diff --git a/src/k_kart.c b/src/k_kart.c
index 7ad459ad1..ef96013dd 100644
--- a/src/k_kart.c
+++ b/src/k_kart.c
@@ -1445,7 +1445,7 @@ static void K_DebtStingPlayer(player_t *player, INT32 length)
 	if (player->mo->state != &states[S_KART_SPIN])
 		P_SetPlayerMobjState(player->mo, S_KART_SPIN);
 
-	K_DropHnextList(player);
+	K_DropHnextList(player, false);
 	return;
 }
 
@@ -2886,7 +2886,7 @@ void K_SpinPlayer(player_t *player, mobj_t *source, INT32 type, mobj_t *inflicto
 	if (cv_kartdebughuddrop.value && !modeattacking)
 		K_DropItems(player);
 	else
-		K_DropHnextList(player);
+		K_DropHnextList(player, false);
 	return;
 }
 
@@ -3031,7 +3031,7 @@ void K_SquishPlayer(player_t *player, mobj_t *source, mobj_t *inflictor)
 	if (cv_kartdebughuddrop.value && !modeattacking)
 		K_DropItems(player);
 	else
-		K_DropHnextList(player);
+		K_DropHnextList(player, false);
 	return;
 }
 
@@ -3237,7 +3237,7 @@ void K_StealBumper(player_t *player, player_t *victim, boolean force)
 	if (cv_kartdebughuddrop.value && !modeattacking)
 		K_DropItems(victim);
 	else
-		K_DropHnextList(victim);
+		K_DropHnextList(victim, false);
 	return;
 }
 
@@ -4700,54 +4700,58 @@ void K_UpdateHnextList(player_t *player, boolean clean)
 
 	nextwork = work->hnext;
 
-	while ((work = nextwork) && !P_MobjWasRemoved(work))
+	while ((work = nextwork) && !(work == NULL || P_MobjWasRemoved(work)))
 	{
 		nextwork = work->hnext;
 
 		if (!clean && (!work->movedir || work->movedir <= (UINT16)player->kartstuff[k_itemamount]))
+		{
 			continue;
+		}
 
 		P_RemoveMobj(work);
 	}
+
+	if (player->mo->hnext == NULL || P_MobjWasRemoved(player->mo->hnext))
+	{
+		// Like below, try to clean up the pointer if it's NULL.
+		// Maybe this was a cause of the shrink/eggbox fails?
+		P_SetTarget(&player->mo->hnext, NULL);
+	}
 }
 
 // For getting hit!
-void K_DropHnextList(player_t *player)
+void K_DropHnextList(player_t *player, boolean keepshields)
 {
 	mobj_t *work = player->mo, *nextwork, *dropwork;
 	INT32 flip;
 	mobjtype_t type;
 	boolean orbit, ponground, dropall = true;
+	INT32 shield = K_GetShieldFromItem(player->kartstuff[k_itemtype]);
 
-	if (!work || P_MobjWasRemoved(work))
+	if (work == NULL || P_MobjWasRemoved(work))
+	{
 		return;
+	}
 
 	flip = P_MobjFlip(player->mo);
 	ponground = P_IsObjectOnGround(player->mo);
 
-	if (player->kartstuff[k_itemtype] == KITEM_THUNDERSHIELD)
+	if (shield != KSHIELD_NONE && !keepshields)
 	{
-		K_DoThunderShield(player);
-		player->kartstuff[k_itemtype] = KITEM_NONE;
-		player->kartstuff[k_itemamount] = 0;
+		if (shield == KSHIELD_THUNDER)
+		{
+			K_DoThunderShield(player);
+		}
+
 		player->kartstuff[k_curshield] = KSHIELD_NONE;
-	}
-	else if (player->kartstuff[k_itemtype] == KITEM_BUBBLESHIELD)
-	{
 		player->kartstuff[k_itemtype] = KITEM_NONE;
-		player->kartstuff[k_itemamount] = 0;
-		player->kartstuff[k_curshield] = KSHIELD_NONE;
-	}
-	else if (player->kartstuff[k_itemtype] == KITEM_FLAMESHIELD)
-	{
-		player->kartstuff[k_itemtype] = KITEM_NONE;
-		player->kartstuff[k_itemamount] = 0;
-		player->kartstuff[k_curshield] = KSHIELD_NONE;
+		player->kartstuff[k_itemamount] = player->kartstuff[k_itemheld] = 0;
 	}
 
 	nextwork = work->hnext;
 
