diff --git a/src/g_shared/a_pickups.cpp b/src/g_shared/a_pickups.cpp
index a9b7a64a5..b45e419a7 100644
--- a/src/g_shared/a_pickups.cpp
+++ b/src/g_shared/a_pickups.cpp
@@ -180,34 +180,43 @@ AInventory *AAmmo::CreateTossable()
 //
 //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-bool P_GiveBody (AActor *actor, int num)
+bool P_GiveBody (AActor *actor, int num, int max)
 {
-	int max;
+	if (actor->health <= 0 || (actor->player != NULL && actor->player->playerstate == PST_DEAD))
+	{ // Do not heal dead things.
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	player_t *player = actor->player;
 
 	num = clamp(num, -65536, 65536);	// prevent overflows for bad values
 	if (player != NULL)
 	{
-		max = static_cast<APlayerPawn*>(actor)->GetMaxHealth() + player->mo->stamina;
-		// [MH] First step in predictable generic morph effects
- 		if (player->morphTics)
- 		{
-			if (player->MorphStyle & MORPH_FULLHEALTH)
-			{
-				if (!(player->MorphStyle & MORPH_ADDSTAMINA))
+		// Max is 0 by default, preserving default behavior for P_GiveBody()
+		// calls while supporting AHealth.
+		if (max <= 0)
+		{
+			max = static_cast<APlayerPawn*>(actor)->GetMaxHealth() + player->mo->stamina;
+			// [MH] First step in predictable generic morph effects
+ 			if (player->morphTics)
+ 			{
+				if (player->MorphStyle & MORPH_FULLHEALTH)
 				{
-					max -= player->mo->stamina;
+					if (!(player->MorphStyle & MORPH_ADDSTAMINA))
+					{
+						max -= player->mo->stamina;
+					}
 				}
-			}
-			else // old health behaviour
-			{
-				max = MAXMORPHHEALTH;
-				if (player->MorphStyle & MORPH_ADDSTAMINA)
+				else // old health behaviour
 				{
-					max += player->mo->stamina;
+					max = MAXMORPHHEALTH;
+					if (player->MorphStyle & MORPH_ADDSTAMINA)
+					{
+						max += player->mo->stamina;
+					}
 				}
-			}
- 		}
+ 			}
+		}
 		// [RH] For Strife: A negative body sets you up with a percentage
 		// of your full health.
 		if (num < 0)
@@ -236,6 +245,8 @@ bool P_GiveBody (AActor *actor, int num)
 	}
 	else
 	{
+		// Parameter value for max is ignored on monsters, preserving original
+		// behaviour on AHealth as well as on existing calls to P_GiveBody().
 		max = actor->SpawnHealth();
 		if (num < 0)
 		{
@@ -1475,58 +1486,16 @@ const char *AHealth::PickupMessage ()
 
 bool AHealth::TryPickup (AActor *&other)
 {
-	player_t *player = other->player;
-	int max = MaxAmount;
-	
-	if (player != NULL)
+	PrevHealth = other->player != NULL ? other->player->health : other->health;
+
+	// P_GiveBody adds one new feature, applied only if it is possible to pick up negative health:
+	// Negative values are treated as positive percentages, ie Amount -100 means 100% health, ignoring max amount.
+	if (P_GiveBody(other, Amount, MaxAmount))
 	{
-		PrevHealth = other->player->health;
-		if (max == 0)
-		{
-			max = static_cast<APlayerPawn*>(other)->GetMaxHealth() + player->mo->stamina;
-			// [MH] First step in predictable generic morph effects
- 			if (player->morphTics)
- 			{
-				if (player->MorphStyle & MORPH_FULLHEALTH)
-				{
-					if (!(player->MorphStyle & MORPH_ADDSTAMINA))
-					{
-						max -= player->mo->stamina;
-					}
-				}
-				else // old health behaviour
-				{
-					max = MAXMORPHHEALTH;
-					if (player->MorphStyle & MORPH_ADDSTAMINA)
-					{
-						max += player->mo->stamina;
-					}
-				}
-			}
-		}
-		if (player->health >= max)
-		{
-			return false;
-		}
-		player->health += Amount;
-		if (player->health > max)
-		{
-			player->health = max;
-		}
-		player->mo->health = player->health;
+		GoAwayAndDie();
+		return true;
 	}
-	else
-	{
-		PrevHealth = INT_MAX;
-		if (P_GiveBody(other, Amount))
-		{
-			GoAwayAndDie ();
-			return true;
-		}
-		return false;
-	}
-	GoAwayAndDie ();
-	return true;
+	return false;
 }
 
 IMPLEMENT_CLASS (AHealthPickup)
diff --git a/src/p_acs.cpp b/src/p_acs.cpp
index e78dd99ea..782075956 100644
--- a/src/p_acs.cpp
+++ b/src/p_acs.cpp
@@ -2874,11 +2874,21 @@ void DLevelScript::DoSetActorProperty (AActor *actor, int property, int value)
 	switch (property)
 	{
 	case APROP_Health:
+		// Don't alter the health of dead things.
+		if (actor->health <= 0 || (actor->player != NULL && actor->player->playerstate == PST_DEAD))
+		{
+			break;
+		}
 		actor->health = value;
 		if (actor->player != NULL)
 		{
 			actor->player->health = value;
 		}
+		// If the health is set to a non-positive value, properly kill the actor.
+		if (value <= 0)
+		{
+			actor->Die(activator, activator);
+		}
 		break;
 
 	case APROP_Speed:
diff --git a/src/p_local.h b/src/p_local.h
index 0b6474baa..d738f90b6 100644
--- a/src/p_local.h
+++ b/src/p_local.h
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ extern FBlockNode**		blocklinks; 	// for thing chains
 void P_TouchSpecialThing (AActor *special, AActor *toucher);
 void P_DamageMobj (AActor *target, AActor *inflictor, AActor *source, int damage, FName mod, int flags=0);
 void P_PoisonMobj (AActor *target, AActor *inflictor, AActor *source, int damage, int duration, int period, FName type);
-bool P_GiveBody (AActor *actor, int num);
+bool P_GiveBody (AActor *actor, int num, int max=0);
 bool P_PoisonPlayer (player_t *player, AActor *poisoner, AActor *source, int poison);
 void P_PoisonDamage (player_t *player, AActor *source, int damage, bool playPainSound);