diff --git a/chat_commands.lua b/chat_commands.lua
index f23c53f..8bfd0e8 100644
--- a/chat_commands.lua
+++ b/chat_commands.lua
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ mg_villages.list_plots_formspec = function( player, formname, fields )
 	local pname = player:get_player_name();
 
 	-- analyze the road network (this has not been done from the beginning..)
-	mg_villages.get_road_list( fields.village_id );
+	mg_villages.get_road_list( fields.village_id, false );
 
 	local formspec = 'size[12,12]'..
 			'field[20,20;0.1,0.1;village_id;VillageID;'..minetest.formspec_escape( fields.village_id ).."]"..
diff --git a/mapgen.lua b/mapgen.lua
index 9960a10..61f0e3a 100644
--- a/mapgen.lua
+++ b/mapgen.lua
@@ -1225,10 +1225,11 @@ mg_villages.place_villages_via_voxelmanip = function( villages, minp, maxp, vm,
 	t1 = time_elapsed( t1, 'do fill chests' );
 	-- TODO: extra_calls.signs
 
-	
 	-- set up workplace markers so that they know for which mob they are responsible
 	for _, village in ipairs(villages) do
 		local village_id = tostring( village.vx )..':'..tostring( village.vz );
+		-- this is a good time to analyze the road network as well
+		mg_villages.get_road_list( village_id, true );
 		for building_nr_in_bpos,pos in ipairs( village.to_add_data.bpos ) do
 			if( pos.workplaces and #pos.workplaces>0) then
 				for workplace_nr, wp in ipairs( pos.workplaces ) do
diff --git a/roads.lua b/roads.lua
index c44b180..5391f83 100644
--- a/roads.lua
+++ b/roads.lua
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ mg_villages.get_path_from_pos_to_plot_via_roads = function( village_id, pos, tar
 
 	-- find out which road is the one next to pos
 	local standing_on_road = nil;
-	local roads = mg_villages.get_road_list( village_id );
+	local roads = mg_villages.get_road_list( village_id, false );
 	for i,road in ipairs( roads ) do
 		local r = bpos_list[ road ]; -- road data
 		-- if this is really a road, and if a parent road exists (or is 0)
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ end
 
 -- try to reconstruct the tree-like road network structure (the data was
 -- not saved completely from the beginning)
-mg_villages.get_road_list = function( village_id )
+mg_villages.get_road_list = function( village_id, force_check )
 	if( not( mg_villages.all_villages[ village_id ] )) then
 		return {};
 	end
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ mg_villages.get_road_list = function( village_id )
 		return {};
 	end
 	-- the parent roads have already been identified
-	if( bpos_list[ roads[ 1 ]].parent_road_plot == 0 ) then
+	if( not( force_check ) and bpos_list[ roads[ 1 ]].parent_road_plot == 0 ) then
 		return roads;
 	end