diff --git a/game-app/game-core/src/main/java/games/strategy/triplea/delegate/battle/steps/fire/general/FiringGroupSplitterGeneral.java b/game-app/game-core/src/main/java/games/strategy/triplea/delegate/battle/steps/fire/general/FiringGroupSplitterGeneral.java
index 9bf9ccca39a..1b3d4e925f2 100644
--- a/game-app/game-core/src/main/java/games/strategy/triplea/delegate/battle/steps/fire/general/FiringGroupSplitterGeneral.java
+++ b/game-app/game-core/src/main/java/games/strategy/triplea/delegate/battle/steps/fire/general/FiringGroupSplitterGeneral.java
@@ -56,10 +56,28 @@ public enum Type {
 
   @Override
   public List<FiringGroup> apply(final BattleState battleState) {
+    final Collection<Unit> enemyUnits =
+        CollectionUtils.getMatches(
+            battleState.filterUnits(ALIVE, side.getOpposite()),
+            PredicateBuilder.of(Matches.unitIsNotInfrastructure())
+                .andIf(side == DEFENSE, Matches.unitIsSuicideOnAttack().negate())
+                .andIf(side == OFFENSE, Matches.unitIsSuicideOnDefense().negate())
+                .build());
+
+    // Filter participants (same as is done in MustFightBattle.removeNonCombatants()), so that we
+    // don't end up generating combat step names for units that will be excluded.
+    final Predicate<Unit> canParticipateInCombat =
+        Matches.unitCanParticipateInCombat(
+            side == OFFENSE,
+            battleState.getPlayer(OFFENSE),
+            battleState.getBattleSite(),
+            1,
+            enemyUnits);
     final Collection<Unit> canFire =
         CollectionUtils.getMatches(
             battleState.filterUnits(ACTIVE, side),
             PredicateBuilder.of(getFiringUnitPredicate(battleState))
+                .and(canParticipateInCombat)
                 // Remove offense allied units if allied air can not participate
                 .andIf(
                     side == OFFENSE
@@ -68,14 +86,6 @@ public List<FiringGroup> apply(final BattleState battleState) {
                     Matches.unitIsOwnedBy(battleState.getPlayer(side)))
                 .build());
 
-    final Collection<Unit> enemyUnits =
-        CollectionUtils.getMatches(
-            battleState.filterUnits(ALIVE, side.getOpposite()),
-            PredicateBuilder.of(Matches.unitIsNotInfrastructure())
-                .andIf(side == DEFENSE, Matches.unitIsSuicideOnAttack().negate())
-                .andIf(side == OFFENSE, Matches.unitIsSuicideOnDefense().negate())
-                .build());
-
     final List<FiringGroup> firingGroups = new ArrayList<>();
 
     final List<TargetGroup> targetGroups = TargetGroup.newTargetGroups(canFire, enemyUnits);