diff --git a/include/extern.h b/include/extern.h
index 49ed2ec6a..1c9c9af6d 100644
--- a/include/extern.h
+++ b/include/extern.h
@@ -1201,6 +1201,7 @@ E boolean FDECL(bad_location, (XCHAR_P, XCHAR_P, XCHAR_P, XCHAR_P,
                                XCHAR_P, XCHAR_P));
 E void FDECL(place_lregion, (XCHAR_P, XCHAR_P, XCHAR_P, XCHAR_P, XCHAR_P,
                              XCHAR_P, XCHAR_P, XCHAR_P, XCHAR_P, d_level *));
+E void NDECL(fixup_special);
 E void NDECL(fumaroles);
 E void NDECL(movebubbles);
 E void NDECL(water_friction);
diff --git a/src/mkmaze.c b/src/mkmaze.c
index f192a3f3c..246dafea4 100644
--- a/src/mkmaze.c
+++ b/src/mkmaze.c
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ STATIC_DCL void FDECL(maze0xy, (coord *));
 STATIC_DCL boolean FDECL(put_lregion_here, (XCHAR_P, XCHAR_P, XCHAR_P,
                                             XCHAR_P, XCHAR_P, XCHAR_P,
                                             XCHAR_P, BOOLEAN_P, d_level *));
-STATIC_DCL void NDECL(fixup_special);
 STATIC_DCL void NDECL(setup_waterlevel);
 STATIC_DCL void NDECL(unsetup_waterlevel);
 
@@ -362,7 +361,7 @@ d_level *lev;
 static boolean was_waterlevel; /* ugh... this shouldn't be needed */
 
 /* this is special stuff that the level compiler cannot (yet) handle */
-STATIC_OVL void
+void
 fixup_special()
 {
     register lev_region *r = lregions;
@@ -577,7 +576,6 @@ register const char *s;
     if (*protofile) {
         Strcat(protofile, LEV_EXT);
         if (load_special(protofile)) {
-            fixup_special();
             /* some levels can end up with monsters
                on dead mon list, including light source monsters */
             dmonsfree();
diff --git a/src/sp_lev.c b/src/sp_lev.c
index 61740b436..79a3bbcc8 100644
--- a/src/sp_lev.c
+++ b/src/sp_lev.c
@@ -5863,11 +5863,16 @@ sp_lev *lvl;
 
     count_features();
 
-    if (coder->premapped)
-        sokoban_detect();
     if (coder->solidify)
         solidify_map();
 
+    /* This must be done before sokoban_detect(),
+     * otherwise branch stairs won't be premapped. */
+    fixup_special();
+
+    if (coder->premapped)
+        sokoban_detect();
+
     if (coder->frame) {
         struct sp_frame *tmpframe;
         do {