diff --git a/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt b/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt
index 9919c232a..753592c8b 100644
--- a/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt
+++ b/doc/fixes3-7-0.txt
@@ -1374,6 +1374,9 @@ command line processing interleaved with options file processing is complex:
 	a recent change to make 'color' show up for tty in the short options
 	menu resulted in 'nethack --windowtype:X11' running X11 with ascii map
 	('NETHACKOPTIONS=windowtype:X11 nethack' continued to default to tiles)
+when the Astral level got created, any fake player character monsters that
+	were seen or sensed when created were reported as "<mon> suddenly
+	appears!" rather than be treated as part of level's initial population
 
 curses: 'msg_window' option wasn't functional for curses unless the binary
 	also included tty support
diff --git a/src/mplayer.c b/src/mplayer.c
index 966e00e5f..02cf1dee4 100644
--- a/src/mplayer.c
+++ b/src/mplayer.c
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ mk_mplayer(struct permonst *ptr, coordxy x, coordxy y, boolean special)
     if (!In_endgame(&u.uz))
         special = FALSE;
 
-    if ((mtmp = makemon(ptr, x, y, NO_MM_FLAGS)) != 0) {
+    if ((mtmp = makemon(ptr, x, y, special ? MM_NOMSG : NO_MM_FLAGS)) != 0) {
         short weapon, armor, cloak, helm, shield;
         int quan;
         struct obj *otmp;