diff --git a/doc/fixes36.2 b/doc/fixes36.2
index fe8568a2d..320d6288e 100644
--- a/doc/fixes36.2
+++ b/doc/fixes36.2
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-$NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.219 $ $NHDT-Date: 1546212616 2018/12/30 23:30:16 $
+$NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.220 $ $NHDT-Date: 1546465283 2019/01/02 21:41:23 $
 
 This fixes36.2 file is here to capture information about updates in the 3.6.x
 lineage following the release of 3.6.1 in April 2018. Please note, however,
@@ -360,10 +360,12 @@ when built with STATUS_HILITES enabled (the default), gold on status line
 	was missing '$' prefix for symset:Blank
 wizard mode ^G, creating a monster of class 'I' yielded impossible "mkclass
 	found no class 35 monsters"
-in some unknown circumstance, examining something on the map could match bogus
-	monster class #0 and trigger impossible "Alphabet soup: 'an("")'."
-	(fix avoids the warning but underlying cause is a mystery; noticed
-	with the fuzzer, which swaps symbol sets in and out at random)
+wizard mode ^G, creating a monster via class name using "lo" through "long wor"
+	or "long worm t" through "long worm tail" yielded impossible "mkclass
+	found no class 59 monsters" (class '~' creates a long worm as intended)
+if bouldersym bug (via 'O', above) put a <NUL> ('\0') on the map, examining
+	that spot matched placeholder monster class #0 and triggered impossible
+	"Alphabet soup: 'an("")'."
 tty: turn off an optimization that is the suspected cause of Windows reported
 	partial status lines following level changes
 tty: ensure that current status fields are always copied to prior status
diff --git a/src/mondata.c b/src/mondata.c
index 62dea9a10..9feeeae4e 100644
--- a/src/mondata.c
+++ b/src/mondata.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.6	mondata.c	$NHDT-Date: 1543545188 2018/11/30 02:33:08 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.69 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.6	mondata.c	$NHDT-Date: 1546465283 2019/01/02 21:41:23 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.70 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1985. */
 /*-Copyright (c) Robert Patrick Rankin, 2011. */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
@@ -781,11 +781,12 @@ const char *in_str;
     }
 
     for (len = 0, i = LOW_PM; i < NUMMONS; i++) {
-        register int m_i_len = strlen(mons[i].mname);
+        register int m_i_len = (int) strlen(mons[i].mname);
 
         if (m_i_len > len && !strncmpi(mons[i].mname, str, m_i_len)) {
             if (m_i_len == slen) {
-                return i; /* exact match */
+                mntmp = i;
+                break; /* exact match */
             } else if (slen > m_i_len
                        && (str[m_i_len] == ' '
                            || !strcmpi(&str[m_i_len], "s")
@@ -841,7 +842,7 @@ int *mndx_p;
         { 0, NON_PM }
     };
     const char *p, *x;
-    int i;
+    int i, len;
 
     if (mndx_p)
         *mndx_p = NON_PM; /* haven't [yet] matched a specific type */
@@ -863,6 +864,8 @@ int *mndx_p;
         return i;
     } else {
         /* multiple characters */
+        if (!strcmpi(in_str, "long")) /* not enough to match "long worm" */
+            return 0; /* avoid false whole-word match with "long worm tail" */
         in_str = makesingular(in_str);
         /* check for special cases */
         for (i = 0; falsematch[i]; i++)
@@ -878,9 +881,12 @@ int *mndx_p;
                 return mons[i].mlet;
             }
         /* check monster class descriptions */
+        len = (int) strlen(in_str);
         for (i = 1; i < MAXMCLASSES; i++) {
             x = def_monsyms[i].explain;
-            if ((p = strstri(x, in_str)) != 0 && (p == x || *(p - 1) == ' '))
+            if ((p = strstri(x, in_str)) != 0 && (p == x || *(p - 1) == ' ')
+                && ((int) strlen(p) >= len
+                    && (p[len] == '\0' || p[len] == ' ')))
                 return i;
         }
         /* check individual species names */
diff --git a/src/read.c b/src/read.c
index a52a0317b..562b52bf1 100644
--- a/src/read.c
+++ b/src/read.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.6	read.c	$NHDT-Date: 1546053040 2018/12/29 03:10:40 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.163 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.6	read.c	$NHDT-Date: 1546465285 2019/01/02 21:41:25 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.164 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1985. */
 /*-Copyright (c) Robert Patrick Rankin, 2012. */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
@@ -2498,6 +2498,10 @@ struct _create_particular_data *d;
         d->which = PM_STALKER;
         d->monclass = MAXMCLASSES;
         return TRUE;
+    } else if (d->monclass == S_WORM_TAIL) { /* empty monster class */
+        d->which = PM_LONG_WORM;
+        d->monclass = MAXMCLASSES;
+        return TRUE;
     } else if (d->monclass > 0) {
         d->which = urole.malenum; /* reset from NON_PM */
         return TRUE;
@@ -2516,7 +2520,8 @@ struct _create_particular_data *d;
 
     if (!d->randmonst) {
         firstchoice = d->which;
-        if (cant_revive(&d->which, FALSE, (struct obj *) 0)) {
+        if (cant_revive(&d->which, FALSE, (struct obj *) 0)
+            && firstchoice != PM_LONG_WORM_TAIL) {
             /* wizard mode can override handling of special monsters */
             char buf[BUFSZ];