diff --git a/doc/fixes36.2 b/doc/fixes36.2
index 1f858d9a9..fe8568a2d 100644
--- a/doc/fixes36.2
+++ b/doc/fixes36.2
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-$NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.218 $ $NHDT-Date: 1546144745 2018/12/30 04:39:05 $
+$NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.219 $ $NHDT-Date: 1546212616 2018/12/30 23:30:16 $
 
 This fixes36.2 file is here to capture information about updates in the 3.6.x
 lineage following the release of 3.6.1 in April 2018. Please note, however,
@@ -319,6 +319,9 @@ when merging a stack where internal ID is used to adjust shop prices, always
 	from shop, not when selling; doesn't affect items already on bill)
 since knives became stackable in 3.6.0, fake player monsters could be given
 	multi-quantity stacks for weapons (scalpel, athame) they never throw
+using 'O' to attempt to set bouldersym to a monster letter or warning digit
+	while it still had its default value would override the display value
+	for it to be <NUL> ('\0') after 'badoption' feedback
 
 
 Fixes to Post-3.6.1 Problems that Were Exposed Via git Repository
diff --git a/include/display.h b/include/display.h
index a07b53634..1334be2cc 100644
--- a/include/display.h
+++ b/include/display.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.6	display.h	$NHDT-Date: 1525012585 2018/04/29 14:36:25 $  $NHDT-Branch: master $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.28 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.6	display.h	$NHDT-Date: 1546212620 2018/12/30 23:30:20 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.29 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) Dean Luick, with acknowledgements to Kevin Darcy */
 /* and Dave Cohrs, 1990.                                          */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
@@ -257,6 +257,8 @@
  *
  * warning      A set of six representing the different warning levels.
  *
+ * statue       One for each monster.  Count: NUMMONS
+ *
  * The following are offsets used to convert to and from a glyph.
  */
 #define NUM_ZAP 8 /* number of zap beam types */
diff --git a/src/drawing.c b/src/drawing.c
index e9dd2481d..ec11bb843 100644
--- a/src/drawing.c
+++ b/src/drawing.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.6	drawing.c	$NHDT-Date: 1463706747 2016/05/20 01:12:27 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.0 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.51 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.6	drawing.c	$NHDT-Date: 1546212616 2018/12/30 23:30:16 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.58 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) NetHack Development Team 1992.                   */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
 
@@ -357,9 +357,13 @@ init_symbols()
 void
 update_bouldersym()
 {
-    showsyms[SYM_BOULDER + SYM_OFF_X] = iflags.bouldersym;
-    l_syms[SYM_BOULDER + SYM_OFF_X] = iflags.bouldersym;
-    r_syms[SYM_BOULDER + SYM_OFF_X] = iflags.bouldersym;
+    nhsym boulder = (nhsym) iflags.bouldersym;
+
+    if (!boulder)
+        boulder = def_oc_syms[ROCK_CLASS].sym; /* (nhsym) ROCK_SYM */
+    showsyms[SYM_BOULDER + SYM_OFF_X] = boulder;
+    l_syms[SYM_BOULDER + SYM_OFF_X] = boulder;
+    r_syms[SYM_BOULDER + SYM_OFF_X] = boulder;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/options.c b/src/options.c
index 564abf833..ef440e855 100644
--- a/src/options.c
+++ b/src/options.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* NetHack 3.6	options.c	$NHDT-Date: 1546144857 2018/12/30 04:40:57 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.349 $ */
+/* NetHack 3.6	options.c	$NHDT-Date: 1546212618 2018/12/30 23:30:18 $  $NHDT-Branch: NetHack-3.6.2-beta01 $:$NHDT-Revision: 1.350 $ */
 /* Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1985. */
 /*-Copyright (c) Michael Allison, 2008. */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
@@ -2724,27 +2724,31 @@ boolean tinitial, tfrom_file;
         if (!(opts = string_for_opt(opts, FALSE)))
             return FALSE;
         escapes(opts, opts);
+        /* note: dummy monclass #0 has symbol value '\0'; we allow that--
+           attempting to set bouldersym to '^@'/'\0' will reset to default */
         if (def_char_to_monclass(opts[0]) != MAXMCLASSES)
-            clash = 1;
-        else if (opts[0] >= '1' && opts[0] <= '5')
+            clash = opts[0] ? 1 : 0;
+        else if (opts[0] >= '1' && opts[0] < WARNCOUNT + '0')
             clash = 2;
         if (clash) {
             /* symbol chosen matches a used monster or warning
-               symbol which is not good - reject it*/
+               symbol which is not good - reject it */
             config_error_add(
-                "Badoption - boulder symbol '%c' conflicts with a %s symbol.",
-                             opts[0], (clash == 1) ? "monster" : "warning");
+            "Badoption - boulder symbol '%s' would conflict with a %s symbol",
+                             visctrl(opts[0]),
+                             (clash == 1) ? "monster" : "warning");
         } else {
             /*
              * Override the default boulder symbol.
              */
             iflags.bouldersym = (uchar) opts[0];
-        }
-        /* for 'initial', update_bouldersym() is done in initoptions_finish(),
-           after all symset options have been processed */
-        if (!initial) {
-            update_bouldersym();
-            need_redraw = TRUE;
+            /* for 'initial', update_bouldersym() is done in
+               initoptions_finish(), after all symset options
+               have been processed */
+            if (!initial) {
+                update_bouldersym();
+                need_redraw = TRUE;
+            }
         }
         return retval;
 #else