diff --git a/src/actor.h b/src/actor.h
index 12b775a107..5574f864a2 100644
--- a/src/actor.h
+++ b/src/actor.h
@@ -768,6 +768,8 @@ public:
 		return bloodcls;
 	}
 
+	inline void SetFriendPlayer(player_t *player);
+
 	bool IsVisibleToPlayer() const;
 
 	// Calculate amount of missile damage
diff --git a/src/d_player.h b/src/d_player.h
index f98a88f4db..aa01288487 100644
--- a/src/d_player.h
+++ b/src/d_player.h
@@ -424,6 +424,18 @@ FArchive &operator<< (FArchive &arc, player_t *&p);
 
 void P_CheckPlayerSprites();
 
+inline void AActor::SetFriendPlayer(player_t *player)
+{
+	if (player == NULL)
+	{
+		FriendPlayer = 0;
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		FriendPlayer = int(player - players) + 1;
+	}
+}
+
 
 #define CROUCHSPEED (FRACUNIT/12)
 
diff --git a/src/g_hexen/a_summon.cpp b/src/g_hexen/a_summon.cpp
index 69c0238ba9..cbb8a38542 100644
--- a/src/g_hexen/a_summon.cpp
+++ b/src/g_hexen/a_summon.cpp
@@ -72,10 +72,7 @@ DEFINE_ACTION_FUNCTION(AActor, A_Summon)
 			mo->tracer = self->tracer;		// Pointer to master
 			AInventory *power = Spawn<APowerMinotaur> (0, 0, 0, NO_REPLACE);
 			power->CallTryPickup (self->tracer);
-			if (self->tracer->player != NULL)
-			{
-				mo->FriendPlayer = int(self->tracer->player - players + 1);
-			}
+			mo->SetFriendPlayer(self->tracer->player);
 		}
 
 		// Make smoke puff
diff --git a/src/g_strife/a_rebels.cpp b/src/g_strife/a_rebels.cpp
index a9faf16718..58a2f02d13 100644
--- a/src/g_strife/a_rebels.cpp
+++ b/src/g_strife/a_rebels.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ DEFINE_ACTION_FUNCTION(AActor, A_Beacon)
 		{
 			rebel->Translation = owner->Translation;
 		}
-		rebel->FriendPlayer = owner->player != NULL ? BYTE(owner->player - players + 1) : 0;
+		rebel->SetFriendPlayer(owner->player);
 		// Set the rebel's target to whatever last hurt the player, so long as it's not
 		// one of the player's other rebels.
 		if (owner->target != NULL && !rebel->IsFriend (owner->target))
diff --git a/src/g_strife/a_strifeweapons.cpp b/src/g_strife/a_strifeweapons.cpp
index 1194f92375..b2abb4b437 100644
--- a/src/g_strife/a_strifeweapons.cpp
+++ b/src/g_strife/a_strifeweapons.cpp
@@ -532,13 +532,9 @@ AActor *P_SpawnSubMissile (AActor *source, const PClass *type, AActor *target)
 		{
 			other->FriendPlayer = source->FriendPlayer;
 		}
-		else if (target->player != NULL)
-		{
-			other->FriendPlayer = int(target->player - players) + 1;
-		}
 		else
 		{
-			other->FriendPlayer = 0;
+			other->SetFriendPlayer(target->player);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -925,7 +921,7 @@ DEFINE_ACTION_FUNCTION(AActor, A_FireSigil1)
 	}
 	if (spot != NULL)
 	{
-		spot->FriendPlayer = int(player-players)+1;
+		spot->SetFriendPlayer(player);
 		spot->target = self;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/p_acs.cpp b/src/p_acs.cpp
index 3665198908..857eba9d50 100644
--- a/src/p_acs.cpp
+++ b/src/p_acs.cpp
@@ -2656,7 +2656,7 @@ int DoSetMaster (AActor *self, AActor *master)
                 self->master = NULL;
                 level.total_monsters -= self->CountsAsKill();
                 self->flags|=MF_FRIENDLY;
-                self->FriendPlayer = int(master->player-players+1);
+                self->SetFriendPlayer(master->player);
 
