diff --git a/src/kernel/curse.c b/src/kernel/curse.c
index 646c99687..ac2e917a7 100644
--- a/src/kernel/curse.c
+++ b/src/kernel/curse.c
@@ -291,6 +291,17 @@ attrib_type at_curse = {
 
 #define MAXCTHASH 128
 static quicklist *cursetypes[MAXCTHASH];
+static int ct_changes = 1;
+
+bool ct_changed(int *cache)
+{
+    assert(cache);
+    if (*cache != ct_changes) {
+        *cache = ct_changes;
+        return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
 
 void ct_register(const curse_type * ct)
 {
@@ -298,6 +309,27 @@ void ct_register(const curse_type * ct)
     quicklist **ctlp = cursetypes + hash;
 
     ql_set_insert(ctlp, (void *)ct);
+    ++ct_changes;
+}
+
+void ct_remove(const char *c)
+{
+    unsigned int hash = tolower(c[0]);
+    quicklist *ctl = cursetypes[hash];
+
+    if (ctl) {
+        int qi;
+
+        for (qi = 0; ctl; ql_advance(&ctl, &qi, 1)) {
+            curse_type *type = (curse_type *)ql_get(ctl, qi);
+
+            if (strcmp(c, type->cname) == 0) {
+                ql_delete(&ctl, qi);
+                ++ct_changes;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 const curse_type *ct_find(const char *c)
@@ -798,5 +830,7 @@ void curses_done(void) {
     int i;
     for (i = 0; i != MAXCTHASH; ++i) {
         ql_free(cursetypes[i]);
+        cursetypes[i] = 0;
     }
+    ++ct_changes;
 }
diff --git a/src/kernel/curse.h b/src/kernel/curse.h
index 9013a1df5..a1518bbdd 100644
--- a/src/kernel/curse.h
+++ b/src/kernel/curse.h
@@ -282,7 +282,9 @@ extern "C" {
 
     int find_cursebyname(const char *c);
     const curse_type *ct_find(const char *c);
+    bool ct_changed(int *cache);
     void ct_register(const curse_type *);
+    void ct_remove(const char *c);
     void ct_checknames(void);
 
     curse *findcurse(int curseid);
diff --git a/src/kernel/curse.test.c b/src/kernel/curse.test.c
index 6514b2f3e..d7c86b9b0 100644
--- a/src/kernel/curse.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/curse.test.c
@@ -157,10 +157,29 @@ static void test_write_flag(CuTest *tc) {
     cleanup_curse(&fix);
 }
 
+static void test_curse_cache(CuTest *tc)
+{
+    int cache = 0;
+    const curse_type ct_dummy = { "dummy", CURSETYP_NORM, 0, M_SUMEFFECT, NULL };    
+    test_setup();
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, true, ct_changed(&cache));
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, false, ct_changed(&cache));
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, NULL, (void *)ct_find(ct_dummy.cname));
+    ct_register(&ct_dummy);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, true, ct_changed(&cache));
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, (void *)&ct_dummy, (void *)ct_find(ct_dummy.cname));
+    ct_remove(ct_dummy.cname);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, true, ct_changed(&cache));
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, false, ct_changed(&cache));
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, NULL, (void *)ct_find(ct_dummy.cname));
+    test_cleanup();
+}
+
 CuSuite *get_curse_suite(void)
 {
     CuSuite *suite = CuSuiteNew();
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_curse);
+    SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_curse_cache);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_magicstreet);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_magicstreet_warning);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_good_dreams);