diff --git a/MekHQ/src/mekhq/campaign/personnel/SkillPerquisite.java b/MekHQ/src/mekhq/campaign/personnel/SkillPerquisite.java
index 22daf67444..8cfd4d8698 100644
--- a/MekHQ/src/mekhq/campaign/personnel/SkillPerquisite.java
+++ b/MekHQ/src/mekhq/campaign/personnel/SkillPerquisite.java
@@ -200,6 +200,18 @@ public static SkillPerquisite generateInstanceFromXML(Node wn) {
                 Node wn2 = nl.item(x);
                 if (wn2.getNodeName().equalsIgnoreCase("skill")) {
                     String skillName = wn2.getTextContent();
+
+                    // <50.01 compatibility handlers
+                    skillName = skillName.replaceAll("Piloting/Mech::", "Piloting/Mek::");
+                    skillName = skillName.replaceAll("Gunnery/Mech::", "Gunnery/Mek::");
+                    skillName = skillName.replaceAll("Gunnery/Battlesuit::", "Gunnery/BattleArmor::");
+                    skillName = skillName.replaceAll("Gunnery/ProtoMech::", "Gunnery/ProtoMek::");
+                    skillName = skillName.replaceAll("Anti-Mech::", "Anti-Mek::");
+                    skillName = skillName.replaceAll("Tech/Mech::", "Tech/Mek::");
+                    skillName = skillName.replaceAll("Tech/BA::", "Tech/BattleArmor::");
+                    skillName = skillName.replaceAll("Medtech::", "MedTech::");
+                    // end compatibility handlers
+
                     int level = 0;
                     if (skillName.contains("::")) {
                         level = parseStringForLevel(skillName);