diff --git a/Source/inv.cpp b/Source/inv.cpp
index 20d654522..9531a6536 100644
--- a/Source/inv.cpp
+++ b/Source/inv.cpp
@@ -1499,7 +1499,9 @@ bool AutoPlaceItemInInventorySlot(Player &player, int slotIndex, const Item &ite
 	return true;
 }
 
-bool GoldAutoPlace(Player &player)
+bool GoldAutoPlaceInInventorySlot(Player &, int, Item &);
+
+bool GoldAutoPlace(Player &player, Item &goldStack)
 {
 	bool done = false;
 
@@ -1509,56 +1511,56 @@ bool GoldAutoPlace(Player &player)
 		if (player.InvList[i]._ivalue >= MaxGold)
 			continue;
 
-		player.InvList[i]._ivalue += player.HoldItem._ivalue;
+		player.InvList[i]._ivalue += goldStack._ivalue;
 		if (player.InvList[i]._ivalue > MaxGold) {
-			player.HoldItem._ivalue = player.InvList[i]._ivalue - MaxGold;
-			SetPlrHandGoldCurs(player.HoldItem);
+			goldStack._ivalue = player.InvList[i]._ivalue - MaxGold;
+			SetPlrHandGoldCurs(goldStack);
 			player.InvList[i]._ivalue = MaxGold;
 			if (gbIsHellfire)
-				GenerateNewSeed(player.HoldItem);
+				GenerateNewSeed(goldStack);
 		} else {
-			player.HoldItem._ivalue = 0;
+			goldStack._ivalue = 0;
 			done = true;
 		}
 
 		SetPlrHandGoldCurs(player.InvList[i]);
-		player._pGold = CalculateGold(player);
 	}
 
 	for (int i = 39; i >= 30 && !done; i--) {
-		done = GoldAutoPlaceInInventorySlot(player, i);
+		done = GoldAutoPlaceInInventorySlot(player, i, goldStack);
 	}
 	for (int x = 9; x >= 0 && !done; x--) {
 		for (int y = 2; y >= 0 && !done; y--) {
-			done = GoldAutoPlaceInInventorySlot(player, 10 * y + x);
+			done = GoldAutoPlaceInInventorySlot(player, 10 * y + x, goldStack);
 		}
 	}
 
+	player._pGold = CalculateGold(player);
 	return done;
 }
 
-bool GoldAutoPlaceInInventorySlot(Player &player, int slotIndex)
+bool GoldAutoPlaceInInventorySlot(Player &player, int slotIndex, Item &goldStack)
 {
 	if (player.InvGrid[slotIndex] != 0) {
 		return false;
 	}
 
 	int ii = player._pNumInv;
-	player.InvList[ii] = player.HoldItem;
+	player.InvList[ii] = goldStack;
 	player._pNumInv++;
 	player.InvGrid[slotIndex] = player._pNumInv;
 	GenerateNewSeed(player.InvList[ii]);
 
-	int gold = player.HoldItem._ivalue;
+	int gold = goldStack._ivalue;
 	if (gold > MaxGold) {
 		gold -= MaxGold;
-		player.HoldItem._ivalue = gold;
-		GenerateNewSeed(player.HoldItem);
+		goldStack._ivalue = gold;
+		GenerateNewSeed(goldStack);
 		player.InvList[ii]._ivalue = MaxGold;
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	player.HoldItem._ivalue = 0;
+	goldStack._ivalue = 0;
 	player._pGold = CalculateGold(player);
 	NewCursor(CURSOR_HAND);
 
