diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/CoreSheetBuilder.cs b/OpenRa.Game/CoreSheetBuilder.cs
index 98280ef331..ad0ec61b75 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/CoreSheetBuilder.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/CoreSheetBuilder.cs
@@ -24,6 +24,15 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			Util.CopyIntoChannel(rect, src);
 			return rect;
 		}
+
+		public static SheetRectangle<Sheet> Add(Size size, byte paletteIndex)
+		{
+			byte[] data = new byte[size.Width * size.Height];
+			for (int i = 0; i < data.Length; i++)
+				data[i] = paletteIndex;
+
+			return Add(data, size);
+		}
 	}
 
 	static class SpriteSheetBuilder
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs
index 7a6b992c2f..8ca5129a05 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Sidebar.cs
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			package = new Package("../../../hires.mix");
 			LoadSprites("../../../buildings.txt");
 			LoadSprites("../../../units.txt");
+
+			sprites.Add("BLANK", CoreSheetBuilder.Add(new Size(64, 48), 16));
 			techTree.CurrentRace = race;
 		}
 
@@ -69,7 +71,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Game
 			}
 			while (y2 < clientSize.Height)
 			{
-				Sprite sprite = sprites["DOG"];
+				Sprite sprite = sprites["BLANK"];
 				PointF location = new PointF(clientSize.Width - 64 + scrollOffset.X, y2 + scrollOffset.Y);
 				spriteRenderer.DrawSprite(sprite, location);
 				y2 += 48;