diff --git a/libultraship/libultraship/Archive.cpp b/libultraship/libultraship/Archive.cpp
index 67ec8831a..1e8f8d597 100644
--- a/libultraship/libultraship/Archive.cpp
+++ b/libultraship/libultraship/Archive.cpp
@@ -54,11 +54,16 @@ namespace Ship {
 	std::shared_ptr<File> Archive::LoadFile(const std::string& filePath, bool includeParent, std::shared_ptr<File> FileToLoad) {
 		HANDLE fileHandle = NULL;
 
+		if (FileToLoad == nullptr) {
+			FileToLoad = std::make_shared<File>();
+			FileToLoad->path = filePath;
+		}
+
 		if (!SFileOpenFileEx(mainMPQ, filePath.c_str(), 0, &fileHandle)) {
 			SPDLOG_ERROR("({}) Failed to open file {} from mpq archive {}", GetLastError(), filePath.c_str(), MainPath.c_str());
 			std::unique_lock<std::mutex> Lock(FileToLoad->FileLoadMutex);
 			FileToLoad->bHasLoadError = true;
-			return nullptr;
+			return FileToLoad;
 		}
 
 		DWORD dwFileSize = SFileGetFileSize(fileHandle, 0);
@@ -72,18 +77,13 @@ namespace Ship {
 			}
 			std::unique_lock<std::mutex> Lock(FileToLoad->FileLoadMutex);
 			FileToLoad->bHasLoadError = true;
-			return nullptr;
+			return FileToLoad;
 		}
 
 		if (!SFileCloseFile(fileHandle)) {
 			SPDLOG_ERROR("({}) Failed to close file {} from mpq archive {}", GetLastError(), filePath.c_str(), MainPath.c_str());
 		}
 
-		if (FileToLoad == nullptr) {
-			FileToLoad = std::make_shared<File>();
-			FileToLoad->path = filePath;
-		}
-
 		std::unique_lock<std::mutex> Lock(FileToLoad->FileLoadMutex);
 		FileToLoad->parent = includeParent ? shared_from_this() : nullptr;
 		FileToLoad->buffer = fileData;
@@ -97,6 +97,11 @@ namespace Ship {
 		HANDLE fileHandle = NULL;
 		HANDLE mpqHandle = NULL;
 
+		if (FileToLoad == nullptr) {
+			FileToLoad = std::make_shared<File>();
+			FileToLoad->path = filePath;
+		}
+
 		for(auto [path, handle] : mpqHandles) {
 			if (SFileOpenFileEx(mpqHandle, filePath.c_str(), 0, &fileHandle)) {
 				std::unique_lock Lock(FileToLoad->FileLoadMutex);
@@ -121,18 +126,13 @@ namespace Ship {
 			}
 			std::unique_lock<std::mutex> Lock(FileToLoad->FileLoadMutex);
 			FileToLoad->bHasLoadError = true;
-			return nullptr;
+			return FileToLoad;
 		}
 
 		if (!SFileCloseFile(fileHandle)) {
 			SPDLOG_ERROR("({}) Failed to close file {} from mpq archive {}", GetLastError(), filePath.c_str(), MainPath.c_str());
 		}
 
-		if (FileToLoad == nullptr) {
-			FileToLoad = std::make_shared<File>();
-			FileToLoad->path = filePath;
-		}
-
 		std::unique_lock<std::mutex> Lock(FileToLoad->FileLoadMutex);
 		FileToLoad->parent = includeParent ? shared_from_this() : nullptr;
 		FileToLoad->buffer = fileData;