diff --git a/src/objnam.c b/src/objnam.c
index 5920bf00a..733a19195 100644
--- a/src/objnam.c
+++ b/src/objnam.c
@@ -1084,7 +1084,10 @@ struct obj *obj;
 	char *s = shk_your(outbuf, obj);	/* assert( s == outbuf ); */
 	int space_left = BUFSZ - strlen(s) - sizeof " ";
 
-	return strncat(strcat(s, " "), xname(obj), space_left);
+	/* "your corpse" is silly, use corpse_xname for this case */
+	return strncat(strcat(s, " "),
+		       (obj->otyp == CORPSE) ?
+		       corpse_xname(obj, FALSE) : xname(obj), space_left);
 }
 
 /* capitalized variant of yname() */
diff --git a/src/steal.c b/src/steal.c
index e5d190757..ce2d6a041 100644
--- a/src/steal.c
+++ b/src/steal.c
@@ -309,7 +309,9 @@ gotobj:
  cant_take:
 		pline("%s tries to %s your %s but gives up.",
 		      Monnam(mtmp), how[rn2(SIZE(how))],
-		 (otmp->owornmask & W_ARMOR) ? equipname(otmp) : xname(otmp));
+		      (otmp->owornmask & W_ARMOR) ? equipname(otmp) :
+		       (otmp->otyp == CORPSE) ? corpse_xname(otmp, FALSE) :
+		       xname(otmp));
 		/* the fewer items you have, the less likely the thief
 		   is going to stick around to try again (0) instead of
 		   running away (1) */