diff --git a/source/src/clientgame.cpp b/source/src/clientgame.cpp
index 609ec34d..0739c728 100644
--- a/source/src/clientgame.cpp
+++ b/source/src/clientgame.cpp
@@ -697,21 +697,17 @@ void dodamage(int damage, playerent *pl, playerent *actor, int gun, bool gib, bo
 
 void setkillmessage(int gun, bool gib, const char *message)
 {
+	if(!message || !*message)
+	{
+		result(killmessage(gun, gib));
+		return;
+	}
+
 	if(gun < 0 || gun >= NUMGUNS)
 	{
 		conoutf("invalid gun specified");
 		return;
 	}
-	if(strlen(message)==0)
-	{
-		conoutf("invalid message");
-		return;
-	}
-	if(strlen(message)>MAXKILLMSGLEN)
-	{
-		conoutf("message is too long (max len is %i)", MAXKILLMSGLEN);
-		return;
-	}
 	
 	if(gib) formatstring(gibmessages[gun])("%s", message);
 	else    formatstring(fragmessages[gun])("%s", message);
diff --git a/source/src/entity.h b/source/src/entity.h
index 527115e6..7b7f3a0b 100644
--- a/source/src/entity.h
+++ b/source/src/entity.h
@@ -619,6 +619,8 @@ extern char fragmessages[NUMGUNS][MAXKILLMSGLEN];
 extern char gibmessages[NUMGUNS][MAXKILLMSGLEN];
 inline char *killmessage(int gun, bool gib = false)
 {
+	if(gun<0 || gun>=NUMGUNS) return "";
+
 	if(gib) return gibmessages[gun];
 	else    return fragmessages[gun];
 }