diff --git a/include/extern.h b/include/extern.h
index afc254024..73c108b8b 100644
--- a/include/extern.h
+++ b/include/extern.h
@@ -778,7 +778,7 @@ extern void cant_reach_floor(int, int, boolean, boolean);
 extern const char *surface(int, int);
 extern const char *ceiling(int, int);
 extern struct engr *engr_at(xchar, xchar);
-extern int sengr_at(const char *, xchar, xchar, boolean);
+extern boolean sengr_at(const char *, xchar, xchar, boolean);
 extern void u_wipe_engr(int);
 extern void wipe_engr_at(xchar, xchar, xchar, boolean);
 extern void read_engr_at(int, int);
diff --git a/src/engrave.c b/src/engrave.c
index 9e6384cb2..5f071a3dc 100644
--- a/src/engrave.c
+++ b/src/engrave.c
@@ -268,16 +268,15 @@ engr_at(xchar x, xchar y)
  * If strict checking is requested, the word is only considered to be
  * present if it is intact and is the entire content of the engraving.
  */
-int
+boolean
 sengr_at(const char *s, xchar x, xchar y, boolean strict)
 {
     register struct engr *ep = engr_at(x, y);
 
     if (ep && ep->engr_type != HEADSTONE && ep->engr_time <= g.moves) {
-        return strict ? (fuzzymatch(ep->engr_txt, s, "", TRUE))
-                      : (strstri(ep->engr_txt, s) != 0);
+        return (strict ? !strcmpi(ep->engr_txt, s)
+                       : (strstri(ep->engr_txt, s) != 0));
     }
-
     return FALSE;
 }