diff --git a/src/kernel/race.h b/src/kernel/race.h
index a106249f8..775ac55a5 100644
--- a/src/kernel/race.h
+++ b/src/kernel/race.h
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ extern "C" {
 
     extern int num_races;
 
+    typedef const char *(*race_name_func)(const struct unit *);
+
     typedef struct race {
         char *_name;
         float magres;
diff --git a/src/kernel/unit.c b/src/kernel/unit.c
index 47e4a63b4..98d635d87 100644
--- a/src/kernel/unit.c
+++ b/src/kernel/unit.c
@@ -1416,7 +1416,8 @@ void name_unit(unit * u)
     if (u_race(u)->generate_name) {
         const char *gen_name = u_race(u)->generate_name(u);
         if (gen_name) {
-            unit_setname(u, gen_name);
+            free(u->_name);
+            u->_name = _strdup(gen_name);
         }
         else {
             unit_setname(u, racename(u->faction->locale, u, u_race(u)));
diff --git a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
index da8014d67..e944471f8 100644
--- a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
+++ b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
@@ -1797,7 +1797,7 @@ static int parse_races(xmlDocPtr doc)
             }
             assert(propValue != NULL);
             if (strcmp((const char *)propValue, "name") == 0) {
-                rc->generate_name = (const char *(*)(const struct unit *))fun;
+                rc->generate_name = (race_name_func)fun;
             }
             else if (strcmp((const char *)propValue, "describe") == 0) {
                 rc->describe =
diff --git a/src/names.h b/src/names.h
index 76e7c9497..63e9c8628 100644
--- a/src/names.h
+++ b/src/names.h
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ extern "C" {
 #endif
 
     struct unit;
-    typedef const char *(*name_func)(const struct unit *);
     void register_names(void);
     const char *abkz(const char *s, char *buf, size_t size, size_t maxchars);
 
diff --git a/src/names.test.c b/src/names.test.c
index 99c1663ed..7c3c24506 100644
--- a/src/names.test.c
+++ b/src/names.test.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include "names.h"
 
+#include <kernel/race.h>
 #include <util/language.h>
 #include <util/functions.h>
 
@@ -10,14 +11,14 @@
 
 static void test_names(CuTest * tc)
 {
-    name_func foo;
+    race_name_func foo;
     test_cleanup();
     register_names();
     default_locale = test_create_locale();
     locale_setstring(default_locale, "undead_prefix_0", "Kleine");
     locale_setstring(default_locale, "undead_name_0", "Graue");
     locale_setstring(default_locale, "undead_postfix_0", "Kobolde");
-    CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, foo = (name_func)get_function("nameundead"));
+    CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, foo = (race_name_func)get_function("nameundead"));
     CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "Kleine Graue Kobolde", foo(NULL));
     CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, get_function("nameskeleton"));
     CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, get_function("namezombie"));