diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/player_d.cpp b/source/games/duke/src/player_d.cpp
index 08089b2ff..bbeafeeb0 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/player_d.cpp
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/player_d.cpp
@@ -1079,6 +1079,7 @@ void shoot_d(DDukeActor* actor, int atwith, PClass *cls)
 		}
 	}
 	if (cls && cls->IsDescendantOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(DDukeActor)) && CallShootThis(static_cast<DDukeActor*>(GetDefaultByType(cls)), actor, p, spos, sang)) return;
+	if (cls && atwith == -1) atwith = GetDefaultByType(cls)->spr.picnum;
 
 	if (isWorldTour()) 
 	{ // Twentieth Anniversary World Tour
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/player_r.cpp b/source/games/duke/src/player_r.cpp
index d71472ad7..bab32e390 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/player_r.cpp
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/player_r.cpp
@@ -815,6 +815,7 @@ void shoot_r(DDukeActor* actor, int atwith, PClass* cls)
 		}
 	}
 	if (cls && cls->IsDescendantOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(DDukeActor)) && CallShootThis(static_cast<DDukeActor*>(GetDefaultByType(cls)), actor, p, spos, sang)) return;
+	if (cls && atwith == -1) atwith = GetDefaultByType(cls)->spr.picnum;
 
 	switch (atwith)
 	{
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/vmexports.cpp b/source/games/duke/src/vmexports.cpp
index 6ebde1192..4f1b85654 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/vmexports.cpp
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/vmexports.cpp
@@ -651,7 +651,8 @@ void DukeActor_shoot(DDukeActor* act, int intname)
 
 	if (picnum == -1)
 	{
-		auto cls = PClass::FindActor(FName(ENamedName(intname)));
+		auto n = FName(ENamedName(intname));
+		auto cls = PClass::FindActor(n);
 		assert(cls);
 		fi.shoot(act, -1, cls);
 	}