diff --git a/doc/fixes36.4 b/doc/fixes36.4
index c49854d28..d42e88c86 100644
--- a/doc/fixes36.4
+++ b/doc/fixes36.4
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-$NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.2 $ $NHDT-Date: 1576281514 2019/12/13 23:58:34 $
+$NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.3 $ $NHDT-Date: 1576282492 2019/12/14 00:14:52 $
 
 This fixes36.4 file is here to capture information about updates in the 3.6.x
 lineage following the release of 3.6.3 in December 2019.  Hypothetical version
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ GDBPATH and GREPPATH from sysconf or -D... on compilation command line were
 	at end of game when that was enabled
 fix the article used in the message when your steed encounters a polymorph trap
 alloc teleporting onto the vibrating square
+message "your knapsack can't accomodate any more items" when picking stuff up
+	or removing such from container was inaccurate if there was some gold
+	pending; vary the message rather than add more convoluted pickup code
 dozen-ish assorted spelling/typo fixes in messages and source comments
 
 
diff --git a/src/pickup.c b/src/pickup.c
index cd0fd118b..76f35aa8b 100644
--- a/src/pickup.c
+++ b/src/pickup.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.6	pickup.c	$NHDT-Date: 1570566381 2019/10/08 20:26:21 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.235 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.6	pickup.c	$NHDT-Date: 1576282488 2019/12/14 00:14:48 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.237 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1985. */
 /*-Copyright (c) Robert Patrick Rankin, 2012. */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
@@ -1424,7 +1424,14 @@ boolean telekinesis;
                /* [exception for gold coins will have to change
                    if silver/copper ones ever get implemented] */
                && inv_cnt(FALSE) >= 52 && !merge_choice(invent, obj)) {
-        Your("knapsack cannot accommodate any more items.");
+        /* if there is some gold here (and we haven't already skipped it),
+           we aren't limited by the 52 item limit for it, but caller and
+           "grandcaller" aren't prepared to skip stuff and then pickup
+           just gold, so the best we can do here is vary the message */
+        Your("knapsack cannot accommodate any more items%s.",
+             /* floor follows by nexthere, otherwise container so by nobj */
+             nxtobj(obj, GOLD_PIECE, (boolean) (obj->where == OBJ_FLOOR))
+                 ? " (except gold)" : "");
         result = -1; /* nothing lifted */
     } else {
         result = 1;