diff --git a/game/reconstructed/btplayer.cpp b/game/reconstructed/btplayer.cpp
index 4d3a4c5..9824ab0 100644
--- a/game/reconstructed/btplayer.cpp
+++ b/game/reconstructed/btplayer.cpp
@@ -930,7 +930,21 @@ void
 				playerMission->GetGameModel(),
 				ResourceDescription::ModelListResourceType
 			);
-		Check(mech_res);
+		//
+		// HARDENING (found during the #35 hunt): an unknown vehicle= name in
+		// the egg (a typo, or a corrupted relay rewrite) returned NULL here
+		// and SEGFAULTED on Lock() in release (Check compiles out).  A bad
+		// tag in a served egg would crash EVERY pod -- fail loud instead.
+		//
+		if (mech_res == 0)
+		{
+			DEBUG_STREAM << "[spawn] FATAL: unknown vehicle '"
+				<< (playerMission->GetGameModel()
+					? playerMission->GetGameModel() : "<null>")
+				<< "' in the egg (no such ModelList resource)\n" << std::flush;
+			Fail("unknown vehicle= name in the egg -- check the mission file\n");
+			return;
+		}
 		mech_res->Lock();
 
 		Mech::MakeMessage