-	while ((work = nextwork) && !P_MobjWasRemoved(work))
+	while ((work = nextwork) && !(work == NULL || P_MobjWasRemoved(work)))
 	{
 		nextwork = work->hnext;
 
@@ -4776,20 +4780,20 @@ void K_DropHnextList(player_t *player)
 				orbit = false;
 				type = MT_EGGMANITEM;
 				break;
-			// intentionally do nothing
-			case MT_SINK_SHIELD:
-			case MT_ROCKETSNEAKER:
-				return;
 			default:
 				continue;
 		}
 
 		dropwork = P_SpawnMobj(work->x, work->y, work->z, type);
+
 		P_SetTarget(&dropwork->target, player->mo);
-		P_AddKartItem(dropwork);	// needs to be called here so shrink can bust items off players in front of the user.
+		P_AddKartItem(dropwork); // needs to be called here so shrink can bust items off players in front of the user.
+
 		dropwork->angle = work->angle;
-		dropwork->flags2 = work->flags2;
+
 		dropwork->flags |= MF_NOCLIPTHING;
+		dropwork->flags2 = work->flags2;
+
 		dropwork->floorz = work->floorz;
 		dropwork->ceilingz = work->ceilingz;
 
@@ -4818,19 +4822,29 @@ void K_DropHnextList(player_t *player)
 		if (orbit) // splay out
 		{
 			dropwork->flags2 |= MF2_AMBUSH;
+
 			dropwork->z += flip;
+
 			dropwork->momx = player->mo->momx>>1;
 			dropwork->momy = player->mo->momy>>1;
 			dropwork->momz = 3*flip*mapobjectscale;
+
 			if (dropwork->eflags & MFE_UNDERWATER)
 				dropwork->momz = (117 * dropwork->momz) / 200;
+
 			P_Thrust(dropwork, work->angle - ANGLE_90, 6*mapobjectscale);
+
 			dropwork->movecount = 2;
 			dropwork->movedir = work->angle - ANGLE_90;
+
 			P_SetMobjState(dropwork, dropwork->info->deathstate);
+
 			dropwork->tics = -1;
+
 			if (type == MT_JAWZ_DUD)
+			{
 				dropwork->z += 20*flip*dropwork->scale;
+			}
 			else
 			{
 				dropwork->color = work->color;
@@ -4846,39 +4860,33 @@ void K_DropHnextList(player_t *player)
 		P_RemoveMobj(work);
 	}
 
+	// we need this here too because this is done in afterthink - pointers are cleaned up at the START of each tic...
+	P_SetTarget(&player->mo->hnext, NULL);
+
+	player->kartstuff[k_bananadrag] = 0;
+
+	if (player->kartstuff[k_eggmanheld])
 	{
-		// we need this here too because this is done in afterthink - pointers are cleaned up at the START of each tic...
-		P_SetTarget(&player->mo->hnext, NULL);
-		player->kartstuff[k_bananadrag] = 0;
-		if (player->kartstuff[k_eggmanheld])
-			player->kartstuff[k_eggmanheld] = 0;
-		else if (player->kartstuff[k_itemheld]
-			&& (dropall || (--player->kartstuff[k_itemamount] <= 0)))
-		{
-			player->kartstuff[k_itemamount] = player->kartstuff[k_itemheld] = 0;
-			player->kartstuff[k_itemtype] = KITEM_NONE;
-		}
+		player->kartstuff[k_eggmanheld] = 0;
+	}
+	else if (player->kartstuff[k_itemheld]
+		&& (dropall || (--player->kartstuff[k_itemamount] <= 0)))
+	{
+		player->kartstuff[k_itemamount] = player->kartstuff[k_itemheld] = 0;
+		player->kartstuff[k_itemtype] = KITEM_NONE;
 	}
 }
 
