diff --git a/src/doom/doomstat.h b/src/doom/doomstat.h
index 61c127d4..95246aea 100644
--- a/src/doom/doomstat.h
+++ b/src/doom/doomstat.h
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ extern  mapthing_t*	deathmatch_p;
 
 // Player spawn spots.
 extern  mapthing_t      playerstarts[MAXPLAYERS];
-
+extern  boolean         playerstartsingame[MAXPLAYERS];
 // Intermission stats.
 // Parameters for world map / intermission.
 extern  wbstartstruct_t		wminfo;	
diff --git a/src/doom/p_mobj.c b/src/doom/p_mobj.c
index dd5a93db..285d9b94 100644
--- a/src/doom/p_mobj.c
+++ b/src/doom/p_mobj.c
@@ -788,6 +788,7 @@ void P_SpawnMapThing (mapthing_t* mthing)
     {
 	// save spots for respawning in network games
 	playerstarts[mthing->type-1] = *mthing;
+	playerstartsingame[mthing->type-1] = true;
 	if (!deathmatch)
 	    P_SpawnPlayer (mthing);
 
diff --git a/src/doom/p_setup.c b/src/doom/p_setup.c
index ff03d258..044554de 100644
--- a/src/doom/p_setup.c
+++ b/src/doom/p_setup.c
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ byte*		rejectmatrix;
 mapthing_t	deathmatchstarts[MAX_DEATHMATCH_STARTS];
 mapthing_t*	deathmatch_p;
 mapthing_t	playerstarts[MAXPLAYERS];
+boolean     playerstartsingame[MAXPLAYERS];
 
 
 
@@ -389,6 +390,11 @@ void P_LoadThings (int lump)
 	P_SpawnMapThing(&spawnthing);
     }
 
+    if (!deathmatch)
+        for (i = 0; i < MAXPLAYERS; i++)
+            if (playeringame[i] && !playerstartsingame[i])
+                I_Error("P_LoadThings: Player %d start missing (vanilla crashes here)", i + 1);
+
     W_ReleaseLumpNum(lump);
 }