diff --git a/Laptop/personnel.cpp b/Laptop/personnel.cpp
index fc313cae..ab720757 100644
--- a/Laptop/personnel.cpp
+++ b/Laptop/personnel.cpp
@@ -1869,10 +1869,9 @@ void DisplayCharStats(INT32 iId, INT32 iSlot)
 
 									// Assign the text									
 									UINT8 traitnr = ubTempSkillArray[ubCnt];
-									UINT8 mlas = NEWTRAIT_MERCSKILL_EXPERTOFFSET;
-									if ( traitnr > mlas )
+									if ( traitnr > NEWTRAIT_MERCSKILL_EXPERTOFFSET )
 									{
-										traitnr = traitnr - mlas;
+										traitnr = traitnr - (NEWTRAIT_MERCSKILL_EXPERTOFFSET);
 									}
 
 									// Flugente: as the whole trait display is fubar, we have to to a special treatment here for new traits
diff --git a/Tactical/Soldier Control.cpp b/Tactical/Soldier Control.cpp
index a4d5a0de..f410c48c 100644
--- a/Tactical/Soldier Control.cpp	
+++ b/Tactical/Soldier Control.cpp	
@@ -17208,13 +17208,13 @@ BOOLEAN HAS_SKILL_TRAIT( SOLDIERTYPE * pSoldier, UINT8 uiSkillTraitNumber )
 	{
 		for ( INT8 bCnt = 0; bCnt < min(30,bMaxTraits); bCnt++ )
 		{
-			if ( uiSkillTraitNumber > 0 && (uiSkillTraitNumber <= NUM_MAJOR_TRAITS || uiSkillTraitNumber == COVERT_NT) )
+			if ( TwoStagedTrait( uiSkillTraitNumber ) )
 			{
 				if (pSoldier->stats.ubSkillTraits[ bCnt ] == uiSkillTraitNumber)
 				{
 					return( TRUE );
 				}
-				else if ( pSoldier->stats.ubSkillTraits[ bCnt ] > 0 && (pSoldier->stats.ubSkillTraits[ bCnt ] <= NUM_MAJOR_TRAITS || pSoldier->stats.ubSkillTraits[ bCnt ] == COVERT_NT) )
+				else if ( TwoStagedTrait(pSoldier->stats.ubSkillTraits[ bCnt ]) )
 				{
 					bNumMajorTraitsCounted++;
 				}
@@ -17264,14 +17264,14 @@ INT8 NUM_SKILL_TRAITS( SOLDIERTYPE * pSoldier, UINT8 uiSkillTraitNumber )
 	{
 		for ( INT8 bCnt = 0; bCnt < min(30,bMaxTraits); bCnt++ )
 		{
-			if ( uiSkillTraitNumber > 0 && (uiSkillTraitNumber <= NUM_MAJOR_TRAITS || uiSkillTraitNumber == COVERT_NT) )
+			if ( TwoStagedTrait( uiSkillTraitNumber ) )
 			{
 				if ( pSoldier->stats.ubSkillTraits[ bCnt ] == uiSkillTraitNumber )
 				{
 					bNumberOfTraits++;
 					bNumMajorTraitsCounted++;
 				}
-				else if ( pSoldier->stats.ubSkillTraits[ bCnt ] > 0 && (pSoldier->stats.ubSkillTraits[ bCnt ] <= NUM_MAJOR_TRAITS || pSoldier->stats.ubSkillTraits[ bCnt ] == COVERT_NT ) )
+				else if ( TwoStagedTrait( pSoldier->stats.ubSkillTraits[ bCnt ] ) )
 				{
 					bNumMajorTraitsCounted++;
 				}
@@ -17290,7 +17290,7 @@ INT8 NUM_SKILL_TRAITS( SOLDIERTYPE * pSoldier, UINT8 uiSkillTraitNumber )
 			}
 		}
 		// cannot have more than one same minor trait
-		if( uiSkillTraitNumber > NUM_MAJOR_TRAITS && uiSkillTraitNumber != COVERT_NT)
+		if( !TwoStagedTrait(uiSkillTraitNumber) )
 			return ( min(1, bNumberOfTraits) );
 		else
 			return ( min(2, bNumberOfTraits) );
@@ -17980,3 +17980,8 @@ BOOLEAN DecideAltAnimForBigMerc( SOLDIERTYPE * pSoldier )
 
 	return FALSE;
 }
+
+BOOLEAN TwoStagedTrait( UINT8 uiSkillTraitNumber )
+{
+	return( uiSkillTraitNumber > 0 && (uiSkillTraitNumber <= NUM_MAJOR_TRAITS || uiSkillTraitNumber == COVERT_NT) );
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Tactical/Soldier Control.h b/Tactical/Soldier Control.h
index 26c82057..7b9abcf3 100644
--- a/Tactical/Soldier Control.h	
+++ b/Tactical/Soldier Control.h	
@@ -1620,6 +1620,8 @@ BOOLEAN ResolvePendingInterrupt( SOLDIERTYPE * pSoldier, UINT8 ubInterruptType )
 BOOLEAN AIDecideHipOrShoulderStance( SOLDIERTYPE * pSoldier, INT32 iGridNo );
 BOOLEAN DecideAltAnimForBigMerc( SOLDIERTYPE * pSoldier );
 
+BOOLEAN TwoStagedTrait( UINT8 uiSkillTraitNumber );		// Flugente: determine if this (new) trait has two stages
+
 //typedef struct
 class OLDSOLDIERTYPE_101
 {
diff --git a/Tactical/Soldier Profile.cpp b/Tactical/Soldier Profile.cpp
index ea5fcd0e..418fecaa 100644
--- a/Tactical/Soldier Profile.cpp	
+++ b/Tactical/Soldier Profile.cpp	
@@ -2660,14 +2660,14 @@ INT8 ProfileHasSkillTrait( INT32 ubProfileID, INT8 bSkillTrait )
 	{
 		for ( INT8 bCnt = 0; bCnt < gSkillTraitValues.ubMaxNumberOfTraits; bCnt++ )
 		{
-			if ( bSkillTrait > 0 && (bSkillTrait <= DOCTOR_NT || bSkillTrait == COVERT_NT ) )
+			if ( TwoStagedTrait(bSkillTrait) )
 			{
 				if ( gMercProfiles[ubProfileID].bSkillTraits[ bCnt ] == bSkillTrait )
 				{
 					bNumTraits++;
 					bNumMajorTraitsCounted++;
 				}
-				else if ( gMercProfiles[ubProfileID].bSkillTraits[ bCnt ] > 0 && (gMercProfiles[ubProfileID].bSkillTraits[ bCnt ] <= DOCTOR_NT || gMercProfiles[ubProfileID].bSkillTraits[ bCnt ] <= COVERT_NT) )
+				else if ( TwoStagedTrait(gMercProfiles[ubProfileID].bSkillTraits[ bCnt ]) )
 				{
 					bNumMajorTraitsCounted++;
 				}