diff --git a/zone/bot.cpp b/zone/bot.cpp
index b221620e2..143520076 100644
--- a/zone/bot.cpp
+++ b/zone/bot.cpp
@@ -439,6 +439,7 @@ NPCType *Bot::FillNPCTypeStruct(uint32 botSpellsID, std::string botName, std::st
 	bot_npc_type->skip_global_loot = true;
 	//bot_npc_type->rare_spawn = false;
 	bot_npc_type->stuck_behavior = Ground;
+	bot_npc_type->skip_auto_scale = true;
 
 	return bot_npc_type;
 }
diff --git a/zone/npc.cpp b/zone/npc.cpp
index ac8825774..355196d2e 100644
--- a/zone/npc.cpp
+++ b/zone/npc.cpp
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ NPC::NPC(const NPCType *npc_type_data, Spawn2 *in_respawn, const glm::vec4 &posi
 	p_depop               = false;
 	loottable_id          = npc_type_data->loottable_id;
 	skip_global_loot      = npc_type_data->skip_global_loot;
+	skip_auto_scale       = npc_type_data->skip_auto_scale;
 	rare_spawn            = npc_type_data->rare_spawn;
 	no_target_hotkey      = npc_type_data->no_target_hotkey;
 	primary_faction       = 0;
diff --git a/zone/npc.h b/zone/npc.h
index b9e0458e6..1957b8e63 100644
--- a/zone/npc.h
+++ b/zone/npc.h
@@ -468,6 +468,7 @@ public:
 
 	virtual int GetStuckBehavior() const { return NPCTypedata_ours ? NPCTypedata_ours->stuck_behavior : NPCTypedata->stuck_behavior; }
 
+	inline bool IsSkipAutoScale() const { return skip_auto_scale; }
 
 protected:
 
@@ -612,6 +613,7 @@ protected:
 private:
 	uint32	loottable_id;
 	bool	skip_global_loot;
+	bool	skip_auto_scale;
 	bool	p_depop;
 };
 
diff --git a/zone/npc_scale_manager.cpp b/zone/npc_scale_manager.cpp
index dd1b9734d..c17619482 100644
--- a/zone/npc_scale_manager.cpp
+++ b/zone/npc_scale_manager.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@
  */
 void NpcScaleManager::ScaleNPC(NPC * npc)
 {
+	if (npc->IsSkipAutoScale())
+		return;
+
 	int8 npc_type       = GetNPCScalingType(npc);
 	int  npc_level      = npc->GetLevel();
 	bool is_auto_scaled = IsAutoScaled(npc);
@@ -621,4 +624,4 @@ bool NpcScaleManager::ApplyGlobalBaseScalingToNPCDynamically(NPC *&npc)
 	auto results = database.QueryDatabase(query);
 
 	return results.Success();
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/zone/zonedb.cpp b/zone/zonedb.cpp
index e3adc6d13..76e3a4c5c 100755
--- a/zone/zonedb.cpp
+++ b/zone/zonedb.cpp
@@ -2675,6 +2675,7 @@ const NPCType* ZoneDatabase::LoadNPCTypesData(uint32 npc_type_id, bool bulk_load
 		temp_npctype_data->rare_spawn = atoi(row[108]) != 0;
 		temp_npctype_data->stuck_behavior = atoi(row[109]);
 		temp_npctype_data->use_model = atoi(row[110]);
+		temp_npctype_data->skip_auto_scale = false; // hardcoded here for now
 
 		// If NPC with duplicate NPC id already in table,
 		// free item we attempted to add.
@@ -2878,6 +2879,7 @@ const NPCType* ZoneDatabase::GetMercType(uint32 id, uint16 raceid, uint32 client
 		tmpNPCType->spellscale = atoi(row[44]);
 		tmpNPCType->healscale = atoi(row[45]);
 		tmpNPCType->skip_global_loot = true;
+		tmpNPCType->skip_auto_scale = true;
 
 		// If Merc with duplicate NPC id already in table,
 		// free item we attempted to add.
diff --git a/zone/zonedump.h b/zone/zonedump.h
index be978a1be..71f530171 100644
--- a/zone/zonedump.h
+++ b/zone/zonedump.h
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ struct NPCType
 	bool	untargetable;
 	bool	skip_global_loot;
 	bool	rare_spawn;
+	bool	skip_auto_scale; // just so it doesn't mess up bots or mercs, probably should add to DB too just in case
 	int8	stuck_behavior;
 	uint16	use_model;
 };