diff --git a/src/common/bindings/bind_faction.c b/src/common/bindings/bind_faction.c
index 821ce76c1..1f2a6c3bd 100644
--- a/src/common/bindings/bind_faction.c
+++ b/src/common/bindings/bind_faction.c
@@ -327,6 +327,9 @@ tolua_faction_create(lua_State* L)
   if (frace!=NULL) {
     f = addfaction(email, NULL, frace, loc, 0);
   }
+  if (!f) {
+    log_error(("faction.create(%s, %s, %s)\n", email, racename, lang));
+  }
   tolua_pushusertype(L, f, TOLUA_CAST "faction");
   return 1;
 }
diff --git a/src/common/bindings/bind_gmtool.c b/src/common/bindings/bind_gmtool.c
index b8f6d8445..6b57d1740 100644
--- a/src/common/bindings/bind_gmtool.c
+++ b/src/common/bindings/bind_gmtool.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ tolua_select_region(lua_State* L)
 {
   region * r = tolua_tousertype(L, 1, 0);
   int select = tolua_toboolean(L, 2, 0);
-  if (current_state) {
+  if (current_state && r) {
     select_coordinate(current_state->selected, r->x, r->y, select);
   }
   return 0;
diff --git a/src/common/bindings/bind_message.c b/src/common/bindings/bind_message.c
index 1ea31ebdf..4f5b755a2 100644
--- a/src/common/bindings/bind_message.c
+++ b/src/common/bindings/bind_message.c
@@ -171,6 +171,9 @@ msg_set_int(lua_message * msg, const char * param, int value)
 int 
 msg_send_faction(lua_message * msg, faction * f)
 {
+  assert(f);
+  assert(msg);
+
   if (msg->mtype) {
     if (msg->msg==NULL) {
       msg->msg = msg_create(msg->mtype, msg->args);
@@ -303,9 +306,12 @@ tolua_msg_send_faction(lua_State * L)
 {
   lua_message * lmsg = (lua_message *)tolua_tousertype(L, 1, 0);
   faction * f = (faction *)tolua_tousertype(L, 2, 0);
-  int result = msg_send_faction(lmsg, f);
-  tolua_pushnumber(L, (lua_Number)result);
-  return 1;
+  if (f && lmsg) {
+    int result = msg_send_faction(lmsg, f);
+    tolua_pushnumber(L, (lua_Number)result);
+    return 1;
+  }
+  return 0;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/common/bindings/bind_region.c b/src/common/bindings/bind_region.c
index c2ee6bc03..e8d38c527 100644
--- a/src/common/bindings/bind_region.c
+++ b/src/common/bindings/bind_region.c
@@ -387,6 +387,9 @@ tolua_region_create(lua_State* L)
     plane * pl = findplane(x, y);
     const terrain_type * terrain = get_terrain(tname);
     region * r, * result;
+    if (!terrain) {
+      return 0;
+    }
 
     assert(!pnormalize(&x, &y, pl));
     r = result = findregion(x, y);
diff --git a/src/common/bindings/bindings.c b/src/common/bindings/bindings.c
index ef75534fa..150b1ce16 100644
--- a/src/common/bindings/bindings.c
+++ b/src/common/bindings/bindings.c
@@ -977,7 +977,8 @@ int
 tolua_read_xml(lua_State* L)
 {
   const char * filename = tolua_tostring(L, 1, 0);
-  init_data(filename);
+  const char * catalog = tolua_tostring(L, 2, 0);
+  init_data(filename, catalog);
   return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/common/gamecode/laws.c b/src/common/gamecode/laws.c
index 44eaaa333..56a53ea59 100644
--- a/src/common/gamecode/laws.c
+++ b/src/common/gamecode/laws.c
@@ -1007,16 +1007,18 @@ inactivefaction(faction * f)
   FILE *inactiveFILE;
   char zText[128];
 
-  sprintf(zText, "%s/%s", datapath(), "/inactive");
+  sprintf(zText, "%s/%s", datapath(), "inactive");
   inactiveFILE = fopen(zText, "a");
 
