diff --git a/doc/fixes36.1 b/doc/fixes36.1
index 87fa71684..b682a6c25 100644
--- a/doc/fixes36.1
+++ b/doc/fixes36.1
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ looking at distant objects while wearing the Eyes of the Overworld made their
 message when cursed wand zapped by a monster happens to explode was suppressed
 	if hero was deaf, even though that message has no audible component
 support explicit 'symset:default' and 'symset:Default symbols' in options
-
+Crash during startup if player name set as 'player' in defaults
 
 Platform- and/or Interface-Specific Fixes
 -----------------------------------------
@@ -40,4 +40,3 @@ NetHack Community Patches (or Variation) Included
 
 Code Cleanup and Reorganization
 -------------------------------
-
diff --git a/src/files.c b/src/files.c
index 58691c185..209042459 100644
--- a/src/files.c
+++ b/src/files.c
@@ -2139,8 +2139,6 @@ int src;
         ++bufp; /* skip '='; parseoptions() handles spaces */
 
         parseoptions(bufp, TRUE, TRUE);
-        if (plname[0])      /* If a name was given */
-            plnamesuffix(); /* set the character class */
     } else if (match_varname(buf, "AUTOPICKUP_EXCEPTION", 5)) {
         add_autopickup_exception(bufp);
     } else if (match_varname(buf, "MSGTYPE", 7)) {
@@ -2215,7 +2213,6 @@ int src;
 
     } else if (match_varname(buf, "NAME", 4)) {
         (void) strncpy(plname, bufp, PL_NSIZ - 1);
-        plnamesuffix();
     } else if (match_varname(buf, "ROLE", 4)
                || match_varname(buf, "CHARACTER", 4)) {
         if ((len = str2role(bufp)) >= 0)