diff --git a/docs/rh-log.txt b/docs/rh-log.txt
index 552deacd5..f05ac878d 100644
--- a/docs/rh-log.txt
+++ b/docs/rh-log.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+May 16, 2006
+- Fixed: ApplyActorDefault() must ensure that dataint is non-negative before
+  calculating a non-NULL state. When compiling with Visual C++, states are
+  stored in the defaults list as byte values, but when compiling with GCC,
+  they are passed as 32-bit arguments to the function directly. So in VC++,
+  using ~0 to specify a NULL state appears as 255, but in GCC, it appears as
+  -1.
+
 May 16, 2006 (Changes by Graf Zahl)
 - Added a missing NULL pointer check to APlayerPawn::Tick.
 - Fixed: The falling scream should not be played when the player is under
diff --git a/src/infodefaults.cpp b/src/infodefaults.cpp
index 60fc7ece7..7cf75ac2f 100644
--- a/src/infodefaults.cpp
+++ b/src/infodefaults.cpp
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ static void ApplyActorDefault (int defnum, const char *datastr, int dataint)
 			datasound = S_FindSound (datastr);
 		}
 	}
-	else if (defnum > ADEF_LastString && dataint < 255)
+	else if (defnum > ADEF_LastString && dataint >= 0 && dataint < 255)
 	{
 		datastate = DefaultStates (sgClass) + dataint;
 	}