diff --git a/src/gmtool.c b/src/gmtool.c
index fdbfd3faa..e75f22612 100644
--- a/src/gmtool.c
+++ b/src/gmtool.c
@@ -934,7 +934,8 @@ static void seed_player(state *st, const newfaction *player) {
         if (r) {
             const char *at = strchr(player->email, '@');
             faction *f;
-            addplayer(r, f = addfaction(player->email, player->password,
+            const char *password = player->password ? player->password : itoa36(rng_int());
+            addplayer(r, f = addfaction(player->email, password,
                                         player->race, player->lang,
                                         player->subscription));
             if (at) {
diff --git a/src/kernel/faction.c b/src/kernel/faction.c
index b4dfe51ca..5e6c98602 100755
--- a/src/kernel/faction.c
+++ b/src/kernel/faction.c
@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@ faction *addfaction(const char *email, const char *password,
     f->alliance_joindate = turn;
     f->lastorders = turn;
     f->_alive = true;
+    f->_password = NULL;
     f->age = 0;
     f->race = frace;
     f->magiegebiet = 0;
@@ -252,9 +253,10 @@ faction *addfaction(const char *email, const char *password,
     f->subscription = subscription;
     f->flags = FFL_ISNEW|FFL_PWMSG;
 
-    if (!password) password = itoa36(rng_int());
-    faction_setpassword(f, password_encode(password, PASSWORD_DEFAULT));
-    ADDMSG(&f->msgs, msg_message("changepasswd", "value", password));
+    if (password) {
+        faction_setpassword(f, password_encode(password, PASSWORD_DEFAULT));
+        ADDMSG(&f->msgs, msg_message("changepasswd", "value", password));
+    }
 
     f->options =
         WANT_OPTION(O_REPORT) | WANT_OPTION(O_ZUGVORLAGE) |
diff --git a/src/kernel/faction.test.c b/src/kernel/faction.test.c
index 37ec70e50..75c455e7d 100644
--- a/src/kernel/faction.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/faction.test.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ static void test_addfaction(CuTest *tc) {
     test_setup();
     rc = rc_get_or_create("human");
     lang = test_create_locale();
-    f = addfaction("test@eressea.de", "hurrdurr", rc, lang, 1234);
+    f = addfaction("test@eressea.de", NULL, rc, lang, 1234);
     CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, f);
     CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, f->name);
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, NULL, (void *)f->units);
diff --git a/src/modules/autoseed.c b/src/modules/autoseed.c
index 374b6379c..439bf35d1 100644
--- a/src/modules/autoseed.c
+++ b/src/modules/autoseed.c
@@ -550,13 +550,15 @@ int autoseed(newfaction ** players, int nsize, int max_agediff)
             newfaction **nfp, *nextf = *players;
             faction *f;
             unit *u;
+            const char * password;
 
             isize += REGIONS_PER_FACTION;
             terraform_region(r, preferred_terrain(nextf->race));
             prepare_starting_region(r);
             ++tsize;
             assert(r->land && r->units == 0);
-            u = addplayer(r, addfaction(nextf->email, nextf->password, nextf->race,
+            password = nextf->password ? nextf->password : itoa36(rng_int());
+            u = addplayer(r, addfaction(nextf->email, password, nextf->race,
                 nextf->lang, nextf->subscription));
             f = u->faction;
             fset(f, FFL_ISNEW);