diff --git a/src/genworld.cpp b/src/genworld.cpp
index d1955f27d6..07f98fa589 100644
--- a/src/genworld.cpp
+++ b/src/genworld.cpp
@@ -284,13 +284,13 @@ void GenerateWorld(GenerateWorldMode mode, uint size_x, uint size_y)
 	/* Set the date before loading sprites as some newgrfs check it */
 	SetDate(ConvertYMDToDate(_settings_game.game_creation.starting_year, 0, 1));
 
+	InitializeGame(_gw.size_x, _gw.size_y, false);
+	PrepareGenerateWorldProgress();
+
 	/* Load the right landscape stuff */
 	GfxLoadSprites();
 	LoadStringWidthTable();
 
-	InitializeGame(_gw.size_x, _gw.size_y, false);
-	PrepareGenerateWorldProgress();
-
 	/* Re-init the windowing system */
 	ResetWindowSystem();
 
diff --git a/src/openttd.cpp b/src/openttd.cpp
index 85c51cce77..21b9ed4d95 100644
--- a/src/openttd.cpp
+++ b/src/openttd.cpp
@@ -649,6 +649,10 @@ int ttd_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	InitializeGUI();
 	IConsoleCmdExec("exec scripts/autoexec.scr 0");
 
+	/* Initialise the sprite/string tables. */
+	GfxLoadSprites();
+	LoadStringWidthTable();
+
 	GenerateWorld(GW_EMPTY, 64, 64); // Make the viewport initialization happy
 	WaitTillGeneratedWorld();