diff --git a/MUNGA/APP.cpp b/MUNGA/APP.cpp
index e6eb8f1..24f0344 100644
--- a/MUNGA/APP.cpp
+++ b/MUNGA/APP.cpp
@@ -1386,15 +1386,22 @@ void
 
 			console_host = GetHostManager()->GetConsoleHost();
 			if (
-				(console_host == NULL) ||
+				!gConsoleMarshalsLaunch &&
 				(
-					console_host != NULL &&
-					console_host->GetConnectStatus() != Host::OnLineConnectionStatus
+					(console_host == NULL) ||
+					(
+						console_host != NULL &&
+						console_host->GetConnectStatus() != Host::OnLineConnectionStatus
+					)
 				)
 			)
 			{
 				//
-				// In the absence of the console just post the message to run
+				// In the absence of the console just post the message to
+				// run. An IN-PROCESS console (hosted network race) has no
+				// connection to this pod but still owns the launch - the
+				// gConsoleMarshalsLaunch flag holds us at WaitingForLaunch
+				// until every pod in the mesh is staged.
 				//
 				RunMissionMessage run_mission_message;
 				Post(DefaultEventPriority, this, &run_mission_message);
diff --git a/MUNGA/APPMGR.cpp b/MUNGA/APPMGR.cpp
index 0ba1bd5..390aae2 100644
--- a/MUNGA/APPMGR.cpp
+++ b/MUNGA/APPMGR.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ HWND ghWnd = 0;
 // the single-player local-console marshal here
 void (*gPerFrameHook)() = NULL;
 
+// an in-process console owns the launch (hosted network races)
+Logical gConsoleMarshalsLaunch = False;
+
 ApplicationManager* ApplicationManager::CurrentAppManager = NULL;
 
 ApplicationManager::ApplicationManager(HINSTANCE hInstance, HWND hWnd, Scalar frame_rate) : Node(ApplicationManagerClassID), runningApplications(this)
diff --git a/MUNGA/APPMGR.h b/MUNGA/APPMGR.h
index dc7f64b..eac4952 100644
--- a/MUNGA/APPMGR.h
+++ b/MUNGA/APPMGR.h
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@ extern HWND ghWnd;
 // foreground pass (the single-player local-console marshal uses this)
 extern void (*gPerFrameHook)();
 
+// True when an in-process console marshals the launch: suppresses the
+// no-console self-run in CheckLoadMessageHandler so a hosted network
+// race stages at WaitingForLaunch until every pod is ready. Plain
+// single player leaves it False and auto-runs exactly as always.
+extern Logical gConsoleMarshalsLaunch;
+
 class ApplicationManager : public Node
 {
 public:
diff --git a/RP_L4/RPL4.CPP b/RP_L4/RPL4.CPP
index fe37a4f..1048cdd 100644
--- a/RP_L4/RPL4.CPP
+++ b/RP_L4/RPL4.CPP
@@ -68,6 +68,42 @@ const char* const ProgName = "rpl4";
 Application *rpl4App;
 HWND hWnd;
 
+//
+// Unhandled-exception minidump: rpl4crash.dmp lands beside the exe so
+// a crash on a test machine hands back a stack. dbghelp loads lazily -
+// no link-time dependency.
+//
+static LONG WINAPI RPL4CrashDumpFilter(EXCEPTION_POINTERS *exception)
+{
+	HMODULE dbghelp = LoadLibraryA("dbghelp.dll");
+	if (dbghelp != NULL)
+	{
+		typedef BOOL (WINAPI *MiniDumpWriteDumpFn)(
+			HANDLE, DWORD, HANDLE, MINIDUMP_TYPE,
+			PMINIDUMP_EXCEPTION_INFORMATION,
+			PMINIDUMP_USER_STREAM_INFORMATION,
+			PMINIDUMP_CALLBACK_INFORMATION);
+		MiniDumpWriteDumpFn write_dump =
+			(MiniDumpWriteDumpFn) GetProcAddress(dbghelp, "MiniDumpWriteDump");
+		if (write_dump != NULL)
+		{
+			HANDLE file = CreateFileA("rpl4crash.dmp", GENERIC_WRITE, 0,
+				NULL, CREATE_ALWAYS, FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL, NULL);
+			if (file != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
+			{
+				MINIDUMP_EXCEPTION_INFORMATION dump_info;
+				dump_info.ThreadId = GetCurrentThreadId();
+				dump_info.ExceptionPointers = exception;
+				dump_info.ClientPointers = FALSE;
+				write_dump(GetCurrentProcess(), GetCurrentProcessId(), file,
+					MiniDumpNormal, &dump_info, NULL, NULL);
+				CloseHandle(file);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return EXCEPTION_CONTINUE_SEARCH;
+}
+
 LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hWnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
 {
 	switch (uMsg)
@@ -91,6 +127,8 @@ int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine
    logfile.open(filename);
    std::cout.rdbuf(logfile.rdbuf());
 
+	SetUnhandledExceptionFilter(RPL4CrashDumpFilter);
+
    // load up our environment variables
    //controls
    if(getenv("L4CONTROLS") == NULL)
diff --git a/RP_L4/RPL4CONSOLE.cpp b/RP_L4/RPL4CONSOLE.cpp
index 3d302f4..a4514a6 100644
--- a/RP_L4/RPL4CONSOLE.cpp
+++ b/RP_L4/RPL4CONSOLE.cpp
@@ -531,6 +531,8 @@ void
 	gNetworkRace = False;
 	gRemotePodCount = 0;
 	gPilotNameCount = 0;
+	// single player launches itself (the engine's no-console self-run)
+	gConsoleMarshalsLaunch = False;
 	InstallCommon(mission_seconds);
 }
 
@@ -546,6 +548,10 @@ Logical
 	gRemotePodCount = 0;
 	gPilotNameCount = 0;
 
+	// the owner pod must stage at WaitingForLaunch with everyone else -
+	// this console launches the whole mesh at once
+	gConsoleMarshalsLaunch = True;
+
 	strncpy(gEggPath, egg_path, sizeof(gEggPath) - 1);
 	gEggPath[sizeof(gEggPath) - 1] = '\0';