diff --git a/include/decl.h b/include/decl.h
index 615d26e4e..f9d57e774 100644
--- a/include/decl.h
+++ b/include/decl.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.6  decl.h  $NHDT-Date: 1583608809 2020/03/07 19:20:09 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.7 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.228 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.6  decl.h  $NHDT-Date: 1586815081 2020/04/13 21:58:01 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.7 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.230 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1985. */
 /*-Copyright (c) Michael Allison, 2007. */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
@@ -814,6 +814,10 @@ struct instance_globals {
 #endif
     struct sinfo program_state;
 
+    /* detect.c */
+
+    int already_found_flag; /* used to augment first "already found a monster"
+                             * message if 'cmdassist' is Off */
     /* dig.c */
 
     boolean did_dig_msg;
@@ -828,7 +832,8 @@ struct instance_globals {
     boolean at_ladder;
     char *dfr_pre_msg;  /* pline() before level change */
     char *dfr_post_msg; /* pline() after level change */
-    d_level save_dlevel;
+    int did_nothing_flag; /* to augment the no-rest-next-to-monster message */
+    d_level save_dlevel; /* ? [even back in 3.4.3, only used in bones.c] */
 
     /* do_name.c */
     struct selectionvar *gloc_filter_map;
diff --git a/src/decl.c b/src/decl.c
index 112ba9549..28b501d34 100644
--- a/src/decl.c
+++ b/src/decl.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.6	decl.c	$NHDT-Date: 1583608833 2020/03/07 19:20:33 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.7 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.208 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.6	decl.c	$NHDT-Date: 1586815084 2020/04/13 21:58:04 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.7 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.209 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1985. */
 /*-Copyright (c) Michael Allison, 2009. */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
@@ -357,6 +357,9 @@ const struct instance_globals g_init = {
 #endif
     UNDEFINED_VALUES, /* program_state */
 
+    /* detect.c */
+    0, /* already_found_flag */
+
     /* dig.c */
     UNDEFINED_VALUE, /* did_dig_msg */
 
@@ -369,6 +372,7 @@ const struct instance_globals g_init = {
     FALSE, /* at_ladder */
     NULL, /* dfr_pre_msg */
     NULL, /* dfr_post_msg */
+    0, /* did_nothing_flag */
     { 0, 0 }, /* save_dlevel */
 
     /* do_name.c */
diff --git a/src/detect.c b/src/detect.c
index bc5c6e9e0..3c5d87f43 100644
--- a/src/detect.c
+++ b/src/detect.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.6	detect.c	$NHDT-Date: 1578252630 2020/01/05 19:30:30 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.7 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.114 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.6	detect.c	$NHDT-Date: 1586815085 2020/04/13 21:58:05 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.7 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.118 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1985. */
 /*-Copyright (c) Robert Patrick Rankin, 2018. */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
@@ -1783,9 +1783,16 @@ int
 dosearch()
 {
     if (!iflags.menu_requested && !g.multi && monster_nearby()) {
-        Norep("You already found a monster.");
+        char buf[QBUFSZ];
+
+        buf[0] = '\0';
+        if (iflags.cmdassist || !g.already_found_flag++)
+            Sprintf(buf, "  Use '%s' prefix to force another search.",
+                    visctrl(g.Cmd.spkeys[NHKF_REQMENU])); /* default is "m" */
+        Norep("You already found a monster.%s", buf);
         return 0;
     }
+    g.already_found_flag = 0; /* start over */
     return dosearch0(0);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/do.c b/src/do.c
index d8075f790..15b43397e 100644
--- a/src/do.c
+++ b/src/do.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.6	do.c	$NHDT-Date: 1586285681 2020/04/07 18:54:41 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.7 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.235 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.6	do.c	$NHDT-Date: 1586815086 2020/04/13 21:58:06 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.7 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.237 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1985. */
 /*-Copyright (c) Derek S. Ray, 2015. */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
@@ -1967,14 +1967,22 @@ long timeout UNUSED;
     }
 }
 
+/* '.' command: do nothing == rest; also the
+   ' ' command iff 'rest_on_space' option is On */
 int
 donull()
 {
     if (!iflags.menu_requested && !g.multi && monster_nearby()) {
-        Norep("Are you waiting to get hit?");
+        char buf[QBUFSZ];
+
+        buf[0] = '\0';
+        if (iflags.cmdassist || !g.did_nothing_flag++)
+            Sprintf(buf, "  Use '%s' prefix to force a no-op (to rest).",
+                    visctrl(g.Cmd.spkeys[NHKF_REQMENU])); /* default is "m" */
+        Norep("Are you waiting to get hit?%s", buf);
         return 0;
     }
-
+    g.did_nothing_flag = 0; /* reset */
     return 1; /* Do nothing, but let other things happen */
 }