diff --git a/Source/lua/modules/dev/towners.cpp b/Source/lua/modules/dev/towners.cpp
index 62cfe7d7a08..6895a9efbcb 100644
--- a/Source/lua/modules/dev/towners.cpp
+++ b/Source/lua/modules/dev/towners.cpp
@@ -76,7 +76,21 @@ std::string DebugCmdVisitTowner(std::string_view name)
 
 std::string DebugCmdTalkToTowner(std::string_view name)
 {
-	if (!DebugTalkToTowner(name)) return StrCat("Towner not found!");
+	if (name.empty()) {
+		std::string ret;
+		ret = StrCat("Please provide the name of a Towner: ");
+		for (const auto &[name, _] : TownerShortNameToTownerId) {
+			ret += ' ';
+			ret.append(name);
+		}
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	auto it = TownerShortNameToTownerId.find(name);
+	if (it == TownerShortNameToTownerId.end())
+		return StrCat(name, " is invalid!");
+
+	if (!DebugTalkToTowner(it->second)) return StrCat("Towner not found!");
 	return StrCat("Opened ", name, " talk window.");
 }
 
diff --git a/Source/towners.cpp b/Source/towners.cpp
index b84f5b4d58f..b3373c034c5 100644
--- a/Source/towners.cpp
+++ b/Source/towners.cpp
@@ -42,20 +42,24 @@ void NewTownerAnim(Towner &towner, ClxSpriteList sprites, uint8_t numFrames, int
 	towner._tAnimDelay = delay;
 }
 
-void InitTownerInfo(int16_t i, const TownerData &townerData)
+void InitTownerInfo(Towner &towner, const TownerData &townerData)
 {
-	auto &towner = Towners[i];
-
 	towner._ttype = townerData.type;
 	towner.name = _(TownerLongNames[townerData.type]);
 	towner.position = townerData.position;
 	towner.talk = townerData.talk;
 
-	dMonster[towner.position.x][towner.position.y] = i + 1;
-
 	townerData.init(towner, townerData);
 }
 
+void InitTownerInfo(int16_t i, const TownerData &townerData)
+{
+	// It's necessary to assign this before invoking townerData.init()
+	// specifically for the cows that need to read this value to fill adjacent tiles
+	dMonster[townerData.position.x][townerData.position.y] = i + 1;
+	InitTownerInfo(Towners[i], townerData);
+}
+
 void LoadTownerAnimations(Towner &towner, const char *path, int frames, int delay)
 {
 	towner.ownedAnim = std::nullopt;
@@ -916,25 +920,22 @@ void UpdateCowFarmerAnimAfterQuestComplete()
 }
 
 #ifdef _DEBUG
-bool DebugTalkToTowner(std::string_view targetName)
+bool DebugTalkToTowner(_talker_id type)
 {
+	if (!IsTownerPresent(type))
+		return false;
+	// cows have an init function that differs from the rest and isn't compatible with this code, skip them :(
+	if (type == TOWN_COW)
+		return false;
 	SetupTownStores();
-	const std::string lowercaseName = AsciiStrToLower(targetName);
 	Player &myPlayer = *MyPlayer;
 	for (const TownerData &townerData : TownersData) {
-		if (!IsTownerPresent(townerData.type))
-			continue;
-		// cows have an init function that differs from the rest and isn't compatible with this code, skip them :(
-		if (townerData.type == TOWN_COW)
-			continue;
+		if (townerData.type != type) continue;
 		Towner fakeTowner;
-		townerData.init(fakeTowner, townerData);
+		InitTownerInfo(fakeTowner, townerData);
 		fakeTowner.position = myPlayer.position.tile;
-		const std::string npcName = AsciiStrToLower(fakeTowner.name);
-		if (npcName.find(lowercaseName) != std::string::npos) {
-			townerData.talk(myPlayer, fakeTowner);
-			return true;
-		}
+		townerData.talk(myPlayer, fakeTowner);
+		return true;
 	}
 	return false;
 }
diff --git a/Source/towners.h b/Source/towners.h
index 3bf4d9cb67b..fd7c7ccf1ed 100644
--- a/Source/towners.h
+++ b/Source/towners.h
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ void UpdateGirlAnimAfterQuestComplete();
 void UpdateCowFarmerAnimAfterQuestComplete();
 
 #ifdef _DEBUG
-bool DebugTalkToTowner(std::string_view targetName);
+bool DebugTalkToTowner(_talker_id type);
 #endif
 extern _speech_id QuestDialogTable[NUM_TOWNER_TYPES][MAXQUESTS];