diff --git a/sc2/src/uqm/battle.c b/sc2/src/uqm/battle.c
index 7d6a254a5..84d55e958 100644
--- a/sc2/src/uqm/battle.c
+++ b/sc2/src/uqm/battle.c
@@ -156,8 +156,7 @@ ProcessInput (void)
 	for (sideI = 0; sideI < NUM_SIDES; sideI++)
 	{
 		HSTARSHIP hBattleShip, hNextShip;
-
-		cur_player = battleInputOrder[sideI];
+		size_t cur_player = battleInputOrder[sideI];
 
 		for (hBattleShip = GetHeadLink (&race_q[cur_player]);
 				hBattleShip != 0; hBattleShip = hNextShip)
@@ -170,6 +169,10 @@ ProcessInput (void)
 
 			if (StarShipPtr->hShip)
 			{
+				// TODO: review and see if we have to do this every frame, or
+				//   if we can do this once somewhere
+				StarShipPtr->control = PlayerControl[cur_player];
+				
 				InputState = PlayerInput[cur_player]->handlers->frameInput (
 						PlayerInput[cur_player], StarShipPtr);
 
diff --git a/sc2/src/uqm/cyborg.c b/sc2/src/uqm/cyborg.c
index 45128a7a2..d86f14ae5 100644
--- a/sc2/src/uqm/cyborg.c
+++ b/sc2/src/uqm/cyborg.c
@@ -435,11 +435,11 @@ ship_intelligence (ELEMENT *ShipPtr, EVALUATE_DESC *ObjectsOfConcern,
 			ShipFired = FALSE;
 	}
 
-	if (PlayerControl[cur_player] & AWESOME_RATING)
+	if (StarShipPtr->control & AWESOME_RATING)
 		margin_of_error = 0;
-	else if (PlayerControl[cur_player] & GOOD_RATING)
+	else if (StarShipPtr->control & GOOD_RATING)
 		margin_of_error = DISPLAY_TO_WORLD (20);
-	else /* if (PlayerControl[cur_player] & STANDARD_RATING) */
+	else /* if (StarShipPtr->control & STANDARD_RATING) */
 		margin_of_error = DISPLAY_TO_WORLD (40);
 
 	ObjectsOfConcern += ConcernCounter;
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ ship_intelligence (ELEMENT *ShipPtr, EVALUATE_DESC *ObjectsOfConcern,
 					|| (ConcernCounter == ENEMY_WEAPON_INDEX
 					&& ObjectsOfConcern->MoveState != AVOID
 #ifdef NEVER
-					&& !(PlayerControl[cur_player] & STANDARD_RATING)
+					&& !(StarShipPtr->control & STANDARD_RATING)
 #endif /* NEVER */
 					)))
 			{
@@ -1035,7 +1035,7 @@ tactical_intelligence (ComputerInputContext *context, STARSHIP *StarShipPtr)
 
 	ShipMoved = TRUE;
 	/* Disable ship's special completely for the Standard AI */
-	if (PlayerControl[context->playerNr] & STANDARD_RATING)
+	if (StarShipPtr->control & STANDARD_RATING)
 		++StarShipPtr->special_counter;
 
