diff --git a/data/core/macros/items.cfg b/data/core/macros/items.cfg
index 21b9b4f9dee..6edf5edb8a1 100644
--- a/data/core/macros/items.cfg
+++ b/data/core/macros/items.cfg
@@ -485,13 +485,15 @@
     [/event]
 #enddef
 
-#define PICKUPPABLE_ITEM ID X Y EXTRA_FILTER IMAGE MESSAGE OBJECT
+#define PICKUPPABLE_ITEM ID X Y EXTRA_FILTER IMAGE MESSAGE CANNOT_USE_MESSAGE OBJECT
     # This places an item on the map which can be picked up once, but allows the
     # player to choose whether the unit stepping on it should take it or not.
     # The "object" doesn't necessarily need to be an [object], any action works.
     #
     # Example:
-    # ! {PICKUPPABLE_ITEM ring_of_hp 8 12 side=1 items/ring-red.png _"$unit.name finds a pretty ring. Should he pick it up?" (
+    # ! {PICKUPPABLE_ITEM ring_of_hp 8 12 race=human items/ring-red.png
+    # !     _"$unit.name finds a pretty ring. Should he pick it up?"
+    # !     _"$unit.name finds a pretty ring. But only a human can take it!" (
     # !     [object]
     # !         name= _ "Ring of HP"
     # !         image=items/ring-red.png
@@ -515,10 +517,14 @@
 
         [filter]
             x,y={X},{Y}
-            {EXTRA_FILTER}
         [/filter]
 
         [if]
+            [have_unit]
+                x,y={X},{Y}
+                {EXTRA_FILTER}
+            [/have_unit]
+
             [variable]
                 name=item_{ID}_picked_up
                 not_equals=yes
@@ -558,6 +564,21 @@
             [/then]
 
             [else]
+                [if]
+                    [variable]
+                        name=item_{ID}_picked_up
+                        not_equals=yes
+                    [/variable]
+
+                    [then]
+                        [message]
+                            speaker=narrator
+                            message={CANNOT_USE_MESSAGE}
+                            image={IMAGE}
+                        [/message]
+                    [/then]
+                [/if]
+
                 [allow_undo][/allow_undo]
             [/else]
         [/if]