                 AActor * attacker=master->player->attacker;
                 if (attacker)
diff --git a/src/p_mobj.cpp b/src/p_mobj.cpp
index 5990650ea6..31138ad44b 100644
--- a/src/p_mobj.cpp
+++ b/src/p_mobj.cpp
@@ -5387,14 +5387,7 @@ AActor *P_SpawnMissileXYZ (fixed_t x, fixed_t y, fixed_t z,
 
 	if (th->flags4 & MF4_SPECTRAL)
 	{
-		if (owner->player != NULL)
-		{
-			th->FriendPlayer = int(owner->player - players) + 1;
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			th->FriendPlayer = 0;
-		}
+		th->SetFriendPlayer(owner->player);
 	}
 
 	return (!checkspawn || P_CheckMissileSpawn (th)) ? th : NULL;
@@ -5424,14 +5417,7 @@ AActor * P_OldSpawnMissile(AActor * source, AActor * owner, AActor * dest, const
 
 	if (th->flags4 & MF4_SPECTRAL)
 	{
-		if (owner->player != NULL)
-		{
-			th->FriendPlayer = int(owner->player - players) + 1;
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			th->FriendPlayer = 0;
-		}
+		th->SetFriendPlayer(owner->player);
 	}
 
 	P_CheckMissileSpawn(th);
@@ -5520,14 +5506,7 @@ AActor *P_SpawnMissileAngleZSpeed (AActor *source, fixed_t z,
 
 	if (mo->flags4 & MF4_SPECTRAL)
 	{
-		if (owner->player != NULL)
-		{
-			mo->FriendPlayer = int(owner->player - players) + 1;
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			mo->FriendPlayer = 0;
-		}
+		mo->SetFriendPlayer(owner->player);
 	}
 
 	return (!checkspawn || P_CheckMissileSpawn(mo)) ? mo : NULL;
@@ -5642,14 +5621,7 @@ AActor *P_SpawnPlayerMissile (AActor *source, fixed_t x, fixed_t y, fixed_t z,
 
 	if (MissileActor->flags4 & MF4_SPECTRAL)
 	{
-		if (source->player != NULL)
-		{
-			MissileActor->FriendPlayer = int(source->player - players) + 1;
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			MissileActor->FriendPlayer = 0;
-		}
+		MissileActor->SetFriendPlayer(source->player);
 	}
 	if (P_CheckMissileSpawn (MissileActor))
 	{
diff --git a/src/thingdef/thingdef_codeptr.cpp b/src/thingdef/thingdef_codeptr.cpp
index ee09be238e..0edbb87bda 100644
--- a/src/thingdef/thingdef_codeptr.cpp
+++ b/src/thingdef/thingdef_codeptr.cpp
@@ -963,11 +963,11 @@ DEFINE_ACTION_FUNCTION_PARAMS(AActor, A_CustomMissile)
 					missile->tracer=self->target;
 				}
 				// we must redo the spectral check here because the owner is set after spawning so the FriendPlayer value may be wrong
-				if (missile->flags4&MF4_SPECTRAL)
+				if (missile->flags4 & MF4_SPECTRAL)
 				{
-					if (missile->target != NULL && missile->target->player != NULL)
+					if (missile->target != NULL)
 					{
-						missile->FriendPlayer = int(missile->target->player - players) + 1;
+						missile->SetFriendPlayer(missile->target->player);
 					}
 					else
 					{
@@ -1737,8 +1737,8 @@ static bool InitSpawnedItem(AActor *self, AActor *mo, int flags)
 				else if (originator->player)
 				{
 					// A player always spawns a monster friendly to him
-					mo->flags|=MF_FRIENDLY;
-					mo->FriendPlayer = int(originator->player-players+1);
+					mo->flags |= MF_FRIENDLY;
+					mo->SetFriendPlayer(originator->player);
 
 					AActor * attacker=originator->player->attacker;
 					if (attacker)