diff --git a/doc/fixes36.2 b/doc/fixes36.2
index d7348a2ee..598527047 100644
--- a/doc/fixes36.2
+++ b/doc/fixes36.2
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@ diluted potion of oil is less effective when filling lamps (adds less fuel)
 apply fix from grunthack to prevent panic "fakecorr overflow" when vault guard
 	couldn't figure out how to lead the hero from vault to civilization;
 	fixes longstanding bug C343-23
+vibrating square is not really a trap so monsters don't need to avoid it
 
 
 Fixes to Post-3.6.1 Problems that Were Exposed Via git Repository
diff --git a/src/mon.c b/src/mon.c
index de037e42b..88aaf3dce 100644
--- a/src/mon.c
+++ b/src/mon.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.6	mon.c	$NHDT-Date: 1544658160 2018/12/12 23:42:40 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.274 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.6	mon.c	$NHDT-Date: 1545259929 2018/12/19 22:52:09 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.275 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1985. */
 /*-Copyright (c) Derek S. Ray, 2015. */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
@@ -1476,6 +1476,7 @@ nexttry: /* eels prefer the water, but if there is no water nearby,
                     if ((ttmp->ttyp != RUST_TRAP
                          || mdat == &mons[PM_IRON_GOLEM])
                         && ttmp->ttyp != STATUE_TRAP
+                        && ttmp->ttyp != VIBRATING_SQUARE
                         && ((!is_pit(ttmp->ttyp) && !is_hole(ttmp->ttyp))
                             || (!is_flyer(mdat) && !is_floater(mdat)
                                 && !is_clinger(mdat)) || Sokoban)
diff --git a/src/trap.c b/src/trap.c
index d8d4018e7..965c9347e 100644
--- a/src/trap.c
+++ b/src/trap.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.6	trap.c	$NHDT-Date: 1543515862 2018/11/29 18:24:22 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.312 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.6	trap.c	$NHDT-Date: 1545259936 2018/12/19 22:52:16 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.313 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1985. */
 /*-Copyright (c) Robert Patrick Rankin, 2013. */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
@@ -2691,13 +2691,29 @@ register struct monst *mtmp;
             break;
         case VIBRATING_SQUARE:
             if (see_it && !Blind) {
-                if (in_sight)
-                    pline("You see a strange vibration beneath %s %s.",
-                          s_suffix(mon_nam(mtmp)),
-                          makeplural(mbodypart(mtmp, FOOT)));
-                else
-                    pline("You see the ground vibrate in the distance.");
-                seetrap(trap);
+                seetrap(trap); /* before messages */
+                if (in_sight) {
+                    char buf[BUFSZ], *p, *monnm = mon_nam(mtmp);
+
+                    if (nolimbs(mtmp->data)
+                        || is_floater(mtmp->data) || is_flyer(mtmp->data)) {
+                        /* just "beneath <mon>" */
+                        Strcpy(buf, monnm);
+                    } else {
+                        Strcpy(buf, s_suffix(monnm));
+                        p = eos(strcat(buf, " "));
+                        Strcpy(p, makeplural(mbodypart(mtmp, FOOT)));
+                        /* avoid "beneath 'rear paws'" or 'rear hooves' */
+                        (void) strsubst(p, "rear ", "");
+                    }
+                    You_see("a strange vibration beneath %s.", buf);
+                } else {
+                    /* notice something (hearing uses a larger threshold
+                       for 'nearby') */
+                    You_see("the ground vibrate %s.",
+                            (distu(mtmp->mx, mtmp->my) <= 2 * 2)
+                               ? "nearby" : "in the distance");
+                }
             }
             break;
         default: