
 	a_read(F, p_a);
+	/* eliminate duplicates: */
+	while (*p_a) {
+		attrib * a = (*p_a)->next;
+		while (a) {
+			attrib * nexta = a->next;
+			if (a->type == (*p_a)->type && a->data.v==(*p_a)->data.v) {
+				static int print = 0;
+				a_remove((attrib**)&at->data.v, a);
+				if (!print) {
+					log_error(("duplicated entries in permission structure\n"));
+					print = 1;
+				}
+			}
+			a = nexta;
+		}
+		p_a = &(*p_a)->next;
+	}
 	return AT_READ_OK;
 }