diff --git a/Source/inv.cpp b/Source/inv.cpp
index 836c72c75..042d30dc3 100644
--- a/Source/inv.cpp
+++ b/Source/inv.cpp
@@ -1130,18 +1130,11 @@ bool PutItem(Player &player, Point &position)
 	if (CanPut(position))
 		return true;
 
-	for (int l = 1; l < 50; l++) {
-		for (int j = -l; j <= l; j++) {
-			int yp = j + player.position.tile.y;
-			for (int i = -l; i <= l; i++) {
-				int xp = i + player.position.tile.x;
-				if (!CanPut({ xp, yp }))
-					continue;
-
-				position = { xp, yp };
-				return true;
-			}
-		}
+	std::optional<Point> itemPosition = FindClosestValidPosition(CanPut, player.position.tile, 1, 50);
+
+	if (itemPosition) {
+		position = *itemPosition;
+		return true;
 	}
 
 	return false;
diff --git a/Source/items.cpp b/Source/items.cpp
index 2bb363746..9917a66b4 100644
--- a/Source/items.cpp
+++ b/Source/items.cpp
@@ -3229,19 +3229,9 @@ int AllocateItem()
 
 Point GetSuperItemLoc(Point position)
 {
-	for (int k = 1; k < 50; k++) {
-		for (int j = -k; j <= k; j++) {
-			for (int i = -k; i <= k; i++) {
-				Displacement offset = { i, j };
-				Point positionToCheck = position + offset;
-				if (ItemSpaceOk(positionToCheck)) {
-					return positionToCheck;
-				}
-			}
-		}
-	}
+	std::optional<Point> itemPosition = FindClosestValidPosition(ItemSpaceOk, position, 1, 50);
 
-	return { 0, 0 }; // TODO handle no space for dropping items
+	return itemPosition.value_or(Point { 0, 0 }); // TODO handle no space for dropping items
 }
 
 void GetItemAttrs(Item &item, int itemData, int lvl)