diff --git a/src/kernel/jsonconf.c b/src/kernel/jsonconf.c
index 0f5642c42..b4ce122c5 100644
--- a/src/kernel/jsonconf.c
+++ b/src/kernel/jsonconf.c
@@ -597,9 +597,6 @@ static void json_spells(cJSON *json) {
                 else if (strcmp(item->string, "cast") == 0) {
                     sp->cast = (spell_f)get_function(item->valuestring);
                 }
-                else if (strcmp(item->string, "fumble") == 0) {
-                    sp->fumble = (fumble_f)get_function(item->valuestring);
-                }
                 else if (strcmp(item->string, "syntax") == 0) {
                     sp->syntax = strdup(item->valuestring);
                 }
diff --git a/src/kernel/spell.c b/src/kernel/spell.c
index 212b0a7d2..900f98ff0 100644
--- a/src/kernel/spell.c
+++ b/src/kernel/spell.c
@@ -33,6 +33,28 @@ OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
+static critbit_tree cb_fumbles;
+void add_fumble(const char *sname, fumble_f fun)
+{
+    size_t len;
+    char data[64];
+
+    len = cb_new_kv(sname, strlen(sname), &fun, sizeof(fun), data);
+    assert(len <= sizeof(data));
+    cb_insert(&cb_fumbles, data, len);
+}
+
+fumble_f get_fumble(const char *sname)
+{
+    void * match;
+    fumble_f result = NULL;
+
+    if (cb_find_prefix(&cb_fumbles, sname, strlen(sname) + 1, &match, 1, 0)) {
+        cb_get_kv(match, &result, sizeof(result));
+    }
+    return result;
+}
+
 static critbit_tree cb_spells;
 selist * spells;
 
@@ -49,6 +71,7 @@ static void free_spell_cb(void *cbdata) {
 }
 
 void free_spells(void) {
+    cb_clear(&cb_fumbles);
     cb_clear(&cb_spells);
     selist_foreach(spells, free_spell_cb);
     selist_free(spells);
diff --git a/src/kernel/spell.h b/src/kernel/spell.h
index e7592f082..ae5322c9a 100644
--- a/src/kernel/spell.h
+++ b/src/kernel/spell.h
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ extern "C" {
         int rank;                   /* Reihenfolge der Zauber */
         struct spell_component *components;
         spell_f cast;
-        fumble_f fumble;
     } spell;
 
     typedef struct spellref {
@@ -50,6 +49,9 @@ extern "C" {
         struct spell *sp;
     } spellref;
 
+    void add_fumble(const char *sname, fumble_f fun);
+    fumble_f get_fumble(const char *sname);
+
     struct spellref *spellref_create(struct spell *sp, const char *name);
     void spellref_free(struct spellref *spref);
     struct spell *spellref_get(struct spellref *spref);
diff --git a/src/kernel/spell.test.c b/src/kernel/spell.test.c
index b500f94cc..739be35da 100644
--- a/src/kernel/spell.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/spell.test.c
@@ -86,10 +86,25 @@ static void test_spellref(CuTest *tc)
     test_cleanup();
 }
 
+void my_fumble(const struct castorder *co) {
+    UNUSED_ARG(co);
+}
+
+static void test_fumbles(CuTest *tc)
+{
+    test_setup();
+    CuAssertTrue(tc, NULL==get_fumble("hodor"));
+    add_fumble("hodor", my_fumble);
+    CuAssertTrue(tc, my_fumble==get_fumble("hodor"));
+    test_cleanup();
+    CuAssertTrue(tc, NULL==get_fumble("hodor"));
+}
+
 CuSuite *get_spell_suite(void)
 {
     CuSuite *suite = CuSuiteNew();
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_spellref);
+    SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_fumbles);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_create_a_spell);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_create_duplicate_spell);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_create_spell_with_id);
diff --git a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
index e29f2811c..f9e62dc43 100644
--- a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
+++ b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
@@ -1312,11 +1312,8 @@ static int parse_spellbooks(xmlDocPtr doc)
 static int parse_spells(xmlDocPtr doc)
 {
     pf_generic cast = 0;
-    pf_generic fumble = 0;
     xmlXPathContextPtr xpath = xmlXPathNewContext(doc);
     xmlXPathObjectPtr spells;
-    char zText[32];
-    strcpy(zText, "fumble_");
 
     /* reading eressea/spells/spell */
     spells = xmlXPathEvalExpression(BAD_CAST "/eressea/spells/spell", xpath);
@@ -1404,8 +1401,6 @@ static int parse_spells(xmlDocPtr doc)
                 if (!cast) {
                     log_error("no spell cast function registered for '%s'\n", sp->sname);
                 }
-                strlcpy(zText + 7, sp->sname, sizeof(zText) - 7);
-                fumble = get_function(zText);
             }
             else {
                 for (k = 0; k != result->nodesetval->nodeNr; ++k) {
@@ -1422,9 +1417,6 @@ static int parse_spells(xmlDocPtr doc)
                             log_error("unknown function name '%s' for spell '%s'\n", (const char *)propValue, sp->sname);
                         }
                     }
-                    else if (fun && strcmp((const char *)propValue, "fumble") == 0) {
-                        fumble = fun;
-                    }
                     else {
                         log_error("unknown function type '%s' for spell '%s'\n", (const char *)propValue, sp->sname);
                     }
@@ -1432,7 +1424,6 @@ static int parse_spells(xmlDocPtr doc)
                 }
             }
             sp->cast = (spell_f)cast;
-            sp->fumble = (fumble_f)fumble;
             xmlXPathFreeObject(result);
 
             /* reading eressea/spells/spell/resource */
diff --git a/src/magic.c b/src/magic.c
index 005f0ff94..5a6672db5 100644
--- a/src/magic.c
+++ b/src/magic.c
@@ -1370,14 +1370,16 @@ static void do_fumble(castorder * co)
     double effect;
 	static const race *rc_toad;
     static int rc_cache;
+    fumble_f fun;
     
     ADDMSG(&u->faction->msgs,
         msg_message("patzer", "unit region spell", u, r, sp));
     switch (rng_int() % 10) {
     case 0:
         /* wenn vorhanden spezieller Patzer, ansonsten nix */
-        if (sp->fumble) {
-            sp->fumble(co);
+        fun = get_fumble(sp->sname);
+        if (fun) {
+            fun(co);
         }
         else {
             fumble_default(co);
diff --git a/src/spells.c b/src/spells.c
index 10815708d..8bf30de88 100644
--- a/src/spells.c
+++ b/src/spells.c
@@ -6622,8 +6622,7 @@ static void register_spelldata(void)
             register_function((pf_generic)data->cast, data->sname);
         }
         if (data->fumble) {
-            strlcpy(zText + 7, data->sname, sizeof(zText) - 7);
-            register_function((pf_generic)data->fumble, zText);
+            add_fumble(data->sname, data->fumble);
         }
     }
 }