diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Map/Map.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Map/Map.cs
index 946ad1c90d..0389a49199 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Map/Map.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Map/Map.cs
@@ -355,14 +355,16 @@ namespace OpenRA
 					throw new InvalidDataException("Invalid tile data");
 
 				// Load tile data
+				var data = dataStream.ReadBytes(MapSize.X * MapSize.Y * 3);
+				var d = 0;
 				for (int i = 0; i < MapSize.X; i++)
 					for (int j = 0; j < MapSize.Y; j++)
 					{
-						var tile = dataStream.ReadUInt16();
-						var index = dataStream.ReadUInt8();
+						var tile = BitConverter.ToUInt16(data, d);
+						d += 2;
+						var index = data[d++];
 						if (index == byte.MaxValue)
 							index = (byte)(i % 4 + (j % 4) * 4);
-
 						tiles[i, j] = new TileReference<ushort, byte>(tile, index);
 					}
 			}
@@ -389,14 +391,12 @@ namespace OpenRA
 				// Skip past tile data
 				dataStream.Seek(3 * MapSize.X * MapSize.Y, SeekOrigin.Current);
 
+				var data = dataStream.ReadBytes(MapSize.X * MapSize.Y * 2);
+				var d = 0;
 				// Load resource data
 				for (var i = 0; i < MapSize.X; i++)
 					for (var j = 0; j < MapSize.Y; j++)
-				{
-					var type = dataStream.ReadUInt8();
-					var index = dataStream.ReadUInt8();
-					resources[i, j] = new TileReference<byte, byte>(type, index);
-				}
+						resources[i, j] = new TileReference<byte, byte>(data[d++], data[d++]);
 			}
 
 			return resources;
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Map/MapCache.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Map/MapCache.cs
index 9eba996f5b..dc986a2a5b 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Map/MapCache.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Map/MapCache.cs
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 				List<MapPreview> todo;
 				lock (syncRoot)
 				{
-					todo = generateMinimap.Where(p => p.Minimap == null).ToList();
+					todo = generateMinimap.Where(p => p.GetMinimap() == null).ToList();
 					generateMinimap.Clear();
 				}
 				if (todo.Count == 0)
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 					//       the next render cycle.
 					//   (d) Any partially written bytes from the next minimap is in an
 					//       unallocated area, and will be committed in the next cycle.
-					p.Minimap = sheetBuilder.Add(bitmap);
+					p.SetMinimap(sheetBuilder.Add(bitmap));
 
 					// Yuck... But this helps the UI Jank when opening the map selector significantly.
 					Thread.Sleep(Environment.ProcessorCount == 1 ? 25 : 5);
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Map/MapPreview.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Map/MapPreview.cs
index 7e33da92d8..e0c686303a 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Map/MapPreview.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Map/MapPreview.cs
@@ -69,27 +69,24 @@ namespace OpenRA
 
 		Sprite minimap;
 		bool generatingMinimap;
-		public Sprite Minimap
+		public Sprite GetMinimap()
 		{
-			get
+			if (minimap != null)
+				return minimap;
+
+			if (!generatingMinimap && Status == MapStatus.Available)
 			{
-				if (minimap != null)
-					return minimap;
-
-				if (!generatingMinimap && Status == MapStatus.Available)
-				{
-					generatingMinimap = true;
-					cache.CacheMinimap(this);
-				}
-
-				return null;
+				generatingMinimap = true;
+				cache.CacheMinimap(this);
 			}
 
-			set
-			{
-				minimap = value;
-				generatingMinimap = false;
-			}
+			return null;
+		}
+
+		public void SetMinimap(Sprite minimap)
+		{
+			this.minimap = minimap;
+			generatingMinimap = false;
 		}
 
 		public MapPreview(string uid, MapCache cache)
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/MapPreviewWidget.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/MapPreviewWidget.cs
index f047b77c16..b16d892af6 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/MapPreviewWidget.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Widgets/MapPreviewWidget.cs
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Widgets
 
 			// Stash a copy of the minimap to ensure consistency
 			// (it may be modified by another thread)
-			minimap = preview.Minimap;
+			minimap = preview.GetMinimap();
 			if (minimap == null)
 				return;
 
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Logic/MapChooserLogic.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Logic/MapChooserLogic.cs
index ebf0b594a7..1e360e5bbf 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Logic/MapChooserLogic.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.RA/Widgets/Logic/MapChooserLogic.cs
@@ -96,7 +96,12 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA.Widgets.Logic
 			foreach (var loop in maps)
 			{
 				var preview = loop;
+
+				// Access the minimap to trigger async generation of the minimap.
+				preview.GetMinimap();
+
 				var item = ScrollItemWidget.Setup(preview.Uid, itemTemplate, () => selectedUid == preview.Uid, () => selectedUid = preview.Uid, () => { Ui.CloseWindow(); onSelect(preview.Uid); });
+				item.IsVisible = () => item.RenderBounds.IntersectsWith(scrollpanel.RenderBounds);
 
 				var titleLabel = item.Get<LabelWidget>("TITLE");
 				titleLabel.GetText = () => preview.Title;
@@ -105,11 +110,6 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.RA.Widgets.Logic
 				previewWidget.IgnoreMouseOver = true;
 				previewWidget.IgnoreMouseInput = true;
 				previewWidget.Preview = () => preview;
-				previewWidget.IsVisible = () => previewWidget.RenderBounds.IntersectsWith(scrollpanel.RenderBounds);
-
-				var previewLoadingWidget = item.GetOrNull<BackgroundWidget>("PREVIEW_PLACEHOLDER");
-				if (previewLoadingWidget != null)
-					previewLoadingWidget.IsVisible = () => !previewWidget.Loaded;
 
 				var detailsWidget = item.GetOrNull<LabelWidget>("DETAILS");
 				if (detailsWidget != null)
diff --git a/mods/cnc/chrome/mapchooser.yaml b/mods/cnc/chrome/mapchooser.yaml
index 15deb5d0e7..02cf381bfc 100644
--- a/mods/cnc/chrome/mapchooser.yaml
+++ b/mods/cnc/chrome/mapchooser.yaml
@@ -43,13 +43,6 @@ Container@MAPCHOOSER_PANEL:
 							Y: 0
 							Visible: false
 							Children:
-								Background@PREVIEW_PLACEHOLDER:
-									X: (PARENT_RIGHT - WIDTH)/2
-									Y: 4
-									Width: 173
-									Height: 173
-									Background: panel-black
-									ClickThrough: false
 								MapPreview@PREVIEW:
 									X: (PARENT_RIGHT - WIDTH)/2
 									Y: 4
diff --git a/mods/ra/chrome/map-chooser.yaml b/mods/ra/chrome/map-chooser.yaml
index 500ed1f432..210dc251c2 100644
--- a/mods/ra/chrome/map-chooser.yaml
+++ b/mods/ra/chrome/map-chooser.yaml
@@ -26,13 +26,6 @@ Background@MAPCHOOSER_PANEL:
 					Y: 0
 					Visible: false
 					Children:
-						Background@PREVIEW_PLACEHOLDER:
-							X: (PARENT_RIGHT - WIDTH)/2
-							Y: 4
-							Width: 184
-							Height: 184
-							Background: dialog3
-							ClickThrough: true
 						MapPreview@PREVIEW:
 							X: (PARENT_RIGHT - WIDTH)/2
 							Y: 4