diff --git a/src/engine/RaceManager.cpp b/src/engine/RaceManager.cpp
index 96d0ad2ff..cecda6ced 100644
--- a/src/engine/RaceManager.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/RaceManager.cpp
@@ -119,8 +119,8 @@ void RaceManager::PostInit() {
 }
 
 void RaceManager::SetItemTables() {
-    std::string humanTableName = "";
-    std::string cpuTableName = "";
+    std::optional<std::string> humanTableName;
+    std::optional<std::string> cpuTableName;
 
     switch(gModeSelection) {
         case GRAND_PRIX:
@@ -131,32 +131,36 @@ void RaceManager::SetItemTables() {
                 humanTableName = "mk:human_grand_prix";
                 cpuTableName = "mk:cpu_grand_prix";
             }
+            break;
         case VERSUS:
             switch (gPlayerCountSelection1) {
                 case TWO_PLAYERS_SELECTED:
                     humanTableName = "mk:versus_2p";
-                    cpuTableName = "none selected";
                     break;
                 case THREE_PLAYERS_SELECTED:
                     humanTableName = "mk:versus_3p";
-                    cpuTableName = "none selected";
                     break;
                 case FOUR_PLAYERS_SELECTED:
                     humanTableName = "mk:versus_4p";
-                    cpuTableName = "none selected";
                     break;
             }
             break;
         case BATTLE:
             humanTableName = "mk:battle";
-            cpuTableName = "none selected";
             break;
     }
-
-    mHumanItemTable = gItemTableRegistry.Get(humanTableName);
-    mCPUItemTable = gItemTableRegistry.Get(cpuTableName);
-    printf("[RaceManager] Selected human item probability table %s\n", humanTableName.c_str());
-    printf("[RaceManager] Selected cpu item probability table %s\n", cpuTableName.c_str());
+    if (humanTableName.has_value()) {
+        mHumanItemTable = gItemTableRegistry.Get(humanTableName.value());
+    } else {
+        mHumanItemTable = nullptr;
+    }
+    if (cpuTableName.has_value()) {
+        mCPUItemTable = gItemTableRegistry.Get(cpuTableName.value());
+    } else {
+        mCPUItemTable = nullptr;
+    }
+    printf("[RaceManager] Selected human item probability table %s\n", humanTableName.value_or("none").c_str());
+    printf("[RaceManager] Selected cpu item probability table %s\n", cpuTableName.value_or("none").c_str());
 }
 
 extern "C" int16_t RaceManager_GetRandomHumanItem(uint32_t rank) {
diff --git a/src/engine/registry/RegisterItemTables.cpp b/src/engine/registry/RegisterItemTables.cpp
index 5d9b39bd3..5dfffc6d2 100644
--- a/src/engine/registry/RegisterItemTables.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/registry/RegisterItemTables.cpp
@@ -365,15 +365,16 @@ void RegisterVersus4PItemTable(DataRegistry<RandomItemTable>& r) {
 
 void RegisterBattleItemTable(DataRegistry<RandomItemTable>& r) {
     RandomItemTable table;
-
-    table.Add("mk:banana",           RANK_ONE, 10, 0.0f);
-    table.Add("mk:banana_bunch",     RANK_ONE, 5, 0.0f);
-    table.Add("mk:green_shell",       RANK_ONE, 5, 0.0f);
-    table.Add("mk:triple_green_shell",     RANK_ONE, 20, 0.0f);
-    table.Add("mk:red_shell",         RANK_ONE, 20, 0.0f);
-    table.Add("mk:fake_item_box",    RANK_ONE, 15, 0.0f);
-    table.Add("mk:star",             RANK_ONE, 20, 0.0f);
-    table.Add("mk:boo",              RANK_ONE, 5, 0.0f);
+    for (int rank = RANK_ONE; rank <= RANK_EIGHT; rank++) {
+        table.Add("mk:banana",           rank, 10, 0.0f);
+        table.Add("mk:banana_bunch",     rank, 5, 0.0f);
+        table.Add("mk:green_shell",       rank, 5, 0.0f);
+        table.Add("mk:triple_green_shell",     rank, 20, 0.0f);
+        table.Add("mk:red_shell",         rank, 20, 0.0f);
+        table.Add("mk:fake_item_box",    rank, 15, 0.0f);
+        table.Add("mk:star",             rank, 20, 0.0f);
+        table.Add("mk:boo",              rank, 5, 0.0f);
+    }
 
     r.Add("mk:battle", std::move(table));
 }