diff --git a/info/Maintenance.t b/info/Maintenance.t
index 141836eb..3b265a24 100644
--- a/info/Maintenance.t
+++ b/info/Maintenance.t
@@ -23,9 +23,10 @@ Also note that engineering land units costs 3 times what
 normal units cost, after the tech is figured in.
 .s1
 If you can not afford to pay maintenance costs then your unit will
-lose ETU/5 points of
-efficiency.  Thus, if you were playing in a 60 ETU game, and you did
-not pay your maintenance costs for a 50% frigate, then the frigate
-would drop to 38% efficiency.
+lose ETU/5 points of efficiency.  It won't go below its minimum
+efficiency, though.  Thus, if you were playing in a 60 ETU game, and
+you did not pay your maintenance costs for a 40% frigate, then the
+frigate would drop to 28% efficiency at the first update, and to 20%
+at the second update.
 .s1
 .SA "Unit-types, Ship-types, Plane-types, Ships, LandUnits, Planes, Updates"
diff --git a/src/lib/update/land.c b/src/lib/update/land.c
index 669b732f..09c975d5 100644
--- a/src/lib/update/land.c
+++ b/src/lib/update/land.c
@@ -94,11 +94,8 @@ upd_land(struct lndstr *lp, int etus,
 {
     struct lchrstr *lcp;
     int pstage, ptime;
-    int n;
     int min = morale_base - (int)np->nat_level[NAT_HLEV];
-    int mult;
-    int cost;
-    int eff;
+    int n, mult, cost, eff_lost;
 
     if (!player->simulation)
 	if (lp->lnd_retreat < min)
@@ -118,19 +115,14 @@ upd_land(struct lndstr *lp, int etus,
 	    mult *= 3;
 	cost = -(mult * etus * MIN(0.0, money_land * lcp->l_cost));
 	if (np->nat_money < cost && !player->simulation) {
-	    if ((eff = lp->lnd_effic - etus / 5) < LAND_MINEFF) {
-		wu(0, lp->lnd_own,
-		   "%s lost to lack of maintenance\n", prland(lp));
-		makelost(EF_LAND, lp->lnd_own, lp->lnd_uid,
-			 lp->lnd_x, lp->lnd_y);
-		lp->lnd_own = 0;
-		lp->lnd_ship = lp->lnd_land = -1;
-		return;
+	    eff_lost = etus / 5;
+	    if (lp->lnd_effic - eff_lost < LAND_MINEFF)
+		eff_lost = lp->lnd_effic - LAND_MINEFF;
+	    if (eff_lost > 0) {
+		wu(0, lp->lnd_own, "%s lost %d%% to lack of maintenance\n",
+		   prland(lp), eff_lost);
+		lp->lnd_effic -= eff_lost;
 	    }
-	    wu(0, lp->lnd_own,
-	       "%s lost %d%% to lack of maintenance\n",
-	       prland(lp), lp->lnd_effic - eff);
-	    lp->lnd_effic = eff;
 	} else {
 	    np->nat_money -= cost;
 	}
diff --git a/src/lib/update/plane.c b/src/lib/update/plane.c
index 88c53818..acf0fc19 100644
--- a/src/lib/update/plane.c
+++ b/src/lib/update/plane.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
  *  Known contributors to this file:
  *     Dave Pare, 1986
  *     Steve McClure, 1998
- *     Markus Armbruster, 2006-2010
+ *     Markus Armbruster, 2006-2011
  */
 
 #include <config.h>
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ upd_plane(struct plnstr *pp, int etus,
 	  struct natstr *np, struct bp *bp, int build)
 {
     struct plchrstr *pcp = &plchr[(int)pp->pln_type];
-    int mult, cost, eff;
+    int mult, cost, eff_lost;
 
     if (build == 1) {
 	if (!pp->pln_off && np->nat_money >= 0)
@@ -103,19 +103,14 @@ upd_plane(struct plnstr *pp, int etus,
 	    mult = 2;
 	cost = -(mult * etus * MIN(0.0, pcp->pl_cost * money_plane));
 	if (np->nat_money < cost && !player->simulation) {
-	    if ((eff = pp->pln_effic - etus / 5) < PLANE_MINEFF) {
-		wu(0, pp->pln_own,
-		   "%s lost to lack of maintenance\n", prplane(pp));
-		makelost(EF_PLANE, pp->pln_own, pp->pln_uid,
-			 pp->pln_x, pp->pln_y);
-		pp->pln_own = 0;
-		pp->pln_ship = pp->pln_land = -1;
-		return;
+	    eff_lost = etus / 5;
+	    if (pp->pln_effic - eff_lost < PLANE_MINEFF)
+		eff_lost = pp->pln_effic - PLANE_MINEFF;
+	    if (eff_lost > 0) {
+		wu(0, pp->pln_own, "%s lost %d%% to lack of maintenance\n",
+		   prplane(pp), eff_lost);
+		pp->pln_effic -= eff_lost;
 	    }
-	    wu(0, pp->pln_own,
-	       "%s lost %d%% to lack of maintenance\n",
-	       prplane(pp), pp->pln_effic - eff);
-	    pp->pln_effic = eff;
 	} else {
 	    np->nat_money -= cost;
 	}
diff --git a/src/lib/update/ship.c b/src/lib/update/ship.c
index 108ebf5d..ec206873 100644
--- a/src/lib/update/ship.c
+++ b/src/lib/update/ship.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
  *     Dave Pare, 1986
  *     Steve McClure, 1996
  *     Ron Koenderink, 2004
- *     Markus Armbruster, 2006-2010
+ *     Markus Armbruster, 2006-2011
  */
 
 #include <config.h>
@@ -104,10 +104,7 @@ upd_ship(struct shpstr *sp, int etus,
     struct pchrstr *product;
     unsigned char *resource;
     int dep;
-    int n;
-    int mult;
-    int cost;
-    int eff;
+    int n, mult, cost, eff_lost;
 
     mp = &mchr[(int)sp->shp_type];
     if (build == 1) {
@@ -121,18 +118,14 @@ upd_ship(struct shpstr *sp, int etus,
 	    mult = 2;
 	cost = -(mult * etus * MIN(0.0, money_ship * mp->m_cost));
 	if (np->nat_money < cost && !player->simulation) {
-	    if ((eff = sp->shp_effic - etus / 5) < SHIP_MINEFF) {
-		wu(0, sp->shp_own,
-		   "%s lost to lack of maintenance\n", prship(sp));
-		makelost(EF_SHIP, sp->shp_own, sp->shp_uid,
-			 sp->shp_x, sp->shp_y);
-		sp->shp_own = 0;
-		return;
+	    eff_lost = etus / 5;
+	    if (sp->shp_effic - eff_lost < SHIP_MINEFF)
+		eff_lost = sp->shp_effic - SHIP_MINEFF;
+	    if (eff_lost > 0) {
+		wu(0, sp->shp_own, "%s lost %d%% to lack of maintenance\n",
+		   prship(sp), eff_lost);
+		sp->shp_effic -= eff_lost;
 	    }
-	    wu(0, sp->shp_own,
-	       "%s lost %d%% to lack of maintenance\n",
-	       prship(sp), sp->shp_effic - eff);
-	    sp->shp_effic = eff;
 	} else {
 	    np->nat_money -= cost;
 	}