diff --git a/src/g_game.cpp b/src/g_game.cpp
index e271c8a51..934e36d5e 100644
--- a/src/g_game.cpp
+++ b/src/g_game.cpp
@@ -1521,12 +1521,7 @@ void G_DeathMatchSpawnPlayer (int playernum)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (playernum < 4)
-		spot->type = playernum+1;
-	else 
-		spot->type = playernum + gameinfo.player5start - 4;
-
-	AActor *mo = P_SpawnPlayer (spot);
+	AActor *mo = P_SpawnPlayer(spot, playernum);
 	if (mo != NULL) P_PlayerStartStomp(mo);
 }
 
@@ -1599,7 +1594,7 @@ void G_DoReborn (int playernum, bool freshbot)
 
 		if (G_CheckSpot (playernum, &playerstarts[playernum]) )
 		{
-			AActor *mo = P_SpawnPlayer (&playerstarts[playernum]);
+			AActor *mo = P_SpawnPlayer(&playerstarts[playernum], playernum);
 			if (mo != NULL) P_PlayerStartStomp(mo);
 		}
 		else
@@ -1609,27 +1604,13 @@ void G_DoReborn (int playernum, bool freshbot)
 			{
 				if (G_CheckSpot (playernum, &playerstarts[i]) )
 				{
-					int oldtype = playerstarts[i].type;
-
-					// fake as other player
-					// [RH] These numbers should be common across all games. Or better yet, not
-					// used at all outside P_SpawnMapThing().
-					if (playernum < 4)
-					{
-						playerstarts[i].type = playernum + 1;
-					}
-					else
-					{
-						playerstarts[i].type = playernum + gameinfo.player5start - 4;
-					}
-					AActor *mo = P_SpawnPlayer (&playerstarts[i]);
+					AActor *mo = P_SpawnPlayer(&playerstarts[i], playernum);
 					if (mo != NULL) P_PlayerStartStomp(mo);
-					playerstarts[i].type = oldtype; 			// restore 
 					return;
 				}
 				// he's going to be inside something.  Too bad.
 			}
-			AActor *mo = P_SpawnPlayer (&playerstarts[playernum]);
+			AActor *mo = P_SpawnPlayer(&playerstarts[playernum], playernum);
 			if (mo != NULL) P_PlayerStartStomp(mo);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/g_level.cpp b/src/g_level.cpp
index c51b58a66..6f2c5e164 100644
--- a/src/g_level.cpp
+++ b/src/g_level.cpp
@@ -1121,7 +1121,7 @@ void G_FinishTravel ()
 
 			// The player being spawned here is a short lived dummy and
 			// must not start any ENTER script or big problems will happen.
-			pawndup = P_SpawnPlayer (&playerstarts[pawn->player - players], true);
+			pawndup = P_SpawnPlayer (&playerstarts[pawn->player - players], pawn->player - players, true);
 			if (!(changeflags & CHANGELEVEL_KEEPFACING))
 			{
 				pawn->angle = pawndup->angle;
diff --git a/src/p_local.h b/src/p_local.h
index 9f805f90d..fe47f5999 100644
--- a/src/p_local.h
+++ b/src/p_local.h
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ extern fixed_t FloatBobOffsets[64];
 
 struct FMapThing;
 
-APlayerPawn *P_SpawnPlayer (FMapThing *mthing, bool tempplayer=false);
+APlayerPawn *P_SpawnPlayer (FMapThing *mthing, int playernum, bool tempplayer=false);
 
 void P_ThrustMobj (AActor *mo, angle_t angle, fixed_t move);
 int P_FaceMobj (AActor *source, AActor *target, angle_t *delta);
diff --git a/src/p_mobj.cpp b/src/p_mobj.cpp
index 10f5de9d9..4da09b01b 100644
--- a/src/p_mobj.cpp
+++ b/src/p_mobj.cpp
@@ -4074,29 +4074,16 @@ EXTERN_CVAR (Bool, chasedemo)
 
 extern bool demonew;
 
-APlayerPawn *P_SpawnPlayer (FMapThing *mthing, bool tempplayer)
+APlayerPawn *P_SpawnPlayer (FMapThing *mthing, int playernum, bool tempplayer)
 {
-	int		  playernum;
 	player_t *p;
 	APlayerPawn *mobj, *oldactor;
 	BYTE	  state;
 	fixed_t spawn_x, spawn_y, spawn_z;
 	angle_t spawn_angle;
 
-	// [RH] Things 4001-? are also multiplayer starts. Just like 1-4.
-	//		To make things simpler, figure out which player is being
-	//		spawned here.
-	if (mthing->type <= 4)
-	{
-		playernum = mthing->type - 1;
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		playernum = mthing->type - gameinfo.player5start + 4;
-	}
-
 	// not playing?
-	if (playernum >= MAXPLAYERS || !playeringame[playernum])
+	if ((unsigned)playernum >= (unsigned)MAXPLAYERS || !playeringame[playernum])
 		return NULL;
 
 	p = &players[playernum];
@@ -4495,7 +4482,7 @@ AActor *P_SpawnMapThing (FMapThing *mthing, int position)
 		// save spots for respawning in network games
 		playerstarts[pnum] = *mthing;
 		if (!deathmatch)
-			return P_SpawnPlayer (mthing);
+			return P_SpawnPlayer(&playerstarts[pnum], pnum);
 
 		return NULL;
 	}
diff --git a/src/p_saveg.cpp b/src/p_saveg.cpp
index 27c42b7ef..205e91443 100644
--- a/src/p_saveg.cpp
+++ b/src/p_saveg.cpp
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ static void SpawnExtraPlayers ()
 		if (playeringame[i] && players[i].mo == NULL)
 		{
 			players[i].playerstate = PST_ENTER;
-			P_SpawnPlayer (&playerstarts[i]);
+			P_SpawnPlayer(&playerstarts[i], i);
 		}
 	}
 }