diff --git a/src/game/chraicommands.c b/src/game/chraicommands.c
index 805fd739c..7fd81d305 100644
--- a/src/game/chraicommands.c
+++ b/src/game/chraicommands.c
@@ -2330,7 +2330,7 @@ bool aiGiveObjectToChr(void)
 			}
 #endif
 
-			something = propPickupByPlayer(obj->prop, 0);
+			something = propPickupByPlayer(obj->prop, 1);
 			propExecuteTickOperation(obj->prop, something);
 			playernum = playermgrGetPlayerNumByProp(chr->prop);
 			obj2->hidden = (playernum << 28) | (obj2->hidden & 0x0fffffff);
diff --git a/src/game/propobj.c b/src/game/propobj.c
index 9c6c8d864..0d1b3f253 100644
--- a/src/game/propobj.c
+++ b/src/game/propobj.c
@@ -17201,6 +17201,12 @@ void currentPlayerQueuePickupWeaponHudmsg(u32 weaponnum, bool dual)
 {
 	char buffer[100] = "";
 
+	// Suppress pickup HUD during cutscenes
+	if (g_Vars.in_cutscene)
+	{
+		return;
+	}
+
 	weaponGetPickupText(buffer, weaponnum, dual);
 	hudmsgCreateWithFlags(buffer, HUDMSGTYPE_DEFAULT, HUDMSGFLAG_ONLYIFALIVE | HUDMSGFLAG_ALLOWDUPES);
 }
@@ -17217,6 +17223,13 @@ s32 propPickupByPlayer(struct prop *prop, bool showhudmsg)
 		return TICKOP_NONE;
 	}
 
+	// Suppress HUD pickup messages during cutscenes (e.g. items given at
+	// mission start via aiGiveObjectToChr)
+	if (g_Vars.in_cutscene)
+	{
+		showhudmsg = false;
+	}
+
 	switch (obj->type) {
 	case OBJTYPE_KEY:
 		if (g_Vars.in_cutscene == false) {