@@ -1639,7 +1641,7 @@ void InvGetItem(int pnum, int ii)
 	CheckBookLevel(player);
 	CheckItemStats(player);
 	bool cursorUpdated = false;
-	if (player.HoldItem._itype == ItemType::Gold && GoldAutoPlace(player))
+	if (player.HoldItem._itype == ItemType::Gold && GoldAutoPlace(player, player.HoldItem))
 		cursorUpdated = true;
 	CleanupItems(ii);
 	pcursitem = -1;
@@ -1673,7 +1675,7 @@ void AutoGetItem(int pnum, Item *item, int ii)
 	CheckItemStats(player);
 	SetICursor(player.HoldItem._iCurs + CURSOR_FIRSTITEM);
 	if (player.HoldItem._itype == ItemType::Gold) {
-		done = GoldAutoPlace(player);
+		done = GoldAutoPlace(player, player.HoldItem);
 		if (!done) {
 			item->_ivalue = player.HoldItem._ivalue;
 			SetPlrHandGoldCurs(*item);
diff --git a/Source/inv.h b/Source/inv.h
index 37d0a4b12..817fe555d 100644
--- a/Source/inv.h
+++ b/Source/inv.h
@@ -148,8 +148,7 @@ bool AutoPlaceItemInInventorySlot(Player &player, int slotIndex, const Item &ite
  * @return 'True' in case the item can be placed on the player's belt and 'False' otherwise.
  */
 bool AutoPlaceItemInBelt(Player &player, const Item &item, bool persistItem = false);
-bool GoldAutoPlace(Player &player);
-bool GoldAutoPlaceInInventorySlot(Player &player, int slotIndex);
+bool GoldAutoPlace(Player &player, Item &goldStack);
 void CheckInvSwap(Player &player, inv_body_loc bLoc, int idx, uint16_t wCI, int seed, bool bId, uint32_t dwBuff);
 void inv_update_rem_item(Player &player, inv_body_loc iv);
 void CheckInvItem(bool isShiftHeld = false, bool isCtrlHeld = false);
diff --git a/Source/player.cpp b/Source/player.cpp
index 51b5ebe56..8dc0627b5 100644
--- a/Source/player.cpp
+++ b/Source/player.cpp
@@ -3196,26 +3196,22 @@ StartPlayerKill(int pnum, int earflag)
 
 void StripTopGold(Player &player)
 {
-	Item tmpItem = player.HoldItem;
-
 	for (Item &item : InventoryPlayerItemsRange { player }) {
 		if (item._itype == ItemType::Gold) {
 			if (item._ivalue > MaxGold) {
-				int val = item._ivalue - MaxGold;
+				Item excessGold;
+				InitializeItem(excessGold, IDI_GOLD);
+				SetGoldSeed(player, excessGold);
+				excessGold._ivalue = item._ivalue - MaxGold;
+				SetPlrHandGoldCurs(excessGold);
 				item._ivalue = MaxGold;
-				InitializeItem(player.HoldItem, IDI_GOLD);
-				SetGoldSeed(player, player.HoldItem);
-				player.HoldItem._ivalue = val;
-				SetPlrHandGoldCurs(player.HoldItem);
-				if (!GoldAutoPlace(player)) {
-					DeadItem(player, player.HoldItem, { 0, 0 });
-					player.HoldItem._itype == ItemType::None;
+				if (!GoldAutoPlace(player, excessGold)) {
+					DeadItem(player, excessGold, { 0, 0 });
 				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
 	player._pGold = CalculateGold(player);
-	player.HoldItem = tmpItem;
 }
 
 void ApplyPlrDamage(int pnum, int dam, int minHP /*= 0*/, int frac /*= 0*/, int earflag /*= 0*/)
diff --git a/test/inv_test.cpp b/test/inv_test.cpp
index 2cd8ea107..25b888157 100644
--- a/test/inv_test.cpp
+++ b/test/inv_test.cpp
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ TEST(Inv, GoldAutoPlace)
 	Players[MyPlayerId].HoldItem._itype = ItemType::Gold;
 	Players[MyPlayerId].HoldItem._ivalue = GOLD_MAX_LIMIT - 100;
 
-	GoldAutoPlace(Players[MyPlayerId]);
+	GoldAutoPlace(Players[MyPlayerId], Players[MyPlayerId].HoldItem);
 	// We expect the inventory:
 	// | 5000 | 900 | ...
 	EXPECT_EQ(Players[MyPlayerId].InvList[0]._ivalue, GOLD_MAX_LIMIT);