diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Manifest.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Manifest.cs
index 97ab264891..25564bfaca 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Manifest.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Manifest.cs
@@ -20,6 +20,17 @@ namespace OpenRA
 {
 	public interface IGlobalModData { }
 
+	public sealed class TerrainFormat : IGlobalModData
+	{
+		public readonly string Type;
+		public readonly IReadOnlyDictionary<string, MiniYaml> Metadata;
+		public TerrainFormat(MiniYaml yaml)
+		{
+			Type = yaml.Value;
+			Metadata = new ReadOnlyDictionary<string, MiniYaml>(yaml.ToDictionary());
+		}
+	}
+
 	public sealed class SpriteSequenceFormat : IGlobalModData
 	{
 		public readonly string Type;
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Map/TileSet.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Map/TileSet.cs
index 38891a2d1b..0bd864a350 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Map/TileSet.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Map/TileSet.cs
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ using OpenRA.Traits;
 
 namespace OpenRA
 {
+	public interface ITerrainLoader
+	{
+		ITerrainInfo ParseTerrain(IReadOnlyFileSystem fileSystem, string path);
+	}
+
 	public interface ITerrainInfo
 	{
 		string Id { get; }
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/ModData.cs b/OpenRA.Game/ModData.cs
index d28e006651..7067771029 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/ModData.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/ModData.cs
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		public readonly IPackageLoader[] PackageLoaders;
 		public readonly ISoundLoader[] SoundLoaders;
 		public readonly ISpriteLoader[] SpriteLoaders;
+		public readonly ITerrainLoader TerrainLoader;
 		public readonly ISpriteSequenceLoader SpriteSequenceLoader;
 		public readonly IModelSequenceLoader ModelSequenceLoader;
 		public readonly IVideoLoader[] VideoLoaders;
@@ -75,6 +76,14 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			SpriteLoaders = ObjectCreator.GetLoaders<ISpriteLoader>(Manifest.SpriteFormats, "sprite");
 			VideoLoaders = ObjectCreator.GetLoaders<IVideoLoader>(Manifest.VideoFormats, "video");
 
+			var terrainFormat = Manifest.Get<TerrainFormat>();
+			var terrainLoader = ObjectCreator.FindType(terrainFormat.Type + "Loader");
+			var terrainCtor = terrainLoader?.GetConstructor(new[] { typeof(ModData) });
+			if (terrainLoader == null || !terrainLoader.GetInterfaces().Contains(typeof(ITerrainLoader)) || terrainCtor == null)
+				throw new InvalidOperationException("Unable to find a terrain loader for type '{0}'.".F(terrainFormat.Type));
+
+			TerrainLoader = (ITerrainLoader)terrainCtor.Invoke(new[] { this });
+
 			var sequenceFormat = Manifest.Get<SpriteSequenceFormat>();
 			var sequenceLoader = ObjectCreator.FindType(sequenceFormat.Type + "Loader");
 			var sequenceCtor = sequenceLoader != null ? sequenceLoader.GetConstructor(new[] { typeof(ModData) }) : null;
@@ -101,7 +110,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 
 				foreach (var file in Manifest.TileSets)
 				{
-					var t = new TileSet(DefaultFileSystem, file);
+					var t = TerrainLoader.ParseTerrain(DefaultFileSystem, file);
 					items.Add(t.Id, t);
 				}
 
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Terrain/DefaultTerrain.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Terrain/DefaultTerrain.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bf1244ad3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Terrain/DefaultTerrain.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#region Copyright & License Information
+/*
+ * Copyright 2007-2020 The OpenRA Developers (see AUTHORS)
+ * This file is part of OpenRA, which is free software. It is made
+ * available to you under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of
+ * the License, or (at your option) any later version. For more
+ * information, see COPYING.
+ */
+#endregion
+
+using OpenRA.FileSystem;
+using OpenRA.Graphics;
+
+namespace OpenRA.Mods.Common.Terrain
+{
+	public class DefaultTerrainLoader : ITerrainLoader
+	{
+		public DefaultTerrainLoader(ModData modData) { }
+
+		public ITerrainInfo ParseTerrain(IReadOnlyFileSystem fileSystem, string path)
+		{
+			return new TileSet(fileSystem, path);
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/mods/all/mod.yaml b/mods/all/mod.yaml
index aecd52761b..b674078b64 100644
--- a/mods/all/mod.yaml
+++ b/mods/all/mod.yaml
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ SoundFormats:
 
 SpriteFormats:
 
+TerrainFormat: DefaultTerrain
+
 SpriteSequenceFormat: DefaultSpriteSequence
 
 ModelSequenceFormat: PlaceholderModelSequence
diff --git a/mods/cnc/mod.yaml b/mods/cnc/mod.yaml
index 14aa1ff0ae..a638de99fb 100644
--- a/mods/cnc/mod.yaml
+++ b/mods/cnc/mod.yaml
@@ -214,6 +214,8 @@ SpriteFormats: ShpTD, TmpTD, ShpTS, TmpRA
 
 VideoFormats: Vqa
 
+TerrainFormat: DefaultTerrain
+
 SpriteSequenceFormat: ClassicTilesetSpecificSpriteSequence
 	TilesetExtensions:
 		TEMPERAT: .tem
diff --git a/mods/d2k/mod.yaml b/mods/d2k/mod.yaml
index 6e75f21e48..f1d0ab462d 100644
--- a/mods/d2k/mod.yaml
+++ b/mods/d2k/mod.yaml
@@ -196,6 +196,8 @@ SpriteFormats: R8, ShpTD, TmpRA
 
 VideoFormats: Vqa
 
+TerrainFormat: DefaultTerrain
+
 SpriteSequenceFormat: DefaultSpriteSequence
 
 ModelSequenceFormat: PlaceholderModelSequence
diff --git a/mods/modcontent/mod.yaml b/mods/modcontent/mod.yaml
index 948dcf510b..c01ad6daa7 100644
--- a/mods/modcontent/mod.yaml
+++ b/mods/modcontent/mod.yaml
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ SoundFormats:
 
 SpriteFormats: PngSheet
 
+TerrainFormat: DefaultTerrain
+
 SpriteSequenceFormat: DefaultSpriteSequence
 
 ModelSequenceFormat: PlaceholderModelSequence
diff --git a/mods/ra/mod.yaml b/mods/ra/mod.yaml
index d3d3b3772d..45ad7ee267 100644
--- a/mods/ra/mod.yaml
+++ b/mods/ra/mod.yaml
@@ -220,6 +220,8 @@ SpriteFormats: ShpD2, ShpTD, TmpRA, TmpTD, ShpTS
 
 VideoFormats: Vqa
 
+TerrainFormat: DefaultTerrain
+
 SpriteSequenceFormat: ClassicTilesetSpecificSpriteSequence
 	TilesetExtensions:
 		TEMPERAT: .tem
diff --git a/mods/ts/mod.yaml b/mods/ts/mod.yaml
index a5a604d634..a56fd201da 100644
--- a/mods/ts/mod.yaml
+++ b/mods/ts/mod.yaml
@@ -249,6 +249,8 @@ SpriteFormats: ShpTS, TmpTS, ShpTD
 
 VideoFormats: Vqa
 
+TerrainFormat: DefaultTerrain
+
 SpriteSequenceFormat: TilesetSpecificSpriteSequence
 	TilesetExtensions:
 		TEMPERATE: .tem