diff --git a/src/gui/doAction.cpp b/src/gui/doAction.cpp
index bf5b89519..00bfe95ea 100644
--- a/src/gui/doAction.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/doAction.cpp
@@ -123,16 +123,16 @@ void FurnaceGUI::doAction(int what) {
       pendingStepUpdate=1;
       break;
     case GUI_ACTION_OCTAVE_UP:
-      if (++curOctave>7) {
-        curOctave=7;
+      if (++curOctave>GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MAX) {
+        curOctave=GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MAX;
       } else {
         e->autoNoteOffAll();
         failedNoteOn=false;
       }
       break;
     case GUI_ACTION_OCTAVE_DOWN:
-      if (--curOctave<-5) {
-        curOctave=-5;
+      if (--curOctave<GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MIN) {
+        curOctave=GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MIN;
       } else {
         e->autoNoteOffAll();
         failedNoteOn=false;
@@ -679,10 +679,26 @@ void FurnaceGUI::doAction(int what) {
     case GUI_ACTION_PAT_ABSORB_INSTRUMENT: {
       DivPattern* pat=e->curPat[cursor.xCoarse].getPattern(e->curOrders->ord[cursor.xCoarse][curOrder],false);
       if (!pat) break;
-      for (int i=cursor.y; i>=0; i--) {
-        if (pat->data[i][2] >= 0) {
+      bool foundIns=false;
+      bool foundOctave=false;
+      for (int i=cursor.y; i>=0 && !(foundIns && foundOctave); i--) {
+        // absorb most recent instrument
+        if (!foundIns && pat->data[i][2] >= 0) {
           curIns=pat->data[i][2];
-          break;
+          foundIns=true;
+        }
+        // absorb most recent octave (i.e. set curOctave such that the "main row" (QWERTY) of notes
+        // will result in an octave number equal to the previous note).
+        if (!foundOctave && pat->data[i][0] != 0) {
+          // decode octave data (was signed cast to unsigned char)
+          int octave=pat->data[i][1];
+          if (octave>128) octave-=256;
+          // @NOTE the special handling when note==12, which is really an octave above what's
+          // stored in the octave data. without this handling, if you press Q, then
+          // "ABSORB_INSTRUMENT", then Q again, you'd get a different octave!
+          if (pat->data[i][0]==12) octave++;
+          curOctave=CLAMP(octave-1, GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MIN, GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MAX);
+          foundOctave=true;
         }
       }
       break;
diff --git a/src/gui/editControls.cpp b/src/gui/editControls.cpp
index c492a8e17..34beff48b 100644
--- a/src/gui/editControls.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/editControls.cpp
@@ -647,8 +647,8 @@ void FurnaceGUI::drawEditControls() {
           ImGui::TableNextColumn();
           ImGui::SetNextItemWidth(ImGui::GetContentRegionAvail().x);
           if (ImGui::InputInt("##Octave",&curOctave,1,1)) {
-            if (curOctave>7) curOctave=7;
-            if (curOctave<-5) curOctave=-5;
+            if (curOctave>GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MAX) curOctave=GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MAX;
+            if (curOctave<GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MIN) curOctave=GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MIN;
             e->autoNoteOffAll();
             failedNoteOn=false;
 
@@ -808,8 +808,8 @@ void FurnaceGUI::drawEditControls() {
         ImGui::SameLine();
         ImGui::SetNextItemWidth(96.0f*dpiScale);
         if (ImGui::InputInt("##Octave",&curOctave,1,1)) {
-          if (curOctave>7) curOctave=7;
-          if (curOctave<-5) curOctave=-5;
+          if (curOctave>GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MAX) curOctave=GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MAX;
+          if (curOctave<GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MIN) curOctave=GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MIN;
           e->autoNoteOffAll();
           failedNoteOn=false;
 
@@ -926,8 +926,8 @@ void FurnaceGUI::drawEditControls() {
         float avail=ImGui::GetContentRegionAvail().x;
         ImGui::SetNextItemWidth(avail);
         if (ImGui::InputInt("##Octave",&curOctave,0,0)) {
-          if (curOctave>7) curOctave=7;
-          if (curOctave<-5) curOctave=-5;
+          if (curOctave>GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MAX) curOctave=GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MAX;
+          if (curOctave<GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MIN) curOctave=GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MIN;
           e->autoNoteOffAll();
           failedNoteOn=false;
 
@@ -1093,8 +1093,8 @@ void FurnaceGUI::drawEditControls() {
         float avail=ImGui::GetContentRegionAvail().x;
         ImGui::SetNextItemWidth(avail);
         if (ImGui::InputInt("##Octave",&curOctave,1,1)) {
-          if (curOctave>7) curOctave=7;
-          if (curOctave<-5) curOctave=-5;
+          if (curOctave>GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MAX) curOctave=GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MAX;
+          if (curOctave<GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MIN) curOctave=GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MIN;
           e->autoNoteOffAll();
           failedNoteOn=false;
 
diff --git a/src/gui/gui.h b/src/gui/gui.h
index adc066229..9ff06e013 100644
--- a/src/gui/gui.h
+++ b/src/gui/gui.h
@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ enum FurnaceGUIRenderBackend {
 #define ngettext momo_ngettext
 #endif
 
+#define GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MIN -5
+#define GUI_EDIT_OCTAVE_MAX 7
+
 // TODO:
 // - add colors for FM envelope and waveform
 // - maybe add "alternate" color for FM modulators/carriers (a bit difficult)
diff --git a/src/gui/guiConst.cpp b/src/gui/guiConst.cpp
index 13e8a9478..8fd662824 100644
--- a/src/gui/guiConst.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/guiConst.cpp
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ const FurnaceGUIActionDef guiActions[GUI_ACTION_MAX]={
   D("PAT_LATCH", _N("Set note input latch"), 0),
   D("PAT_SCROLL_MODE", _N("Change mobile scroll mode"), 0),
   D("PAT_CLEAR_LATCH", _N("Clear note input latch"), 0),
-  D("PAT_ABSORB_INSTRUMENT", _N("Set current instrument to channel's current instrument column"), 0),
+  D("PAT_ABSORB_INSTRUMENT", _N("Absorb instrument/octave from status at cursor"), 0),
   D("PAT_MAX", "", NOT_AN_ACTION),
 
   D("INS_LIST_MIN", _N("---Instrument list"), NOT_AN_ACTION),