diff --git a/Source/missiles.cpp b/Source/missiles.cpp
index b057158d4..99a7cccd4 100644
--- a/Source/missiles.cpp
+++ b/Source/missiles.cpp
@@ -3650,7 +3650,7 @@ void ProcessTeleport(Missile &missile)
 	player.position.old = player.position.tile;
 	PlrDoTrans(player.position.tile);
 	missile.var1 = 1;
-	dPlayer[player.position.tile.x][player.position.tile.y] = id + 1;
+	player.occupyTile(player.position.tile, false);
 	if (leveltype != DTYPE_TOWN) {
 		ChangeLightXY(player.lightId, player.position.tile);
 		ChangeVisionXY(player.getId(), player.position.tile);
diff --git a/Source/monster.cpp b/Source/monster.cpp
index 915706404..46a01cd4f 100644
--- a/Source/monster.cpp
+++ b/Source/monster.cpp
@@ -1260,7 +1260,7 @@ void MonsterAttackPlayer(Monster &monster, Player &player, int hit, int minDam,
 			player.position.tile = newPosition;
 			FixPlayerLocation(player, player._pdir);
 			FixPlrWalkTags(player);
-			dPlayer[newPosition.x][newPosition.y] = player.getId() + 1;
+			player.occupyTile(newPosition, false);
 			SetPlayerOld(player);
 		}
 	}
@@ -4439,7 +4439,7 @@ void MissToMonst(Missile &missile, Point position)
 			player.position.tile = newPosition;
 			FixPlayerLocation(player, player._pdir);
 			FixPlrWalkTags(player);
-			dPlayer[newPosition.x][newPosition.y] = pnum + 1;
+			player.occupyTile(newPosition, false);
 			SetPlayerOld(player);
 		}
 		return;
diff --git a/Source/multi.cpp b/Source/multi.cpp
index 1e403ad60..85608cb7a 100644
--- a/Source/multi.cpp
+++ b/Source/multi.cpp
@@ -659,7 +659,7 @@ void multi_process_network_packets()
 						if (player.isWalking())
 							player.position.temp = syncPosition;
 						SetPlayerOld(player);
-						dPlayer[player.position.tile.x][player.position.tile.y] = playerId + 1;
+						player.occupyTile(player.position.tile, false);
 					}
 					if (player.position.future.WalkingDistance(player.position.tile) > 1) {
 						player.position.future = player.position.tile;
diff --git a/Source/player.cpp b/Source/player.cpp
index db7b1f263..ee51fca10 100644
--- a/Source/player.cpp
+++ b/Source/player.cpp
@@ -77,17 +77,17 @@ void UpdatePlayerLightOffset(Player &player)
 
 void WalkNorthwards(Player &player, const DirectionSettings &walkParams)
 {
-	dPlayer[player.position.future.x][player.position.future.y] = -(player.getId() + 1);
+	player.occupyTile(player.position.future, true);
 	player.position.temp = player.position.tile + walkParams.tileAdd;
 }
 
 void WalkSouthwards(Player &player, const DirectionSettings & /*walkParams*/)
 {
 	const size_t playerId = player.getId();
-	dPlayer[player.position.tile.x][player.position.tile.y] = -(playerId + 1);
 	player.position.temp = player.position.tile;
 	player.position.tile = player.position.future; // Move player to the next tile to maintain correct render order
-	dPlayer[player.position.tile.x][player.position.tile.y] = playerId + 1;
+	player.occupyTile(player.position.temp, true);
+	player.occupyTile(player.position.tile, false);
 	// BUGFIX: missing `if (leveltype != DTYPE_TOWN) {` for call to ChangeLightXY and PM_ChangeLightOff.
 	ChangeLightXY(player.lightId, player.position.tile);
 	UpdatePlayerLightOffset(player);
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ void WalkSideways(Player &player, const DirectionSettings &walkParams)
 	Point const nextPosition = player.position.tile + walkParams.map;
 
