diff --git a/lib/NetHack/Item.pm b/lib/NetHack/Item.pm
index 42e0d98..188e086 100644
--- a/lib/NetHack/Item.pm
+++ b/lib/NetHack/Item.pm
@@ -293,6 +293,9 @@ sub extract_stats {
         $                                                      # anchor
     }x;
 
+    confess "Couldn't parse $raw"
+        unless defined($stats{item}) && length($stats{item});
+
     # this canonicalization must come early
     if ($stats{item} =~ /^potions? of ((?:un)?holy) water$/) {
         $stats{item} = 'potion of water';
@@ -313,11 +316,10 @@ sub extract_stats {
 
     if ($self->has_pool && ($stats{item} eq $self->pool->fruit_name || $stats{item} eq $self->pool->fruit_plural)) {
         $stats{item} = $self->pool->fruit_name; # singularize
-        $stats{is_custom_fruit} = 1;
         $stats{type} = 'food';
     }
-    else {
-        $stats{is_custom_fruit} = 0;
+    elsif ($self->has_pool && $self->pool->allow_other_fruit_names) {
+        $stats{type} = 'food';
     }
 
     confess "Unknown item type for '$stats{item}' from $raw"
@@ -375,6 +377,8 @@ sub extract_stats {
         $stats{$_} = '' if !defined($stats{$_});
     }
 
+    $stats{is_custom_fruit} = 0;
+
     return \%stats;
 }
 
@@ -386,7 +390,7 @@ sub parse_raw {
 
     # exploit the fact that appearances don't show up in the spoiler table as
     # keys
-    $self->_set_appearance_and_identity($stats->{item});
+    $self->_set_appearance_and_identity($stats);
 
     $self->_rebless_into($stats->{type}, $self->subtype);
 
@@ -468,12 +472,15 @@ sub is_artifact {
 }
 
 sub _set_appearance_and_identity {
-    my $self       = shift;
-    my $best_match = shift;
+    my $self  = shift;
+    my $stats = shift;
+
+    my $best_match = $stats->{item};
 
     if ($self->has_pool && $best_match eq $self->pool->fruit_name) {
         $self->identity("slime mold");
         $self->appearance($best_match);
+        $stats->{is_custom_fruit} = 1;
     }
     elsif (my $spoiler = $self->spoiler_class->spoiler_for($best_match)) {
         if ($spoiler->{artifact}) {
@@ -491,7 +498,11 @@ sub _set_appearance_and_identity {
         $self->appearance($best_match);
         my @possibilities = $self->possibilities;
         if (@possibilities == 1 && $best_match ne $possibilities[0]) {
-            $self->_set_appearance_and_identity($possibilities[0]);
+            $stats->{item} = $possibilities[0];
+            $self->_set_appearance_and_identity($stats);
+        }
+        if ($self->identity && $self->identity eq 'slime mold') {
+            $stats->{is_custom_fruit} = 1;
         }
     }
 }
@@ -506,7 +517,12 @@ sub possibilities {
 
     return $self->tracker->possibilities if $self->has_tracker;
 
-    return sort @{ $self->spoiler_class->possibilities_for_appearance($self->appearance) };
+    my @possibilities = @{ $self->spoiler_class->possibilities_for_appearance($self->appearance) || [] };
+    if (@possibilities == 0 && $self->has_pool && $self->pool->allow_other_fruit_names) {
+        $self->identity('slime mold');
+        @possibilities = ($self->appearance);
+    }
+    return sort @possibilities;
 }
 
 sub spoiler {
diff --git a/lib/NetHack/ItemPool.pm b/lib/NetHack/ItemPool.pm
index 952bb2d..72a4702 100644
--- a/lib/NetHack/ItemPool.pm
+++ b/lib/NetHack/ItemPool.pm
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ has fruit_plural => (
     default => 'slime molds',
 );
 
+has allow_other_fruit_names => (
+    is  => 'ro',
+    isa => 'Bool',
+);
+
 has artifacts => (
     is      => 'ro',
     isa     => 'HashRef',
diff --git a/t/606-fruit.t b/t/606-fruit.t
index 538e3ee..0337359 100644
--- a/t/606-fruit.t
+++ b/t/606-fruit.t
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env perl
 use lib 't/lib';
 use Test::NetHack::Item;
+use Test::Fatal;
 
 my $slime_pool = NetHack::ItemPool->new;
 my $slime_mold = $slime_pool->new_item("a slime mold");
@@ -15,6 +16,12 @@ ok($molds->is_custom_fruit, "slime molds is custom fruit");
 is($molds->appearance, 'slime mold');
 is($molds->identity, 'slime mold');
 
+like(
+    exception { $slime_pool->new_item("a server") },
+    qr/^Unknown item type for 'server' from a server/,
+    "we don't accept any random fruit type"
+);
+
 
 my $brain_pool = NetHack::ItemPool->new(
     fruit_name => "brain",
@@ -32,6 +39,7 @@ ok($brains->is_custom_fruit, "brains is custom fruit");
 is($brains->appearance, 'brain');
 is($brains->identity, 'slime mold');
 
+
 my $child_pool = NetHack::ItemPool->new(
     fruit_name => "child",
     fruit_plural => "children",
@@ -48,4 +56,35 @@ ok($children->is_custom_fruit, "children is custom fruit");
 is($children->appearance, 'child');
 is($children->identity, 'slime mold');
 
+
+my $any_pool = NetHack::ItemPool->new(
+    allow_other_fruit_names => 1,
+);
+
+my $server = $any_pool->new_item("a server");
+is($server->nutrition, 250);
+ok($server->is_custom_fruit, "server is custom fruit");
+is($server->appearance, 'server');
+is($server->identity, 'slime mold');
+
+my $servers = $any_pool->new_item("3 servers");
+is($servers->nutrition, 250);
+ok($servers->is_custom_fruit, "servers is custom fruit");
+{ local $TODO = "we don't singularize properly yet";
+is($servers->appearance, 'server');
+}
+is($servers->identity, 'slime mold');
+
+my $any_slime_mold = $any_pool->new_item("a slime mold");
+is($any_slime_mold->nutrition, 250);
+ok($any_slime_mold->is_custom_fruit, "slime mold is custom fruit");
+is($any_slime_mold->appearance, 'slime mold');
+is($any_slime_mold->identity, 'slime mold');
+
+my $any_molds = $any_pool->new_item("3 slime molds");
+is($any_molds->nutrition, 250);
+ok($any_molds->is_custom_fruit, "slime molds is custom fruit");
+is($any_molds->appearance, 'slime mold');
+is($any_molds->identity, 'slime mold');
+
 done_testing;