diff --git a/src/commands/default/building.py b/src/commands/default/building.py
index 61a10d312f..7cafeefceb 100644
--- a/src/commands/default/building.py
+++ b/src/commands/default/building.py
@@ -919,23 +919,21 @@ class CmdOpen(ObjManipCommand):
     def create_exit(self, exit_name, location, destination, exit_aliases=None, typeclass=None):
         """
         Helper function to avoid code duplication.
-        At this point we know destination is a valid location, but
-        all arguments are strings/lists. 
+        At this point we know destination is a valid location
 
         """
         caller = self.caller
         string = ""
-        # check if this exit object already exists. We need to 
-        # know what the result is before we can decide what to do;
-        # so we deactivate the automatic error handling. This
-        # always returns a list.
-        exit_obj = caller.search(exit_name, ignore_errors=True)
+        # check if this exit object already exists at the location.
+        # we need to ignore errors (so no automatic feedback)since we
+        # have to know the result of the search to decide what to do.
+        exit_obj = caller.search(exit_name, location=location, ignore_errors=True)
         if len(exit_obj) > 1:
             # give error message and return
-            caller.search(exit_name)
+            caller.search(exit_name, location=location)
             return
-        exit_obj = exit_obj
         if exit_obj:
+            exit_obj = exit_obj[0]
             if not exit_obj.db._destination:
                 # we are trying to link a non-exit
                 string = "'%s' already exists and is not an exit!\nIf you want to convert it "
@@ -946,12 +944,15 @@ class CmdOpen(ObjManipCommand):
             old_destination = exit_obj.db._destination
             if old_destination:
                 string = "Exit %s already exists." % exit_name
-                if old_destination != destination:
-                    # reroute the old exit.                     
+                if old_destination.id != destination.id:
+                    # reroute the old exit.
                     exit_obj.db._destination = destination
                     exit_obj.aliases = exit_aliases
                     string += " Rerouted its old destination '%s' to '%s' and changed aliases." % \
                         (old_destination.name, destination.name)                
+                else:
+                    string += " It already points to the correct place."
+
         else:
             # exit does not exist before. Create a new one.            
             exit_obj = create.create_object(typeclass, key=exit_name,
diff --git a/src/objects/manager.py b/src/objects/manager.py
index 6d22265a46..db0c2ca42b 100644
--- a/src/objects/manager.py
+++ b/src/objects/manager.py
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ class ObjectManager(TypedObjectManager):
     @returns_typeclass_list
     def object_search(self, character, ostring,
                       global_search=False, 
-                      attribute_name=None):
+                      attribute_name=None, location=None):
         """
         Search as an object and return results.
         
@@ -177,13 +177,15 @@ class ObjectManager(TypedObjectManager):
         global_search: Search all objects, not just the current location/inventory
         attribute_name: (string) Which attribute to search in each object.
                                  If None, the default 'key' attribute is used.        
+        location: If None, character.location will be used. 
         """
         #ostring = str(ostring).strip()
 
         if not ostring or not character:
             return None 
 
-        location = character.location        
+        if not location:
+            location = character.location        
 
         # Easiest case - dbref matching (always exact)        
         dbref = self.dbref(ostring)
diff --git a/src/objects/models.py b/src/objects/models.py
index 07d52c71b1..d5b26c1832 100644
--- a/src/objects/models.py
+++ b/src/objects/models.py
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ class ObjectDB(TypedObject):
     def search(self, ostring,
                global_search=False,
                attribute_name=None,
-               use_nicks=False,
+               use_nicks=False, location=None,
                ignore_errors=False):
         """
         Perform a standard object search in the database, handling
@@ -451,6 +451,7 @@ class ObjectDB(TypedObject):
         attribute_name: (string) Which attribute to match
                         (if None, uses default 'name')
         use_nicks : Use nickname replace (off by default)              
+        location : If None, use caller's current location
         ignore_errors : Don't display any error messages even
                         if there are none/multiple matches - 
                         just return the result as a list. 
@@ -473,7 +474,8 @@ class ObjectDB(TypedObject):
 
         results = ObjectDB.objects.object_search(self, ostring, 
                                                  global_search=global_search,
-                                                 attribute_name=attribute_name)
+                                                 attribute_name=attribute_name,
+                                                 location=location)
     
         if ignore_errors:
             return results