diff --git a/engine/board/menu.asm b/engine/board/menu.asm
index 28cabdb35..deed53cd6 100755
--- a/engine/board/menu.asm
+++ b/engine/board/menu.asm
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 BoardMenuScript::
 	opentext
+	callasm .Upkeep
 .display_menu
 	callasm BoardMenu
 	ifequal BOARDMENUITEM_DIE,      .Die
@@ -10,6 +11,17 @@ BoardMenuScript::
 	closetext
 	end
 
+.Upkeep:
+; save after opentext to reanchor map first
+; save before processing variables like wCurTurn due to BoardMenuScript reentry after game reset
+	farcall AutoSaveGameInOverworld
+	ld hl, wCurTurn
+	inc [hl]
+	ld hl, wTurnData
+	ld bc, wTurnDataEnd - wTurnData
+	xor a
+	jp ByteFill
+
 .Die:
 	callasm BoardMenu_Die
 	iffalse BoardMenuScript
diff --git a/engine/overworld/events.asm b/engine/overworld/events.asm
index e039bac5f..8b77ae72e 100644
--- a/engine/overworld/events.asm
+++ b/engine/overworld/events.asm
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ CheckSpaceEffects:
 	bit 5, [hl]
 	ret
 
+; on enter overworld loop
 StartMap:
 	xor a
 	ldh [hScriptVar], a
@@ -120,8 +121,15 @@ StartMap:
 	call ByteFill
 	farcall InitCallReceiveDelay
 	call ClearJoypad
+; initialize board state
+	xor a
+	ld [wCurTurn], a
+	ld [wCurSpace], a
 	ld a, BOARDEVENT_DISPLAY_MENU
 	ldh [hCurBoardEvent], a
+; fallthrough
+
+; on map reload (e.g. after battle), warps and connections
 EnterMap:
 	xor a
 	ld [wXYComparePointer], a
diff --git a/ram/wram.asm b/ram/wram.asm
index ad0232669..3d678a49c 100644
--- a/ram/wram.asm
+++ b/ram/wram.asm
@@ -2496,6 +2496,9 @@ wYCoord:: db
 wXCoord:: db
 wScreenSave:: ds SCREEN_META_WIDTH * SCREEN_META_HEIGHT
 
+wCurSpace:: db
+wCurTurn:: db
+
 wCurMapDataEnd::