diff --git a/doc/fixes36.1 b/doc/fixes36.1
index 12386fc24..b2c3197ca 100644
--- a/doc/fixes36.1
+++ b/doc/fixes36.1
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ make mimics mimicing walls or trees also block light
 stepping onto lava destroyed non-fireproof water walking boots but left other
 	vulnerable boot types intact
 fix death reason when eating tainted glob of <monster> (not corpse)
+fix death reason when petrified (avoid redundant 'while getting stoned')
 use appropriate place name for drum of earthquake shakes
 fix unmapped branch stairs on sokoban level
 redraw map when hilite_pile is toggled to display the highlighting
diff --git a/src/eat.c b/src/eat.c
index 7591b9cc3..13a394405 100644
--- a/src/eat.c
+++ b/src/eat.c
@@ -2838,14 +2838,14 @@ boolean incr;
                 /* stop what you're doing, then faint */
                 stop_occupation();
                 You("faint from lack of food.");
-                if (!Levitation)
-                    selftouch("Falling, you");
                 incr_itimeout(&HDeaf, duration);
                 nomul(-duration);
                 multi_reason = "fainted from lack of food";
                 nomovemsg = "You regain consciousness.";
                 afternmv = unfaint;
                 newhs = FAINTED;
+                if (!Levitation)
+                    selftouch("Falling, you");
             }
         } else if (u.uhunger < -(int) (200 + 20 * ACURR(A_CON))) {
             u.uhs = STARVED;
diff --git a/src/end.c b/src/end.c
index 5e5231856..7e53467e7 100644
--- a/src/end.c
+++ b/src/end.c
@@ -503,6 +503,42 @@ int how;
     return;
 }
 
+/* some special cases for overriding while-helpless reason */
+static const struct {
+    int why, unmulti;
+    const char *exclude, *include;
+} death_fixups[] = {
+    /* "petrified by <foo>, while getting stoned" -- "while getting stoned"
+       prevented any last-second recovery, but it was not the cause of
+       "petrified by <foo>" */
+    { STONING, 1, "getting stoned", (char *) 0 },
+    /* "died of starvation, while fainted from lack of food" is accurate
+       but sounds a fairly silly (and doesn't actually appear unless you
+       splice together death and while-helpless from xlogfile) */
+    { STARVING, 0, "fainted from lack of food", "fainted" },
+};
+
+/* clear away while-helpless when the cause of death caused that
+   helplessness (ie, "petrified by <foo> while getting stoned") */
+STATIC_DCL void
+fixup_death(how)
+int how;
+{
+    int i;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < SIZE(death_fixups); ++i)
+        if (death_fixups[i].why == how
+            && !strcmp(death_fixups[i].exclude, multi_reason)) {
+            if (death_fixups[i].include) /* substitute an alternate reason */
+                multi_reason = death_fixups[i].include;
+            else /* remove the helplessness reason */
+                multi_reason = (char *) 0;
+            if (death_fixups[i].unmulti) /* possibly hide helplessness */
+                multi = 0L;
+            break;
+        }
+}
+
 #if defined(WIN32) && !defined(SYSCF)
 #define NOTIFY_NETHACK_BUGS
 #endif
@@ -1002,6 +1038,8 @@ int how;
     if (how == ESCAPED || how == PANICKED)
         killer.format = NO_KILLER_PREFIX;
 
+    fixup_death(how); /* actually, fixup multi_reason */
+
     if (how != PANICKED) {
         /* these affect score and/or bones, but avoid them during panic */
         taken = paybill((how == ESCAPED) ? -1 : (how != QUIT));