diff --git a/sys/unix/nethack.sh b/sys/unix/nethack.sh
index 47d0da861..eec1991d6 100755
--- a/sys/unix/nethack.sh
+++ b/sys/unix/nethack.sh
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@
 HACKDIR=/usr/games/lib/nethackdir
 export HACKDIR
 HACK=$HACKDIR/nethack
-# NB: MAXNROFPLAYERS is deprecated in favor of MAXPLAYERS in SYSCF.
-MAXNROFPLAYERS=4
 
 # Since Nethack.ad is installed in HACKDIR, add it to XUSERFILESEARCHPATH
 case "x$XUSERFILESEARCHPATH" in
@@ -65,11 +63,4 @@ fi
 
 
 cd $HACKDIR
-case $1 in
-	-s*)
-		exec $HACK "$@"
-		;;
-	*)
-		exec $HACK "$@" $MAXNROFPLAYERS
-		;;
-esac
+exec $HACK "$@"
diff --git a/sys/unix/unixmain.c b/sys/unix/unixmain.c
index 2d6452ce8..1c0d55f90 100644
--- a/sys/unix/unixmain.c
+++ b/sys/unix/unixmain.c
@@ -419,10 +419,14 @@ char *argv[];
         }
     }
 
-    /* XXX This is deprecated in favor of SYSCF with MAXPLAYERS.  Make
-     * an error in next release. */
+#ifdef SYSCF
+    if (argc > 1)
+        raw_printf("MAXPLAYERS are set in sysconf file.\n");
+#else
+    /* XXX This is deprecated in favor of SYSCF with MAXPLAYERS */
     if (argc > 1)
         locknum = atoi(argv[1]);
+#endif
 #ifdef MAX_NR_OF_PLAYERS
     /* limit to compile-time limit */
     if (!locknum || locknum > MAX_NR_OF_PLAYERS)