diff --git a/include/monst.h b/include/monst.h
index 073de60be..854a6e137 100644
--- a/include/monst.h
+++ b/include/monst.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.7	monst.h	$NHDT-Date: 1596498550 2020/08/03 23:49:10 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.7 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.42 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.7	monst.h	$NHDT-Date: 1678560511 2023/03/11 18:48:31 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.7 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.54 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1985. */
 /*-Copyright (c) Robert Patrick Rankin, 2016. */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ struct monst {
     ((m)->data->mlet == S_TROLL && (o) && (o)->oartifact == ART_TROLLSBANE)
 
 #define engulfing_u(mon) (u.uswallow && (u.ustuck == (mon)))
-#define helpless(mon) ((mon)->msleeping || !(mon)->mcanmove)
+#define helpless(mon) ((mon)->msleeping || !(mon)->mcanmove || (mon)->meating)
 
 /* Get the maximum difficulty monsters that can currently be generated,
    given the current level difficulty and the hero's level. */