diff --git a/Editor/editscreen.cpp b/Editor/editscreen.cpp
index 10ef0af9..dc16bc35 100644
--- a/Editor/editscreen.cpp
+++ b/Editor/editscreen.cpp
@@ -2054,7 +2054,7 @@ void HandleKeyboardShortcuts( )
 					break;
 				case ',':
 					// item left scroll
-					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS )
+					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS || gubCurrMercMode == MERC_GETITEMMODE )
 					{
 						if( eInfo.sScrollIndex )
 						{
@@ -2080,7 +2080,7 @@ void HandleKeyboardShortcuts( )
 					break;
 				case '.':
 					// item right scroll
-					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS )
+					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS || gubCurrMercMode == MERC_GETITEMMODE )
 					{
 						if( eInfo.sScrollIndex < max( ((eInfo.sNumItems+1)/2)-6, 0) )
 						{
@@ -2105,7 +2105,7 @@ void HandleKeyboardShortcuts( )
 					break;
 				case '<':
 					// item left scroll by page
-					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS )
+					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS || gubCurrMercMode == MERC_GETITEMMODE )
 					{
 						if( eInfo.sScrollIndex )
 						{
@@ -2124,7 +2124,7 @@ void HandleKeyboardShortcuts( )
 					break;
 				case '>':
 					// item right scroll by page
-					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS )
+					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS || gubCurrMercMode == MERC_GETITEMMODE )
 					{
 						if( eInfo.sScrollIndex < max( ((eInfo.sNumItems+1)/2)-6, 0) )
 						{
@@ -2176,7 +2176,7 @@ void HandleKeyboardShortcuts( )
 			{
 				case ',':
 					// item left scroll
-					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS )
+					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS || gubCurrMercMode == MERC_GETITEMMODE )
 					{
 						if( eInfo.sScrollIndex )
 						{
@@ -2195,7 +2195,7 @@ void HandleKeyboardShortcuts( )
 					break;
 				case '.':
 					// item right scroll
-					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS )
+					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS || gubCurrMercMode == MERC_GETITEMMODE )
 					{
 						if( eInfo.sScrollIndex < max( ((eInfo.sNumItems+1)/2)-6, 0) )
 						{
@@ -2213,7 +2213,7 @@ void HandleKeyboardShortcuts( )
 					break;
 				case '<':
 					// item left scroll by page
-					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS )
+					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS || gubCurrMercMode == MERC_GETITEMMODE )
 					{
 						if( eInfo.sScrollIndex )
 						{
@@ -2229,7 +2229,7 @@ void HandleKeyboardShortcuts( )
 					break;
 				case '>':
 					// item right scroll by page
-					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS )
+					if( iCurrentTaskbar == TASK_ITEMS || gubCurrMercMode == MERC_GETITEMMODE )
 					{
 						if( eInfo.sScrollIndex < max( ((eInfo.sNumItems+1)/2)-6, 0) )
 						{
diff --git a/Tactical/Items.cpp b/Tactical/Items.cpp
index f4e449c4..b2a46ab1 100644
--- a/Tactical/Items.cpp
+++ b/Tactical/Items.cpp
@@ -7677,12 +7677,20 @@ BOOLEAN CreateItem( UINT16 usItem, INT16 bStatus, OBJECTTYPE * pObj )
 	if ( GetItemFromRandomItem(usItem, &newitemfromrandom) )
 		usItem = newitemfromrandom;
 
+#ifdef JA2EDITOR
+
+	// Buggler: usItem == 0 is technically an item too, so need to run code to delete existing item in editor/merc inventory mode
+
+#else //non-editor version
+
 	if (usItem == 0)
 	{
 		DebugBreakpoint();
 		return( FALSE );
 	}
 
+#endif
+
 	if (Item[ usItem ].usItemClass == IC_GUN)
 	{
 		fRet = CreateGun( usItem, bStatus, pObj );