diff --git a/doc/fixes34.2 b/doc/fixes34.2
index 79349a2f0..60f2b6a02 100644
--- a/doc/fixes34.2
+++ b/doc/fixes34.2
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ stone-to-flesh of spot with multiple statues can animate more than one
 use of stethoscope now deliberately impacted when hero is engulfed by whirly 
 	monster but fixed so it can sometimes work on your steed there too
 typos fixed in data.base
+add freehand() check to able_to_loot()
 
 
 Platform- and/or Interface-Specific Fixes
diff --git a/src/pickup.c b/src/pickup.c
index 407b61ac7..c15cb347a 100644
--- a/src/pickup.c
+++ b/src/pickup.c
@@ -1437,6 +1437,10 @@ boolean looting;	/* loot vs tip */
 	} else if (nolimbs(youmonst.data)) {
 		pline("Without limbs, you cannot %s anything.", verb);
 		return FALSE;
+	} else if (!freehand()) {
+		pline("Without a free %s, you cannot loot anything.",
+			body_part(HAND));
+		return FALSE;
 	}
 	return TRUE;
 }