diff --git a/src/read.c b/src/read.c
index 56d28e18b..9c3f88eb8 100644
--- a/src/read.c
+++ b/src/read.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.6	read.c	$NHDT-Date: 1560085864 2019/06/09 13:11:04 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.171 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.6	read.c	$NHDT-Date: 1561485713 2019/06/25 18:01:53 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.172 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1985. */
 /*-Copyright (c) Robert Patrick Rankin, 2012. */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
@@ -2397,12 +2397,14 @@ unpunish()
 {
     struct obj *savechain = uchain;
 
+    /* chain goes away */
     obj_extract_self(uchain);
     newsym(uchain->ox, uchain->oy);
-    setworn((struct obj *) 0, W_CHAIN);
+    setworn((struct obj *) 0, W_CHAIN); /* sets 'uchain' to Null */
     dealloc_obj(savechain);
+    /* ball persists */
     uball->spe = 0;
-    setworn((struct obj *) 0, W_BALL);
+    setworn((struct obj *) 0, W_BALL); /* sets 'uball' to Null */
 }
 
 /* some creatures have special data structures that only make sense in their
diff --git a/src/restore.c b/src/restore.c
index c0ab2fa27..2a4f40c19 100644
--- a/src/restore.c
+++ b/src/restore.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.6	restore.c	$NHDT-Date: 1555201698 2019/04/14 00:28:18 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.129 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.6	restore.c	$NHDT-Date: 1561485720 2019/06/25 18:02:00 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.131 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1985. */
 /*-Copyright (c) Michael Allison, 2009. */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
@@ -642,17 +642,18 @@ unsigned int *stuckid, *steedid;
 
     /* restore dangling (not on floor or in inventory) ball and/or chain */
     bc_obj = restobjchn(fd, FALSE, FALSE);
-    while(bc_obj) {
-        struct obj * nobj = bc_obj->nobj;
+    while (bc_obj) {
+        struct obj *nobj = bc_obj->nobj;
+
         if (bc_obj->owornmask)
             setworn(bc_obj, bc_obj->owornmask);
-        bc_obj->nobj = (struct obj *)0;
+        bc_obj->nobj = (struct obj *) 0;
         bc_obj = nobj;
     }
 
     g.migrating_objs = restobjchn(fd, FALSE, FALSE);
     g.migrating_mons = restmonchn(fd, FALSE);
-    mread(fd, (genericptr_t) g.mvitals, sizeof(g.mvitals));
+    mread(fd, (genericptr_t) g.mvitals, sizeof g.mvitals);
 
     /*
      * There are some things after this that can have unintended display
@@ -666,8 +667,12 @@ unsigned int *stuckid, *steedid;
         if (otmp->owornmask)
             setworn(otmp, otmp->owornmask);
 
-    if ((uball && !uchain) || (uchain && !uball))
+    if ((uball && !uchain) || (uchain && !uball)) {
         impossible("restgamestate: lost ball & chain");
+        /* poor man's unpunish() */
+        setworn((struct obj *) 0, W_CHAIN);
+        setworn((struct obj *) 0, W_BALL);
+    }
 
     /* reset weapon so that player will get a reminder about "bashing"
        during next fight when bare-handed or wielding an unconventional