 #ifdef DEBUG_CYBORG
@@ -1259,7 +1259,7 @@ if (!(ShipPtr->state_flags & FINITE_LIFE)
 							ed.which_turn = 0;
 					}
 				}
-				else if (!(PlayerControl[context->playerNr] & AWESOME_RATING))
+				else if (!(StarShipPtr->control & AWESOME_RATING))
 					ed.which_turn = 0;
 				else
 				{
diff --git a/sc2/src/uqm/encount.c b/sc2/src/uqm/encount.c
index 627c8abe8..f30370d1d 100644
--- a/sc2/src/uqm/encount.c
+++ b/sc2/src/uqm/encount.c
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ BuildBattle (COUNT which_player)
 			BuiltShipPtr = LockStarShip (&race_q[which_player], hBuiltShip);
 			BuiltShipPtr->captains_name_index = FragPtr->captains_name_index;
 			BuiltShipPtr->which_side = 1 << which_player;
+			BuiltShipPtr->playerNr = which_player;
 			if (FragPtr->crew_level != INFINITE_FLEET)
 				BuiltShipPtr->crew_level = FragPtr->crew_level;
 			else /* if infinite ships */
@@ -165,6 +166,7 @@ BuildBattle (COUNT which_player)
 		BuiltShipPtr = LockStarShip (&race_q[0], hBuiltShip);
 		BuiltShipPtr->captains_name_index = 0;
 		BuiltShipPtr->which_side = GOOD_GUY;
+		BuiltShipPtr->playerNr = 0;
 		BuiltShipPtr->crew_level = 0;
 		BuiltShipPtr->max_crew = 0;
 				// Crew will be copied directly from
diff --git a/sc2/src/uqm/init.c b/sc2/src/uqm/init.c
index 2546d629a..c6c1cb3f3 100644
--- a/sc2/src/uqm/init.c
+++ b/sc2/src/uqm/init.c
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ BuildSIS (void)
 		return 0;
 	StarShipPtr = LockStarShip (&race_q[0], hStarShip);
 	StarShipPtr->which_side = GOOD_GUY;
+	StarShipPtr->playerNr = 0;
 	StarShipPtr->captains_name_index = 0;
 	UnlockStarShip (&race_q[0], hStarShip);
 
diff --git a/sc2/src/uqm/intel.c b/sc2/src/uqm/intel.c
index 627ae79a4..9cb7aeee1 100644
--- a/sc2/src/uqm/intel.c
+++ b/sc2/src/uqm/intel.c
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 
-SIZE cur_player;
-
 BATTLE_INPUT_STATE
 computer_intelligence (ComputerInputContext *context, STARSHIP *StarShipPtr)
 {
@@ -40,7 +38,7 @@ computer_intelligence (ComputerInputContext *context, STARSHIP *StarShipPtr)
 	if (StarShipPtr)
 	{
 		// Selecting the next action for in battle.
-		if (PlayerControl[context->playerNr] & CYBORG_CONTROL)
+		if (StarShipPtr->control & CYBORG_CONTROL)
 		{
 			InputState = tactical_intelligence (context, StarShipPtr);
 
diff --git a/sc2/src/uqm/intel.h b/sc2/src/uqm/intel.h
index 09a329f3e..b5381acaa 100644
--- a/sc2/src/uqm/intel.h
+++ b/sc2/src/uqm/intel.h
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@ enum
 	FIRST_EMPTY_INDEX
 };
 
-extern SIZE cur_player;
-
 extern BATTLE_INPUT_STATE computer_intelligence (
 		ComputerInputContext *context, STARSHIP *StarShipPtr);
 extern BATTLE_INPUT_STATE tactical_intelligence (
diff --git a/sc2/src/uqm/melee.c b/sc2/src/uqm/melee.c
index 77723f738..c68df9bc2 100644
--- a/sc2/src/uqm/melee.c
+++ b/sc2/src/uqm/melee.c
@@ -1688,6 +1688,7 @@ BuildAndDrawShipList (MELEE_STATE *pMS)
 				BuiltShipPtr->index = index;
 				BuiltShipPtr->ship_cost = ship_cost;
 				BuiltShipPtr->which_side = 1 << side;
+				BuiltShipPtr->playerNr = side;
 				BuiltShipPtr->captains_name_index = captains_name_index;
 				// The next ones are not used in Melee
 				BuiltShipPtr->crew_level = 0;
diff --git a/sc2/src/uqm/pickmele.c b/sc2/src/uqm/pickmele.c
index 300cf6e26..3716f5641 100644
--- a/sc2/src/uqm/pickmele.c
+++ b/sc2/src/uqm/pickmele.c
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@ static void reportShipSelected (GETMELEE_STATE *gms, COUNT index);
 #endif
 
