diff --git a/src/g_statusbar/sbarinfo.cpp b/src/g_statusbar/sbarinfo.cpp
index 1846ecbc69..d048ffc0e4 100644
--- a/src/g_statusbar/sbarinfo.cpp
+++ b/src/g_statusbar/sbarinfo.cpp
@@ -1576,8 +1576,7 @@ DEFINE_ACTION_FUNCTION(DSBarInfo, GetProtrusion)
 DBaseStatusBar *CreateCustomStatusBar(int scriptno)
 {
 	auto script = SBarInfoScript[scriptno];
-	if (script == NULL)
-		I_FatalError("Tried to create a status bar with no script!");
+	if (script == nullptr) return nullptr;
 
 	auto sbar = (DBaseStatusBar*)PClass::FindClass("SBarInfoWrapper")->CreateNew();
 	auto core = new DSBarInfo(sbar, script);
diff --git a/src/g_statusbar/shared_sbar.cpp b/src/g_statusbar/shared_sbar.cpp
index 4b2b1e727b..2710c5156d 100644
--- a/src/g_statusbar/shared_sbar.cpp
+++ b/src/g_statusbar/shared_sbar.cpp
@@ -303,6 +303,15 @@ void ST_CreateStatusBar(bool bTitleLevel)
 		{
 			StatusBar = CreateCustomStatusBar(SCRIPT_DEFAULT);
 		}
+		// SBARINFO failed so try the current statusbarclass again.
+		if (StatusBar == nullptr)
+		{
+			auto cls = PClass::FindClass(gameinfo.statusbarclass);
+			if (cls != nullptr)
+			{
+				StatusBar = (DBaseStatusBar *)cls->CreateNew();
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	if (StatusBar == nullptr)
 	{