diff --git a/src/wield.c b/src/wield.c
index 11565e3bf..6920c9433 100644
--- a/src/wield.c
+++ b/src/wield.c
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@
  * No item may be in more than one of these slots.
  */
 
-static boolean cant_wield_corpse(struct obj *);
-static int ready_weapon(struct obj *);
-static int ready_ok(struct obj *);
-static int wield_ok(struct obj *);
+static boolean cant_wield_corpse(struct obj *) NONNULLARG1;
+static int ready_weapon(struct obj *) NO_NNARGS;
+static int ready_ok(struct obj *) NO_NNARGS;
+static int wield_ok(struct obj *) NO_NNARGS;
 
 /* used by will_weld() */
 /* probably should be renamed */
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ wield_tool(struct obj *obj,
     const char *what;
     boolean more_than_1;
 
-    if (obj == uwep)
+    if (uwep && obj == uwep)
         return TRUE; /* nothing to do if already wielding it */
 
     if (!verb)
@@ -690,7 +690,7 @@ wield_tool(struct obj *obj,
                  more_than_1 ? "them" : "it");
         return FALSE;
     }
-    if (welded(uwep)) {
+    if (uwep && welded(uwep)) {
         if (flags.verbose) {
             const char *hand = body_part(HAND);
 
@@ -737,7 +737,7 @@ wield_tool(struct obj *obj,
         if (flags.pushweapon && oldwep && uwep != oldwep)
             setuswapwep(oldwep);
     }
-    if (uwep != obj)
+    if (uwep && uwep != obj)
         return FALSE; /* rewielded old object after dying */
     /* applying weapon or tool that gets wielded ends two-weapon combat */
     if (u.twoweap)