diff --git a/evennia/comms/migrations/0014_auto_20170705_1736.py b/evennia/comms/migrations/0014_convert_msgs_may_be_slow.py
similarity index 92%
rename from evennia/comms/migrations/0014_auto_20170705_1736.py
rename to evennia/comms/migrations/0014_convert_msgs_may_be_slow.py
index 1550f6d10f..cb5f165445 100644
--- a/evennia/comms/migrations/0014_auto_20170705_1736.py
+++ b/evennia/comms/migrations/0014_convert_msgs_may_be_slow.py
@@ -8,10 +8,9 @@ from django.db import migrations
 def forwards(apps, schema_editor):
 
     try:
-        apps.get_model('accounts', 'AccountDB')
+        AccountDB = apps.get_model('accounts', 'AccountDB')
     except LookupError:
         return
-    AccountDB = apps.get_model('accounts', 'AccountDB')
 
     Msg = apps.get_model('comms', 'Msg')
     for msg in Msg.objects.all():
diff --git a/evennia/comms/migrations/0015_auto_20170706_2041.py b/evennia/comms/migrations/0015_auto_20170706_2041.py
index 607cabef29..a9e2083a83 100644
--- a/evennia/comms/migrations/0015_auto_20170706_2041.py
+++ b/evennia/comms/migrations/0015_auto_20170706_2041.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ def _table_exists(db_cursor, tablename):
 class Migration(migrations.Migration):
 
     dependencies = [
-        ('comms', '0014_auto_20170705_1736'),
+        ('comms', '0014_convert_msgs_may_be_slow'),
     ]
 
     db_cursor = connection.cursor()
diff --git a/evennia/typeclasses/migrations/0008_lock_and_perm_rename.py b/evennia/typeclasses/migrations/0008_lock_and_perm_rename.py
index aee25c2791..670a7c8b08 100644
--- a/evennia/typeclasses/migrations/0008_lock_and_perm_rename.py
+++ b/evennia/typeclasses/migrations/0008_lock_and_perm_rename.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ def update_perms_and_locks(apps, schema_editor):
 
     def _sub(match):
         perm = match.group(1)
-        return perm_map[perm.lower()].capitalize() if perm.lower() in perm_map else perm
+        return perm_map[perm.lower()].capitalize() if (perm and perm.lower() in perm_map) else perm
 
     for app_tuple in apps_models:
         TClass = apps.get_model(*app_tuple)
diff --git a/evennia/utils/dbserialize.py b/evennia/utils/dbserialize.py
index 2735aa6da0..0ff0678be2 100644
--- a/evennia/utils/dbserialize.py
+++ b/evennia/utils/dbserialize.py
@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@ def _init_globals():
     if not _TO_MODEL_MAP:
         _TO_MODEL_MAP = defaultdict(str)
         _TO_MODEL_MAP.update(dict((c.natural_key(), c.model_class()) for c in ContentType.objects.all()))
+        # handle old player models by converting them to accounts
+        _TO_MODEL_MAP[(u"players", u"playerdb")] = _TO_MODEL_MAP[(u"accounts", u"accountdb")]
     if not _SESSION_HANDLER:
         from evennia.server.sessionhandler import SESSION_HANDLER as _SESSION_HANDLER
 
diff --git a/evennia/utils/picklefield.py b/evennia/utils/picklefield.py
index 449c6a8125..d63b9b32e3 100644
--- a/evennia/utils/picklefield.py
+++ b/evennia/utils/picklefield.py
@@ -265,12 +265,3 @@ class PickledObjectField(models.Field):
         # actual lookup, so all we need to do is limit the lookup types.
         return super(PickledObjectField, self).get_db_prep_lookup(
             lookup_type, value, connection=connection, prepared=prepared)
-
-
-# South support; see http://south.aeracode.org/docs/tutorial/part4.html#simple-inheritance
-try:
-    from south.modelsinspector import add_introspection_rules
-except ImportError:
-    pass
-else:
-    add_introspection_rules([], [r"^evennia\.utils\.picklefield\.PickledObjectField"])