diff --git a/src/dthinker.cpp b/src/dthinker.cpp
index 518bc464e..5605e6c53 100644
--- a/src/dthinker.cpp
+++ b/src/dthinker.cpp
@@ -254,14 +254,14 @@ DThinker::DThinker(no_link_type foo) throw()
 
 DThinker::~DThinker ()
 {
-	assert(NextThinker == NULL && PrevThinker == NULL);
+	assert(NextThinker == nullptr && PrevThinker == nullptr);
 }
 
 void DThinker::OnDestroy ()
 {
-	assert((NextThinker != NULL && PrevThinker != NULL) ||
-		   (NextThinker == NULL && PrevThinker == NULL));
-	if (NextThinker != NULL)
+	assert((NextThinker != nullptr && PrevThinker != nullptr) ||
+		   (NextThinker == nullptr && PrevThinker == nullptr));
+	if (NextThinker != nullptr)
 	{
 		Remove();
 	}
@@ -282,7 +282,8 @@ void DThinker::Remove()
 	}
 	DThinker *prev = PrevThinker;
 	DThinker *next = NextThinker;
-	assert(prev != NULL && next != NULL);
+	if (prev == nullptr && next == nullptr) return;	// This was already removed earlier.
+
 	assert((ObjectFlags & OF_Sentinel) || (prev != this && next != this));
 	assert(prev->NextThinker == this);
 	assert(next->PrevThinker == this);
@@ -290,8 +291,8 @@ void DThinker::Remove()
 	next->PrevThinker = prev;
 	GC::WriteBarrier(prev, next);
 	GC::WriteBarrier(next, prev);
-	NextThinker = NULL;
-	PrevThinker = NULL;
+	NextThinker = nullptr;
+	PrevThinker = nullptr;
 }
 
 //==========================================================================
@@ -423,17 +424,22 @@ void DThinker::MarkRoots()
 void DThinker::DestroyAllThinkers ()
 {
 	int i;
+	bool error = false;
 
 	for (i = 0; i <= MAX_STATNUM; i++)
 	{
 		if (i != STAT_TRAVELLING && i != STAT_STATIC)
 		{
-			DestroyThinkersInList (Thinkers[i]);
-			DestroyThinkersInList (FreshThinkers[i]);
+			error |= DoDestroyThinkersInList (Thinkers[i]);
+			error |= DoDestroyThinkersInList (FreshThinkers[i]);
 		}
 	}
-	DestroyThinkersInList (Thinkers[MAX_STATNUM+1]);
+	error |= DoDestroyThinkersInList (Thinkers[MAX_STATNUM+1]);
 	GC::FullGC();
+	if (error)
+	{
+		I_Error("DestroyAllThinkers failed");
+	}
 }
 
 //==========================================================================
@@ -442,20 +448,70 @@ void DThinker::DestroyAllThinkers ()
 //
 //==========================================================================
 
-void DThinker::DestroyThinkersInList (FThinkerList &list)
+void DThinker::DestroyThinkersInList(FThinkerList &list)
 {
-	if (list.Sentinel != NULL)
+	if (DoDestroyThinkersInList(list))
 	{
-		for (DThinker *node = list.Sentinel->NextThinker; node != list.Sentinel; node = list.Sentinel->NextThinker)
-		{
-			assert(node != NULL);
-			node->Destroy();
-		}
-		list.Sentinel->Destroy();
-		list.Sentinel = NULL;
+		I_Error("DestroyThinkersInList failed");
 	}
 }
 
+//==========================================================================
+//
+//
+//
+//==========================================================================
+
+bool DThinker::DoDestroyThinkersInList (FThinkerList &list)
+{
+	bool error = false;
+	if (list.Sentinel != nullptr)
+	{
+		// Taking down the linked list live is far too dangerous in case something goes wrong. So first copy all elements into an array, take down the list and then destroy them.
+
+		TArray<DThinker *> toDelete;
+		DThinker *node = list.Sentinel->NextThinker;
+		while (node != list.Sentinel)
+		{
+			assert(node != nullptr);
+			auto next = node->NextThinker;
+			toDelete.Push(node);
+			node->NextThinker = node->PrevThinker = nullptr;	// clear the links
+			node = next;
+		}
+		list.Sentinel->NextThinker = list.Sentinel->PrevThinker = nullptr;
+		list.Sentinel->Destroy();
+		list.Sentinel = nullptr;
+		for(auto node : toDelete)
+		{
+			// We must intercept all exceptions so that we can continue deleting the list.
+			try
+			{
+				node->Destroy();
+			}
+			catch (CVMAbortException &exception)
+			{
+				Printf("VM exception in DestroyThinkers:\n");
+				exception.MaybePrintMessage();
+				Printf("%s", exception.stacktrace.GetChars());
+				// forcibly delete this. Cleanup may be incomplete, though.
+				node->ObjectFlags |= OF_YesReallyDelete;
+				delete node;
+				error = true; 
+			}
+			catch (CRecoverableError &exception)
+			{
+				Printf("Error in DestroyThinkers: %s\n", exception.GetMessage());
+				// forcibly delete this. Cleanup may be incomplete, though.
+				node->ObjectFlags |= OF_YesReallyDelete;
+				delete node;
+				error = true;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return error;
+}
+
 //==========================================================================
 //
 //
diff --git a/src/dthinker.h b/src/dthinker.h
index c9a2f7ba1..4ee5b3d80 100644
--- a/src/dthinker.h
+++ b/src/dthinker.h
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ public:
 	DThinker(no_link_type) throw();
 private:
 	static void DestroyThinkersInList (FThinkerList &list);
+	static bool DoDestroyThinkersInList(FThinkerList &list);
 	static int TickThinkers (FThinkerList *list, FThinkerList *dest);	// Returns: # of thinkers ticked
 	static int ProfileThinkers(FThinkerList *list, FThinkerList *dest);
 	static void SaveList(FSerializer &arc, DThinker *node);