diff --git a/doc/fixes37.0 b/doc/fixes37.0
index 48e6948a6..596c74d60 100644
--- a/doc/fixes37.0
+++ b/doc/fixes37.0
@@ -950,6 +950,10 @@ curses: line input that doesn't take place on the bottom line of the message
 curses: menu headings didn't use default text color
 curses: #perminv changes disabled menu_headings attribute for persistent
 	inventory window headings; reinstate that
+curses: messages were tagged by turn in 3.6.x so that ^P can place a separator
+	between groups of messages; somehow the line of code that recorded
+	the turn vanished so ^P behaved as if every message came on its own
+	distinct turn, resulting in lots of "---" separators
 Qt: at Xp levels above 20 with 'showexp' On, the combined status field
 	"Level:NN/nnnnnnnn" was too big and truncated by a char at each end
 Qt: searching a text window for something that wasn't found and then searching
diff --git a/win/curses/cursmesg.c b/win/curses/cursmesg.c
index 150436052..093c78a18 100644
--- a/win/curses/cursmesg.c
+++ b/win/curses/cursmesg.c
@@ -372,13 +372,14 @@ curses_prev_mesg(void)
 
     for (count = 0; count < num_messages; ++count) {
         mesg = get_msg_line(do_lifo, count);
-        if (turn != mesg->turn && count != 0) {
-            curses_add_menu(wid, &nul_glyphinfo, &Id, 0, 0,
-                            A_NORMAL, "---", MENU_ITEMFLAGS_NONE);
+        if (mesg->turn != turn) {
+            if (count > 0) /* skip separator for first line */
+                curses_add_menu(wid, &nul_glyphinfo, &Id, 0, 0,
+                                A_NORMAL, "---", MENU_ITEMFLAGS_NONE);
+            turn = mesg->turn;
         }
         curses_add_menu(wid, &nul_glyphinfo, &Id, 0, 0,
                         A_NORMAL, mesg->str, MENU_ITEMFLAGS_NONE);
-        turn = mesg->turn;
     }
     if (!count)
         curses_add_menu(wid, &nul_glyphinfo, &Id, 0, 0,
@@ -787,6 +788,7 @@ mesg_add_line(const char *mline)
             current_mesg->str = dupstr(mline);
         }
     }
+    current_mesg->turn = g.moves;
 
     if (num_messages == 0) {
         /* very first message; set up head */