 // For getting EXTRA hit!
 void K_DropItems(player_t *player)
 {
-	INT32 shieldhack = 0;
+	K_DropHnextList(player, true);
 
-	if (player->kartstuff[k_curshield])
-		shieldhack = K_GetShieldFromItem(player->kartstuff[k_itemtype]);
-
-	if (shieldhack)
-		player->kartstuff[k_itemtype] = KITEM_NONE;
-
-	K_DropHnextList(player);
-
-	if (player->mo && !P_MobjWasRemoved(player->mo) && player->kartstuff[k_itemamount])
+	if (player->mo && !P_MobjWasRemoved(player->mo) && player->kartstuff[k_itemamount] > 0)
 	{
 		mobj_t *drop = P_SpawnMobj(player->mo->x, player->mo->y, player->mo->z + player->mo->height/2, MT_FLOATINGITEM);
 		P_SetScale(drop, drop->scale>>4);
-		drop->destscale = (3*drop->destscale)/2;;
+		drop->destscale = (3*drop->destscale)/2;
 
 		drop->angle = player->mo->angle + ANGLE_90;
 		P_Thrust(drop,
@@ -4888,13 +4896,7 @@ void K_DropItems(player_t *player)
 		if (drop->eflags & MFE_UNDERWATER)
 			drop->momz = (117 * drop->momz) / 200;
 
-		switch (shieldhack)
-		{
-			case KSHIELD_THUNDER: drop->threshold = KITEM_THUNDERSHIELD; break;
-			case KSHIELD_BUBBLE: drop->threshold = KITEM_BUBBLESHIELD; break;
-			case KSHIELD_FLAME: drop->threshold = KITEM_FLAMESHIELD; break;
-			default: drop->threshold = player->kartstuff[k_itemtype]; break;
-		}
+		drop->threshold = player->kartstuff[k_itemtype];
 		drop->movecount = player->kartstuff[k_itemamount];
 
 		drop->flags |= MF_NOCLIPTHING;
diff --git a/src/k_kart.h b/src/k_kart.h
index 8dc5604b8..4053e687c 100644
--- a/src/k_kart.h
+++ b/src/k_kart.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ void K_DoSneaker(player_t *player, INT32 type);
 void K_DoPogoSpring(mobj_t *mo, fixed_t vertispeed, UINT8 sound);
 void K_KillBananaChain(mobj_t *banana, mobj_t *inflictor, mobj_t *source);
 void K_UpdateHnextList(player_t *player, boolean clean);
-void K_DropHnextList(player_t *player);
+void K_DropHnextList(player_t *player, boolean keepshields);
 void K_RepairOrbitChain(mobj_t *orbit);
 player_t *K_FindJawzTarget(mobj_t *actor, player_t *source);
 boolean K_CheckPlayersRespawnColliding(INT32 playernum, fixed_t x, fixed_t y);
diff --git a/src/p_inter.c b/src/p_inter.c
index 8cc307571..1451e4b6d 100644
--- a/src/p_inter.c
+++ b/src/p_inter.c
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ void P_TouchSpecialThing(mobj_t *special, mobj_t *toucher, boolean heightcheck)
 
 				if (player->kartstuff[k_bubbleblowup] > 0)
 				{
-					K_DropHnextList(player);
+					K_DropHnextList(player, false);
 					special->extravalue1 = 2; // WAIT...
 					special->extravalue2 = 52; // Slightly over the respawn timer length
 					return;