 // Returns the <index>th ship in the queue, or 0 if it is not available.
-// For all the ships in the queue, the ShipFacing field contains the
-// index in the queue.
 static HSTARSHIP
 MeleeShipByQueueIndex (const QUEUE *queue, COUNT index)
 {
diff --git a/sc2/src/uqm/pickship.c b/sc2/src/uqm/pickship.c
index a00afe39a..1e3e0cb4c 100644
--- a/sc2/src/uqm/pickship.c
+++ b/sc2/src/uqm/pickship.c
@@ -404,6 +404,7 @@ GetEncounterStarShip (STARSHIP *LastStarShipPtr, COUNT which_player)
 						 * the maximum, instead of the normal level */
 						SPtr->crew_level = FragPtr->max_crew;
 						SPtr->which_side = 1 << which_player;
+						SPtr->playerNr = which_player;
 						SPtr->captains_name_index = PickCaptainName ();
 
 						battle_counter[1]++;
diff --git a/sc2/src/uqm/races.h b/sc2/src/uqm/races.h
index a728daab7..5069c169b 100644
--- a/sc2/src/uqm/races.h
+++ b/sc2/src/uqm/races.h
@@ -273,6 +273,11 @@ struct STARSHIP
 
 	HELEMENT hShip;
 	COUNT ShipFacing;
+
+	COUNT playerNr;
+			// 0: bottom player; In full-game: the human player
+	BYTE control;
+			// HUMAN, COMPUTER or NETWORK control flags, see intel.h
 };
 
 static inline STARSHIP *
diff --git a/sc2/src/uqm/setup.h b/sc2/src/uqm/setup.h
index fa5152d59..1d6bf3cb3 100644
--- a/sc2/src/uqm/setup.h
+++ b/sc2/src/uqm/setup.h
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ extern QUEUE race_q[];
 extern ACTIVITY LastActivity;
 
 extern BYTE PlayerControl[];
-extern SIZE cur_player;
 
 BOOLEAN InitContexts (void);
 void UninitPlayerInput (void);
diff --git a/sc2/src/uqm/ship.c b/sc2/src/uqm/ship.c
index 7aa480c0b..759e9bfbc 100644
--- a/sc2/src/uqm/ship.c
+++ b/sc2/src/uqm/ship.c
@@ -502,9 +502,6 @@ GetNextStarShip (STARSHIP *LastStarShipPtr, COUNT which_side)
 {
 	HSTARSHIP hBattleShip;
 
-	cur_player = which_side;
-
-
 	hBattleShip = GetEncounterStarShip (LastStarShipPtr, which_side);
 	if (hBattleShip)
 	{
@@ -564,10 +561,11 @@ GetInitialStarShips (void)
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		COUNT num_ships = NUM_PLAYERS;
-		while (num_ships--)
+		int i;
+		
+		for (i = NUM_PLAYERS; i > 0; --i)
 		{
-			if (!GetNextStarShip (NULL, num_ships == 1))
+			if (!GetNextStarShip (NULL, i - 1))
 				return FALSE;
 		}
 		return TRUE;
diff --git a/sc2/src/uqm/ships/zoqfot/zoqfot.c b/sc2/src/uqm/ships/zoqfot/zoqfot.c
index 14d2b04bb..71fbabb6c 100644
--- a/sc2/src/uqm/ships/zoqfot/zoqfot.c
+++ b/sc2/src/uqm/ships/zoqfot/zoqfot.c
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ zoqfotpik_intelligence (ELEMENT *ShipPtr, EVALUATE_DESC *ObjectsOfConcern,
 						|| (ConcernCounter == ENEMY_WEAPON_INDEX
 						&& ObjectsOfConcern->MoveState != AVOID
 #ifdef NEVER
-						&& !(PlayerControl[cur_player] & STANDARD_RATING)
+						&& !(StarShipPtr->control & STANDARD_RATING)
 #endif /* NEVER */
 						))
 						&& ship_weapons (ShipPtr,