 	const size_t playerId = player.getId();
-	dPlayer[player.position.tile.x][player.position.tile.y] = -(playerId + 1);
-	dPlayer[player.position.future.x][player.position.future.y] = playerId + 1;
+	player.occupyTile(player.position.tile, true);
+	player.occupyTile(player.position.future, false);
 
 	if (leveltype != DTYPE_TOWN) {
 		ChangeLightXY(player.lightId, nextPosition);
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ void InitLevelChange(Player &player)
 	FixPlrWalkTags(player);
 	SetPlayerOld(player);
 	if (&player == MyPlayer) {
-		dPlayer[player.position.tile.x][player.position.tile.y] = player.getId() + 1;
+		player.occupyTile(player.position.tile, false);
 	} else {
 		player._pLvlVisited[player.plrlevel] = true;
 	}
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ bool DoWalk(Player &player, int variant)
 	case PM_WALK_NORTHWARDS:
 		dPlayer[player.position.tile.x][player.position.tile.y] = 0;
 		player.position.tile = player.position.temp;
-		dPlayer[player.position.tile.x][player.position.tile.y] = player.getId() + 1;
+		player.occupyTile(player.position.tile, false);
 		break;
 	case PM_WALK_SOUTHWARDS:
 		dPlayer[player.position.temp.x][player.position.temp.y] = 0;
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ bool DoWalk(Player &player, int variant)
 		dPlayer[player.position.tile.x][player.position.tile.y] = 0;
 		player.position.tile = player.position.temp;
 		// dPlayer is set here for backwards comparability, without it the player would be invisible if loaded from a vanilla save.
-		dPlayer[player.position.tile.x][player.position.tile.y] = player.getId() + 1;
+		player.occupyTile(player.position.tile, false);
 		break;
 	}
 
@@ -2070,6 +2070,12 @@ int32_t Player::calculateBaseMana() const
 	return attr.adjMana + (attr.lvlMana * getCharacterLevel()) + (attr.chrMana * _pBaseMag);
 }
 
+void Player::occupyTile(Point position, bool isMoving) const
+{
+	int16_t id = static_cast<int16_t>(this->getId() + 1);
+	dPlayer[position.x][position.y] = isMoving ? -id : id;
+}
+
 Player *PlayerAtPosition(Point position)
 {
 	if (!InDungeonBounds(position))
@@ -2567,7 +2573,7 @@ void StartStand(Player &player, Direction dir)
 	player._pmode = PM_STAND;
 	FixPlayerLocation(player, dir);
 	FixPlrWalkTags(player);
-	dPlayer[player.position.tile.x][player.position.tile.y] = player.getId() + 1;
+	player.occupyTile(player.position.tile, false);
 	SetPlayerOld(player);
 }
 
@@ -2641,7 +2647,7 @@ void StartPlrHit(Player &player, int dam, bool forcehit)
 	player._pmode = PM_GOTHIT;
 	FixPlayerLocation(player, pd);
 	FixPlrWalkTags(player);
-	dPlayer[player.position.tile.x][player.position.tile.y] = player.getId() + 1;
+	player.occupyTile(player.position.tile, false);
 	SetPlayerOld(player);
 }
 
@@ -3251,7 +3257,7 @@ void SyncInitPlrPos(Player &player)
 	}();
 
 	player.position.tile = position;
-	dPlayer[position.x][position.y] = player.getId() + 1;
+	player.occupyTile(position, false);
 	player.position.future = position;
 
 	if (&player == MyPlayer) {
diff --git a/Source/player.h b/Source/player.h
index d24cd893a..05d1e140b 100644
--- a/Source/player.h
+++ b/Source/player.h
@@ -884,6 +884,13 @@ public:
 
 	/** @brief Returns a character's mana based on starting mana, character level, and base magic. */
 	int32_t calculateBaseMana() const;
+
+	/**
+	 * @brief Sets a tile/dPlayer to be occupied by the player
+	 * @param position tile to update
+	 * @param isMoving specifies whether the player is moving or not (true/moving results in a negative index in dPlayer)
+	 */
+	void occupyTile(Point position, bool isMoving) const;
 };
 
 extern DVL_API_FOR_TEST size_t MyPlayerId;