-  fprintf(inactiveFILE, "%s:%s:%d:%d\n",
-    factionid(f),
-    LOC(default_locale, rc_name(f->race, 1)),
-    modify(count_all(f)),
-    turn - f->lastorders);
+  if (inactiveFILE) {
+    fprintf(inactiveFILE, "%s:%s:%d:%d\n",
+      factionid(f),
+      LOC(default_locale, rc_name(f->race, 1)),
+      modify(count_all(f)),
+      turn - f->lastorders);
 
-  fclose(inactiveFILE);
+    fclose(inactiveFILE);
+  }
 }
 
 static void
@@ -4205,11 +4207,11 @@ update_subscriptions(void)
 }
 
 int
-init_data(const char * filename)
+init_data(const char * filename, const char * catalog)
 {
   int l;
 
-  l = read_xml(filename);
+  l = read_xml(filename, catalog);
   if (l) return l;
 
   init_locales();
diff --git a/src/common/gamecode/laws.h b/src/common/gamecode/laws.h
index 3a1939bfe..dab293a76 100644
--- a/src/common/gamecode/laws.h
+++ b/src/common/gamecode/laws.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ void find_address(void);
 void update_guards(void);
 void update_subscriptions(void);
 void deliverMail(struct faction * f, struct region * r, struct unit * u, const char *s, struct unit * receiver);
-int init_data(const char * filename);
+int init_data(const char * filename, const char * catalog);
 
 /* eressea-specific. put somewhere else, please. */
 void processorders(void);
diff --git a/src/common/kernel/item.c b/src/common/kernel/item.c
index ba69a3ea1..fd9241932 100644
--- a/src/common/kernel/item.c
+++ b/src/common/kernel/item.c
@@ -761,10 +761,10 @@ init_olditems(void)
     /* item is defined in XML file, but IT_XYZ enum still in use */
     const item_type * itype = it_find(itemnames[i]);
 
-    assert(itype);
-    olditemtype[i] = itype;
-    oldresourcetype[i] = itype->rtype;
-    continue;
+    if (itype) {
+      olditemtype[i] = itype;
+      oldresourcetype[i] = itype->rtype;
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/common/kernel/region.c b/src/common/kernel/region.c
index 3e86a163a..ada1e5884 100644
--- a/src/common/kernel/region.c
+++ b/src/common/kernel/region.c
@@ -1191,8 +1191,10 @@ terraform_region(region * r, const terrain_type * terrain)
 {
   /* Resourcen, die nicht mehr vorkommen können, löschen */
   const terrain_type * oldterrain = r->terrain;
-
   rawmaterial  **lrm = &r->resources;
+
+  assert(terrain);
+
   while (*lrm) {
     rawmaterial *rm = *lrm;
     const resource_type * rtype = NULL;
diff --git a/src/common/util/xml.c b/src/common/util/xml.c
index 65b6fbaec..e05019d7e 100644
--- a/src/common/util/xml.c
+++ b/src/common/util/xml.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 /* util includes */
 #include "log.h"
 
+#include <libxml/catalog.h>
 #include <libxml/xmlstring.h>
 
 /* libc includes */
@@ -105,11 +106,14 @@ xml_register_callback(xml_callback callback)
 }
 
 int
-read_xml(const char * filename)
+read_xml(const char * filename, const char * catalog)
 {
   xml_reader * reader = xmlReaders;
   xmlDocPtr doc;
 
+  if (catalog) {
+    xmlLoadCatalog(catalog);
+  }
 #ifdef XML_PARSE_XINCLUDE
   doc = xmlReadFile(filename, NULL, XML_PARSE_XINCLUDE);
 #else
diff --git a/src/common/util/xml.h b/src/common/util/xml.h
index e3242caf6..540b886e9 100644
--- a/src/common/util/xml.h
+++ b/src/common/util/xml.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ extern "C" {
 
   typedef int (*xml_callback)(xmlDocPtr);
   extern void xml_register_callback(xml_callback callback);
-  extern int read_xml(const char * filename);
+  extern int read_xml(const char * filename, const char * catalog);
   extern double xml_fvalue(xmlNodePtr node, const char * name, double dflt);
   extern int xml_ivalue(xmlNodePtr node, const char * name, int dflt);
   extern boolean xml_bvalue(xmlNodePtr node, const char * name, boolean dflt);