diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
index 219a2b099f..6bca989e9f 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Game.cs
@@ -263,20 +263,20 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			Log.AddChannel("debug", "debug.log");
 			Log.AddChannel("sync", "syncreport.log");
 
+			FileSystem.Mount("."); // Needed to access shaders
+			Renderer.Initialize( Game.Settings.Graphics.Mode );
+			Renderer.SheetSize = Settings.Game.SheetSize;
+			Renderer = new Renderer();
+			
 			LobbyInfo.GlobalSettings.Mods = Settings.Game.Mods;
 			modData = new ModData( LobbyInfo.GlobalSettings.Mods );
-
-			Renderer.SheetSize = Settings.Game.SheetSize;
-			Renderer.Initialize( Game.Settings.Graphics.Mode );
-
+			
 			Sound.Initialize();
 			PerfHistory.items["render"].hasNormalTick = false;
 			PerfHistory.items["batches"].hasNormalTick = false;
 			PerfHistory.items["text"].hasNormalTick = false;
-			PerfHistory.items["cursor"].hasNormalTick = false;
-
-			Renderer = new Renderer();
-
+			PerfHistory.items["cursor"].hasNormalTick = false;

+			
 			JoinLocal();
 			StartGame(modData.Manifest.ShellmapUid);
 
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Graphics/Viewport.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Graphics/Viewport.cs
index 08bf870ace..852d04c2a1 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Graphics/Viewport.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Graphics/Viewport.cs
@@ -70,6 +70,16 @@ namespace OpenRA.Graphics
 			Timer.Time( "endFrame: {0}" );
 		}
 
+		public static void DrawLoadScreen( Renderer r, float loadFraction )
+		{
+			r.BeginFrame(float2.Zero);
+			
+			// Do stuff
+			
+			r.RgbaSpriteRenderer.Flush();
+			r.EndFrame();
+		}
+		
 		public void RefreshPalette()
 		{
 			Game.world.WorldRenderer.palette.Update(
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/ModData.cs b/OpenRA.Game/ModData.cs
index 68ca868273..a5f430e9ed 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Game/ModData.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/ModData.cs
@@ -28,13 +28,14 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		public ModData( params string[] mods )
 		{
 			Manifest = new Manifest( mods );
-			ObjectCreator = new ObjectCreator( Manifest );
 			FileSystem.LoadFromManifest( Manifest );
-			SheetBuilder = new SheetBuilder( TextureChannel.Red );
-			CursorSheetBuilder = new CursorSheetBuilder( this );
-			
 			ChromeProvider.Initialize( Manifest.Chrome );
 			
+			Viewport.DrawLoadScreen(Game.Renderer, 0f);
+			
+			ObjectCreator = new ObjectCreator( Manifest );
+			SheetBuilder = new SheetBuilder( TextureChannel.Red );
+			CursorSheetBuilder = new CursorSheetBuilder( this );
 			AvailableMaps = FindMaps( mods );
 		}
 		
@@ -51,6 +52,8 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		string cachedTheatre = null;
 		public Map PrepareMap(string uid)
 		{
+			Viewport.DrawLoadScreen(Game.Renderer, 0f);
+
 			if (!AvailableMaps.ContainsKey(uid))
 				throw new InvalidDataException("Invalid map uid: {0}".F(uid));