diff --git a/doc/fixes34.1 b/doc/fixes34.1
index bab8ca1ed..84a24430f 100644
--- a/doc/fixes34.1
+++ b/doc/fixes34.1
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ If there were a hole outside a shop, you could kick stuff out of the door
 	into the hole without the shopkeeper noticing.
 curing hallucination while wielding Grayswandir should print a message
 removing unowned pick-axe from container in shop gave inappropriate message
+don't let monster end up with more current HP than max HP after life drain
 
 
 Platform- and/or Interface-Specific Fixes
diff --git a/src/uhitm.c b/src/uhitm.c
index 29d881de1..5ae9e201b 100644
--- a/src/uhitm.c
+++ b/src/uhitm.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	SCCS Id: @(#)uhitm.c	3.4	2002/02/17	*/
+/*	SCCS Id: @(#)uhitm.c	3.4	2002/08/21	*/
 /* Copyright (c) Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam, 1985. */
 /* NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details. */
 
@@ -932,7 +932,10 @@ int thrown;
 	}
 
 	mon->mhp -= tmp;
-	if(mon->mhp < 1)
+	/* adjustments might have made tmp become less than what
+	   a level draining artifact has already done to max HP */
+	if (mon->mhp > mon->mhpmax) mon->mhp = mon->mhpmax;
+	if (mon->mhp < 1)
 		destroyed = TRUE;
 	if (mon->mtame && (!mon->mflee || mon->mfleetim) && tmp > 0) {
 		abuse_dog(mon);