diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/LoadScreen.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/LoadScreen.cpp
index 6eb6da869ac..aa9348021e3 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/LoadScreen.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/LoadScreen.cpp
@@ -1018,12 +1018,12 @@ GameSlot *lSlot = game->getSlot(game->getLocalSlotNum());
 		// Load the Player's m_playerWinLosses
 		winName.format( "GameSpyLoadScreen.wnd:WinRank%d",i);
 		m_playerRank[i] = TheWindowManager->winGetWindowFromId( m_loadScreen,TheNameKeyGenerator->nameToKey( winName ));
-		DEBUG_ASSERTCRASH(m_playerRank[i], ("Can't initialize the m_playerRank for the GameSpyLoadScreen loadscreen"));
+		// NOTE: m_playerRank[i] can be NULL if the GUI element is missing - we'll check before using it
 
 		// Load the Player's m_playerOfficerMedal
 		winName.format( "GameSpyLoadScreen.wnd:WinOfficer%d",i);
 		m_playerOfficerMedal[i] = TheWindowManager->winGetWindowFromId( m_loadScreen,TheNameKeyGenerator->nameToKey( winName ));
-		DEBUG_ASSERTCRASH(m_playerOfficerMedal[i], ("Can't initialize the m_playerOfficerMedal for the GameSpyLoadScreen loadscreen"));
+		// NOTE: m_playerOfficerMedal[i] can be NULL if the GUI element is missing - we'll check before using it
 
 		winName.format( "MultiplayerLoadScreen.wnd:StaticTextTeam%d",i);
 		teamWin[i] = TheWindowManager->winGetWindowFromId( m_loadScreen,TheNameKeyGenerator->nameToKey( winName ));
@@ -1051,8 +1051,10 @@ GameSlot *lSlot = game->getSlot(game->getLocalSlotNum());
 		if (!isPreorder)
 			preorderImg = NULL;
 		const Image *rankImg = LookupSmallRankImage(favSide, rankPoints);
-		m_playerOfficerMedal[i]->winSetEnabledImage(0, preorderImg);
-		m_playerRank[i]->winSetEnabledImage(0, rankImg);
+		if (m_playerOfficerMedal[i])
+			m_playerOfficerMedal[i]->winSetEnabledImage(0, preorderImg);
+		if (m_playerRank[i])
+			m_playerRank[i]->winSetEnabledImage(0, rankImg);
 
 		UnicodeString formatString;
 
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/LoadScreen.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/LoadScreen.cpp
index e40bfa50f90..00ce9037806 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/LoadScreen.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/LoadScreen.cpp
@@ -1654,12 +1654,12 @@ GameSlot *lSlot = game->getSlot(game->getLocalSlotNum());
 		// Load the Player's m_playerWinLosses
 		winName.format( "GameSpyLoadScreen.wnd:WinRank%d",i);
 		m_playerRank[i] = TheWindowManager->winGetWindowFromId( m_loadScreen,TheNameKeyGenerator->nameToKey( winName ));
-		DEBUG_ASSERTCRASH(m_playerRank[i], ("Can't initialize the m_playerRank for the GameSpyLoadScreen loadscreen"));
+		// NOTE: m_playerRank[i] can be NULL if the GUI element is missing - we'll check before using it
 
 		// Load the Player's m_playerOfficerMedal
 		winName.format( "GameSpyLoadScreen.wnd:WinOfficer%d",i);
 		m_playerOfficerMedal[i] = TheWindowManager->winGetWindowFromId( m_loadScreen,TheNameKeyGenerator->nameToKey( winName ));
-		DEBUG_ASSERTCRASH(m_playerOfficerMedal[i], ("Can't initialize the m_playerOfficerMedal for the GameSpyLoadScreen loadscreen"));
+		// NOTE: m_playerOfficerMedal[i] can be NULL if the GUI element is missing - we'll check before using it
 
 		winName.format( "MultiplayerLoadScreen.wnd:StaticTextTeam%d",i);
 		teamWin[i] = TheWindowManager->winGetWindowFromId( m_loadScreen,TheNameKeyGenerator->nameToKey( winName ));
@@ -1711,8 +1711,10 @@ GameSlot *lSlot = game->getSlot(game->getLocalSlotNum());
 		if (!isPreorder)
 			preorderImg = NULL;
 		const Image *rankImg = LookupSmallRankImage(favSide, rankPoints);
-		m_playerOfficerMedal[i]->winSetEnabledImage(0, preorderImg);
-		m_playerRank[i]->winSetEnabledImage(0, rankImg);
+		if (m_playerOfficerMedal[i])
+			m_playerOfficerMedal[i]->winSetEnabledImage(0, preorderImg);
+		if (m_playerRank[i])
+			m_playerRank[i]->winSetEnabledImage(0, rankImg);
 
 		UnicodeString formatString;