diff --git a/chess/engine.py b/chess/engine.py
index 4c24681ee..efcc0f134 100644
--- a/chess/engine.py
+++ b/chess/engine.py
@@ -2152,6 +2152,7 @@ def _variant(self, variant: Optional[str]) -> None:
 
     def _new(self, board: chess.Board, game: object, options: ConfigMapping, opponent: Optional[Opponent] = None) -> None:
         self._configure(options)
+        self._configure(self._opponent_configuration(opponent=opponent))
 
         # Set up starting position.
         root = board.root()
@@ -2172,15 +2173,16 @@ def _new(self, board: chess.Board, game: object, options: ConfigMapping, opponen
             if self.config.get("random"):
                 self.send_line("random")
             
-            opponent_name = (opponent.name if opponent else None) or self.target_config.get("name")
+            opponent_name = self.config.get("name")
             if opponent_name and self.features.get("name", True):
                 self.send_line(f"name {opponent_name}")
 
-            opponent_rating = (opponent.rating if opponent else None) or self.target_config.get("opponent_rating") or 0
-            if self.target_config.get("engine_rating") or opponent_rating:
-                self.send_line(f"rating {self.target_config.get('engine_rating') or 0} {opponent_rating}")
+            opponent_rating = self.config.get("opponent_rating")
+            engine_rating = self.config.get("engine_rating")
+            if engine_rating or opponent_rating:
+                self.send_line(f"rating {engine_rating or 0} {opponent_rating or 0}")
 
-            if (opponent and opponent.is_engine) or (self.target_config.get("computer") if self.config.get("computer") is None else self.config.get("computer")):
+            if self.config.get("computer"):
                 self.send_line("computer")
 
         self.send_line("force")
@@ -2518,7 +2520,7 @@ def _opponent_configuration(self, *, opponent: Optional[Opponent] = None, engine
         if opponent is None:
             return {}
 
-        opponent_info: Dict[str, Union[int, bool, str]] = {"engine_rating": engine_rating or 0,
+        opponent_info: Dict[str, Union[int, bool, str]] = {"engine_rating": engine_rating or self.target_config.get("engine_rating") or 0,
                                                            "opponent_rating": opponent.rating or 0,
                                                            "computer": opponent.is_engine or False}
         
diff --git a/test.py b/test.py
index 8cd599474..b109fabf8 100755
--- a/test.py
+++ b/test.py
@@ -3688,6 +3688,15 @@ async def main():
             self.assertEqual(result.move, board.parse_san("e5"))
             mock.assert_done()
 
+            bad_opponent = chess.engine.Opponent("New\nLine", "GM", 1, False)
+            with self.assertRaises(chess.engine.EngineError):
+                await protocol.send_opponent_information(opponent=bad_opponent)
+            mock.assert_done()
+
+            with self.assertRaises(chess.engine.EngineError):
+                result = await protocol.play(board, limit, game="bad game", opponent=bad_opponent)
+            mock.assert_done()
+
         asyncio.set_event_loop_policy(chess.engine.EventLoopPolicy())
         asyncio.run(main())