diff --git a/src/facilities/pit/pit.js b/src/facilities/pit/pit.js
index 0be44049e5e377908f81fe3de5ac294e62b477af..e77cc161c80e80f9cbe39feda5f4e3d2a19be04a 100644
--- a/src/facilities/pit/pit.js
+++ b/src/facilities/pit/pit.js
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ App.Facilities.Pit.pit = function() {
 
 				App.UI.reload();
 			}), ['indent']);
+		} else if (bodyguard !== null) {
+			V.pit.slaveFightingBodyguard = null;
 		}
 		return el;
 	}
diff --git a/src/js/removeSlave.js b/src/js/removeSlave.js
index 7c620433c1ab0034f89291cb9905ae3b34d1391b..2f4433d173b7aecd2d7ca05cfd765c1c91dc9869 100644
--- a/src/js/removeSlave.js
+++ b/src/js/removeSlave.js
@@ -124,6 +124,10 @@ globalThis.removeSlave = function(slave, recordExtras = {}) {
 		if (V.pit && V.pit.fighterIDs) {
 			V.pit.fighterIDs.deleteAll(AS_ID);
 		}
+		/* reset fighting BG ID, if needed */
+		if (V.pit && V.pit.slaveFightingBodyguard === AS_ID) {
+			V.slaveFightingBodyguard = null;
+		}
 		// scheduled pit fight
 		if (V.pit && V.pit.slavesFighting?.includes(AS_ID)) {
 			V.pit.slavesFighting = null;
diff --git a/src/npc/interaction/killSlave.js b/src/npc/interaction/killSlave.js
index 21dde1a9eb56727fa400406c14e8e67a164867a0..de95a80620011b5a07bd6dd015f657d7bd627453 100644
--- a/src/npc/interaction/killSlave.js
+++ b/src/npc/interaction/killSlave.js
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ App.UI.SlaveInteract.killSlave = function(slave) {
 
 	frag.appendChild(intro());
 
-	if (V.pit && V.pit.slaveFightingBodyguard) {
+	if (V.pit && V.pit.slaveFightingBodyguard && getSlave(V.pit.slaveFightingBodyguard) !== undefined) {
 		frag.appendChild(plannedFight());
 	} else {
 		frag.appendChild(links());