diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/SaveGame/GameState.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/SaveGame/GameState.cpp
index f46cb876301..9e8cc41dbac 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/SaveGame/GameState.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/SaveGame/GameState.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include "Common/GameEngine.h"
 #include "Common/GameState.h"
 #include "Common/GameStateMap.h"
+#include "Common/GlobalData.h"
 #include "Common/LatchRestore.h"
 #include "Common/MapObject.h"
 #include "Common/PlayerList.h"
@@ -563,7 +564,8 @@ SaveCode GameState::saveGame( AsciiString filename, UnicodeString desc,
 		xferSave.open( filepath );
 	} catch(...) {
 		// print error message to the user
-		TheInGameUI->message( "GUI:Error" );
+		if (TheGlobalData && !TheGlobalData->m_headless)
+			TheInGameUI->message( "GUI:Error" );
 		DEBUG_LOG(( "Error opening file '%s'", filepath.str() ));
 		return SC_ERROR;
 	}
@@ -593,13 +595,16 @@ SaveCode GameState::saveGame( AsciiString filename, UnicodeString desc,
 	catch( ... )
 	{
 
-		UnicodeString ufilepath;
-		ufilepath.translate(filepath);
+		if (TheGlobalData && !TheGlobalData->m_headless)
+		{
+			UnicodeString ufilepath;
+			ufilepath.translate(filepath);
 
-		UnicodeString msg;
-		msg.format( TheGameText->fetch("GUI:ErrorSavingGame"), ufilepath.str() );
+			UnicodeString msg;
+			msg.format( TheGameText->fetch("GUI:ErrorSavingGame"), ufilepath.str() );
 
-		MessageBoxOk(TheGameText->fetch("GUI:Error"), msg, nullptr);
+			MessageBoxOk(TheGameText->fetch("GUI:Error"), msg, nullptr);
+		}
 
 		// close the file and get out of here
 		xferSave.close();
@@ -611,8 +616,11 @@ SaveCode GameState::saveGame( AsciiString filename, UnicodeString desc,
 	xferSave.close();
 
 	// print message to the user for game successfully saved
-	UnicodeString msg = TheGameText->fetch( "GUI:GameSaveComplete" );
-	TheInGameUI->message( msg );
+	if (TheGlobalData && !TheGlobalData->m_headless)
+	{
+		UnicodeString msg = TheGameText->fetch( "GUI:GameSaveComplete" );
+		TheInGameUI->message( msg );
+	}
 
 	return SC_OK;
 
@@ -719,13 +727,16 @@ SaveCode GameState::loadGame( AvailableGameInfo gameInfo )
 		TheGameEngine->reset();
 
 		// print error message to the user
-		UnicodeString ufilepath;
-		ufilepath.translate(filepath);
+		if (TheGlobalData && !TheGlobalData->m_headless)
+		{
+			UnicodeString ufilepath;
+			ufilepath.translate(filepath);
 
-		UnicodeString msg;
-		msg.format( TheGameText->fetch("GUI:ErrorLoadingGame"), ufilepath.str() );
+			UnicodeString msg;
+			msg.format( TheGameText->fetch("GUI:ErrorLoadingGame"), ufilepath.str() );
 
-		MessageBoxOk(TheGameText->fetch("GUI:Error"), msg, nullptr);
+			MessageBoxOk(TheGameText->fetch("GUI:Error"), msg, nullptr);
+		}
 
 		return SC_INVALID_DATA;	// you can't use a naked "throw" outside of a catch statement!
 
@@ -1365,6 +1376,24 @@ void GameState::xferSaveData( Xfer *xfer, SnapshotType which )
 
 			DEBUG_LOG(("Looking at block '%s'", blockName.str()));
 
+			// Skip blocks with nullptr snapshot (can happen in headless mode)
+			if( blockInfo->snapshot == nullptr )
+			{
+				DEBUG_LOG(("Skipping block '%s' because snapshot is nullptr", blockName.str()));
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			// Skip visual-only blocks when saving in headless mode
+			if( TheGlobalData && TheGlobalData->m_headless &&
+				(blockName.compareNoCase( "CHUNK_TerrainVisual" ) == 0 ||
+				 blockName.compareNoCase( "CHUNK_TacticalView" ) == 0 ||
+				 blockName.compareNoCase( "CHUNK_ParticleSystem" ) == 0 ||
+				 blockName.compareNoCase( "CHUNK_GhostObject" ) == 0) )
+			{
+				DEBUG_LOG(("Skipping block '%s' in headless mode", blockName.str()));
+				continue;
+			}
+
 			//
 			// for mission save files, we only save the game state block and campaign manager
 			// because anything else is not needed.
@@ -1455,6 +1484,15 @@ void GameState::xferSaveData( Xfer *xfer, SnapshotType which )
 
 				}
 
+				// Skip blocks with nullptr snapshot (can happen in headless mode)
+				if( blockInfo->snapshot == nullptr )
+				{
+					DEBUG_LOG(("Skipping block '%s' because snapshot is nullptr", blockInfo->blockName.str()));
+					Int dataSize = xfer->beginBlock();
+					xfer->skip( dataSize );
+					continue;
+				}
+
 				try
 				{