diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/AI/BaseBuilder.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/AI/BaseBuilder.cs
index cba9ace3dd..7d656ac143 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/AI/BaseBuilder.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/AI/BaseBuilder.cs
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA.AI
 						lastThinkTick = ai.ticks;
 
 						/* place the building */
-						var location = ai.ChooseBuildLocation(currentBuilding);
+						var location = ai.ChooseBuildLocation(currentBuilding.Item);
 						if (location == null)
 						{
 							HackyAI.BotDebug("AI: Nowhere to place {0}".F(currentBuilding.Item));
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/AI/HackyAI.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/AI/HackyAI.cs
index bc7a7c26c7..0ab288d003 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/AI/HackyAI.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/AI/HackyAI.cs
@@ -157,16 +157,16 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA.AI
 			return cells.All(c => bi.GetBuildingAt(c) == null);
 		}
 
-		public int2? ChooseBuildLocation(ProductionItem item)
+		public int2? ChooseBuildLocation(string actorType)
 		{
-			var bi = Rules.Info[item.Item].Traits.Get<BuildingInfo>();
+			var bi = Rules.Info[actorType].Traits.Get<BuildingInfo>();
 
 			for (var k = 0; k < MaxBaseDistance; k++)
 				foreach (var t in world.FindTilesInCircle(baseCenter, k))
-					if (world.CanPlaceBuilding(item.Item, bi, t, null))
-						if (bi.IsCloseEnoughToBase(world, p, item.Item, t))
+					if (world.CanPlaceBuilding(actorType, bi, t, null))
+						if (bi.IsCloseEnoughToBase(world, p, actorType, t))
 							if (NoBuildingsUnder(Util.ExpandFootprint(
-								FootprintUtils.Tiles( item.Item, bi, t ), false)))
+								FootprintUtils.Tiles(actorType, bi, t), false)))
 								return t;
 
 			return null;		// i don't know where to put it.