diff --git a/Ja2/Init.cpp b/Ja2/Init.cpp
index 605a13a7b..44a90d769 100644
--- a/Ja2/Init.cpp
+++ b/Ja2/Init.cpp
@@ -438,11 +438,13 @@ BOOLEAN LoadExternalGameplayData(STR directoryName, BOOLEAN isMultiplayer)
 		if (isMultiplayer == false)
 		{
 			using namespace LogicalBodyTypes;
-			SGP_THROW_IFFALSE(Layers::Instance().LoadFromFile(directoryName, LBT_LAYERSFILENAME), LBT_LAYERSFILENAME);
-			SGP_THROW_IFFALSE(PaletteDB::Instance().LoadFromFile(directoryName, LBT_PALETTESFILENAME), LBT_PALETTESFILENAME);
-			SGP_THROW_IFFALSE(SurfaceDB::Instance().LoadFromFile(directoryName, LBT_ANIMSURFACESFILENAME), LBT_ANIMSURFACESFILENAME);
-			SGP_THROW_IFFALSE(FilterDB::Instance().LoadFromFile(directoryName, LBT_FILTERSFILENAME), LBT_FILTERSFILENAME);
-			SGP_THROW_IFFALSE(BodyTypeDB::Instance().LoadFromFile(directoryName, LBT_BODYTYPESFILENAME), LBT_BODYTYPESFILENAME);
+			CHAR8 errorBuf[512]{"Failed loading LogicalBodyTypes external data!"};
+
+			SGP_THROW_IFFALSE(Layers::Instance().LoadFromFile(directoryName, LBT_LAYERSFILENAME, errorBuf), errorBuf);
+			SGP_THROW_IFFALSE(PaletteDB::Instance().LoadFromFile(directoryName, LBT_PALETTESFILENAME, errorBuf), errorBuf);
+			SGP_THROW_IFFALSE(SurfaceDB::Instance().LoadFromFile(directoryName, LBT_ANIMSURFACESFILENAME, errorBuf), errorBuf);
+			SGP_THROW_IFFALSE(FilterDB::Instance().LoadFromFile(directoryName, LBT_FILTERSFILENAME, errorBuf), errorBuf);
+			SGP_THROW_IFFALSE(BodyTypeDB::Instance().LoadFromFile(directoryName, LBT_BODYTYPESFILENAME, errorBuf), errorBuf);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/Tactical/LogicalBodyTypes/AbstractXMLLoader.cpp b/Tactical/LogicalBodyTypes/AbstractXMLLoader.cpp
index ab1822599..93d746720 100644
--- a/Tactical/LogicalBodyTypes/AbstractXMLLoader.cpp
+++ b/Tactical/LogicalBodyTypes/AbstractXMLLoader.cpp
@@ -24,14 +24,15 @@ AbstractXMLLoader::ParseData* AbstractXMLLoader::MakeParseData(XML_Parser* parse
 	return new ParseData(parser);
 }
 
-bool AbstractXMLLoader::LoadFromFile(const char* directoryName, const char* fileName) {
+bool AbstractXMLLoader::LoadFromFile(const char* directoryName, const char* fileName, CHAR8* errorBuf) {
 	HWFILE hFile;
 	UINT32 uiBytesRead;
 	UINT32 uiFSize;
 	CHAR8* lpcBuffer;
 	char fileNameFull[MAX_PATH + 1];
 	if (strlen(fileName) + strlen(directoryName) >= MAX_PATH) {
-		LiveMessage("Can't load file. Concatinated filename too long for buffer!");
+		sprintf(errorBuf, "Can't load file %s%s, Concatenated filename too long for buffer!", directoryName, fileName);
+		LiveMessage(errorBuf);
 		return false;
 	}
 	SetDirectoryName(directoryName);
@@ -46,12 +47,14 @@ bool AbstractXMLLoader::LoadFromFile(const char* directoryName, const char* file
 	DebugMsg(TOPIC_JA2, DBG_LEVEL_3, msg.c_str());
 	hFile = FileOpen(fileNameFull, FILE_ACCESS_READ, FALSE);
 	if (!hFile) {
+		sprintf(errorBuf, "Can't open %s", fileNameFull);
 		delete data;
 		return false;
 	}
 	uiFSize = FileGetSize(hFile);
 	lpcBuffer = (CHAR8*)MemAlloc(uiFSize + 1);
 	if (!FileRead(hFile, lpcBuffer, uiFSize, &uiBytesRead)) {
+		sprintf(errorBuf, "Error reading %s to buffer", fileNameFull);
 		MemFree(lpcBuffer);
 		delete data;
 		return false;
@@ -72,7 +75,6 @@ bool AbstractXMLLoader::LoadFromFile(const char* directoryName, const char* file
 
 	try {
 		if (!XML_Parse(parser, lpcBuffer, uiFSize, TRUE)) {
-			CHAR8 errorBuf[512];
 			sprintf(errorBuf, "XML Parser Error in %s[%d]: %s", fileNameFull, XML_GetCurrentLineNumber(parser), XML_ErrorString(XML_GetErrorCode(parser)));
 			LiveMessage(errorBuf);
 			MemFree(lpcBuffer);
@@ -80,7 +82,6 @@ bool AbstractXMLLoader::LoadFromFile(const char* directoryName, const char* file
 			return false;
 		}
 	} catch (XMLParseException e) {
-		CHAR8 errorBuf[512];
 		sprintf(errorBuf, "XML Parser Exception in %s[%d]: %s", fileNameFull, e._LINE, e.what());
 		LiveMessage(errorBuf);
 		MemFree(lpcBuffer);
diff --git a/Tactical/LogicalBodyTypes/AbstractXMLLoader.h b/Tactical/LogicalBodyTypes/AbstractXMLLoader.h
index 765c127bc..20749ba0e 100644
--- a/Tactical/LogicalBodyTypes/AbstractXMLLoader.h
+++ b/Tactical/LogicalBodyTypes/AbstractXMLLoader.h
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ class AbstractXMLLoader : public ISingleton<AbstractXMLLoader>
 public:
 	AbstractXMLLoader(XML_StartElementHandler startHandler, XML_EndElementHandler endHandler, XML_CharacterDataHandler charHandler, ParseDataFactoryFunc parseDataFactF = MakeParseData);
 	~AbstractXMLLoader(void);
-	bool LoadFromFile(const char* directoryName, const char* fileName);
+	bool LoadFromFile(const char* directoryName, const char* fileName, CHAR8* errorBuf);
 	const char* GetFileName();
 	const char* GetDirectoryName();
 	void SetFileName(const char* fileName);