diff --git a/src/kernel/faction.c b/src/kernel/faction.c
index 6e249bca7..794554cec 100755
--- a/src/kernel/faction.c
+++ b/src/kernel/faction.c
@@ -336,40 +336,6 @@ void write_faction_reference(const faction * f, struct storage *store)
     WRITE_INT(store, f ? f->no : 0);
 }
 
-#define DMAXHASH 7919
-typedef struct dead {
-    struct dead *nexthash;
-    faction *f;
-    int no;
-} dead;
-
-static dead *deadhash[DMAXHASH];
-
-void dhash(int no, faction * f)
-{
-    dead *hash = (dead *)calloc(1, sizeof(dead));
-    dead *old = deadhash[no % DMAXHASH];
-    hash->no = no;
-    hash->f = f;
-    deadhash[no % DMAXHASH] = hash;
-    hash->nexthash = old;
-}
-
-faction *dfindhash(int no)
-{
-    dead *old;
-
-    if (no < 0)
-        return 0;
-
-    for (old = deadhash[no % DMAXHASH]; old; old = old->nexthash) {
-        if (old->no == no) {
-            return old->f;
-        }
-    }
-    return 0;
-}
-
 void free_flist(faction **fp) {
     faction * flist = *fp;
     while (flist) {
@@ -868,6 +834,7 @@ int writepasswd(void)
 }
 
 void free_factions(void) {
+#ifdef DMAXHASH
     int i;
     for (i = 0; i != DMAXHASH; ++i) {
         while (deadhash[i]) {
@@ -876,6 +843,7 @@ void free_factions(void) {
             free(d);
         }
     }
+#endif
     free_flist(&factions);
     free_flist(&dead_factions);
 }
diff --git a/src/kernel/faction.h b/src/kernel/faction.h
index 2cb2fc9f3..5a1ca893b 100644
--- a/src/kernel/faction.h
+++ b/src/kernel/faction.h
@@ -180,10 +180,6 @@ extern "C" {
 
     struct faction *getfaction(void);
 
-    /* looking up dead factions: */
-    void dhash(int no, struct faction * f);
-    struct faction *dfindhash(int no);
-
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/src/kernel/faction.test.c b/src/kernel/faction.test.c
index 7ebcd1a45..75ced96df 100644
--- a/src/kernel/faction.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/faction.test.c
@@ -191,29 +191,10 @@ static void test_set_origin_bug(CuTest *tc) {
     test_cleanup();
 }
 
-static void test_deadhash(CuTest *tc) {
-    faction *f;
-    int no;
-    test_setup();
-    f = test_create_faction(0);
-    no = f->no;
-    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, f, findfaction(no));
-    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, NULL, dfindhash(42));
-    dhash(41, f);
-    dhash(42, f);
-    assert(f == factions);
-    destroyfaction(&factions);
-    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, findfaction(no));
-    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, f, dfindhash(42));
-    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, f, dfindhash(41));
-    test_cleanup();
-}
-
 CuSuite *get_faction_suite(void)
 {
     CuSuite *suite = CuSuiteNew();
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_addfaction);
-    SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_deadhash);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_remove_empty_factions);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_destroyfaction_allies);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_remove_empty_factions_alliance);
diff --git a/src/kernel/unit.c b/src/kernel/unit.c
index cdd08cb43..fb4723f29 100644
--- a/src/kernel/unit.c
+++ b/src/kernel/unit.c
@@ -366,6 +366,51 @@ int gift_items(unit * u, int flags)
 
 static unit *deleted_units = NULL;
 
+#define DMAXHASH 7919
+#undef DMAXHASH // TODO: makes dfindhash slow!
+#ifdef DMAXHASH
+typedef struct dead {
+    struct dead *nexthash;
+    faction *f;
+    int no;
+} dead;
+
+static dead *deadhash[DMAXHASH];
+
+static void dhash(int no, faction * f)
+{
+    dead *hash = (dead *)calloc(1, sizeof(dead));
+    dead *old = deadhash[no % DMAXHASH];
+    hash->no = no;
+    hash->f = f;
+    deadhash[no % DMAXHASH] = hash;
+    hash->nexthash = old;
+}
+
+faction *dfindhash(int no)
+{
+    dead *old;
+
+    if (no < 0)
+        return 0;
+
+    for (old = deadhash[no % DMAXHASH]; old; old = old->nexthash) {
+        if (old->no == no) {
+            return old->f;
+        }
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+#else
+struct faction *dfindhash(int no) {
+    unit *u = deleted_units;
+    while (u && u->no != no) {
+        u = u->next;
+    }
+    return u ? u->faction : NULL;
+}
+#endif
+
 int remove_unit(unit ** ulist, unit * u)
 {
     int result;
@@ -379,8 +424,9 @@ int remove_unit(unit ** ulist, unit * u)
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (u->number)
+    if (u->number) {
         set_number(u, 0);
+    }
     leave(u, true);
     u->region = NULL;
 
@@ -393,11 +439,22 @@ int remove_unit(unit ** ulist, unit * u)
         *ulist = u->next;
     }
 
+    if (u->prevF) {
+        u->prevF->nextF = u->nextF;
+    }
+    if (u->nextF) {
+        u->nextF->prevF = u->prevF;
+    }
+    u->nextF = 0;
+    u->prevF = 0;
+
     u->next = deleted_units;
     deleted_units = u;
+#ifdef DMAXHASH
     dhash(u->no, u->faction);
+#endif
+    // u_setfaction(u, NULL);
 
-    u_setfaction(u, NULL);
     u->region = NULL;
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/src/kernel/unit.h b/src/kernel/unit.h
index 2a74e4fbb..459d0b656 100644
--- a/src/kernel/unit.h
+++ b/src/kernel/unit.h
@@ -174,6 +174,9 @@ extern "C" {
         const struct region *r, bool noitem);
     int remove_unit(struct unit **ulist, struct unit *u);
 
+    /* looking up dead units' factions: */
+    struct faction *dfindhash(int no);
+
 #define GIFT_SELF     1<<0
 #define GIFT_FRIENDS  1<<1
 #define GIFT_PEASANTS 1<<2
diff --git a/src/kernel/unit.test.c b/src/kernel/unit.test.c
index df8496dce..162bf1570 100644
--- a/src/kernel/unit.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/unit.test.c
@@ -50,14 +50,16 @@ static void test_remove_empty_units_in_region(CuTest *tc) {
     test_create_world();
 
     u = test_create_unit(test_create_faction(test_create_race("human")), findregion(0, 0));
+    u = test_create_unit(u->faction, u->region);
+    CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, u->nextF);
     uid = u->no;
     remove_empty_units_in_region(u->region);
     CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, findunit(uid));
     u->number = 0;
     remove_empty_units_in_region(u->region);
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, findunit(uid));
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, u->nextF);
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, u->region);
-    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, u->faction);
     test_cleanup();
 }
 
@@ -422,7 +424,7 @@ static void test_remove_unit(CuTest *tc) {
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0, u->number);
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, u->region);
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, u->items);
-    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, u->faction);
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, u->nextF);
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, r->units);
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, findunit(uno));
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, f, dfindhash(uno));