diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp
index 7a955895827..9f0d9f74cfc 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp
@@ -1149,16 +1149,21 @@ Bool RecorderClass::playbackFile(AsciiString filename)
 	}
 #endif
 
-	Bool isMultiplayer = m_gameInfo.getSlot(header.localPlayerIndex)->getIP() != 0;
-	m_crcInfo = CRCInfo(header.localPlayerIndex, isMultiplayer);
 	REPLAY_CRC_INTERVAL = m_gameInfo.getCRCInterval();
-	DEBUG_LOG(("Player index is %d, replay CRC interval is %d", m_crcInfo.getLocalPlayer(), REPLAY_CRC_INTERVAL));
 
 	Int difficulty = 0;
 	m_file->read(&difficulty, sizeof(difficulty));
 
 	m_file->read(&m_originalGameMode, sizeof(m_originalGameMode));
 
+	// TheSuperHackers @bugfix bobtista 30/08/2026 A replay header is allowed to carry a local player
+	// index of -1 and getSlot returns NULL for it, so reading the slot to tell a network game from a
+	// local one dereferenced NULL. The recorded game mode answers the same question directly, so the
+	// crc queue is now primed from the mode and the local slot is no longer read here.
+	const Bool isMultiplayer = m_originalGameMode == GAME_LAN || m_originalGameMode == GAME_INTERNET;
+	m_crcInfo = CRCInfo(header.localPlayerIndex, isMultiplayer);
+	DEBUG_LOG(("Player index is %d, replay CRC interval is %d", m_crcInfo.getLocalPlayer(), REPLAY_CRC_INTERVAL));
+
 	Int rankPoints = 0;
 	m_file->read(&rankPoints, sizeof(rankPoints));
 
diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
index 932caa24f82..ac71eb4247c 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
@@ -1315,7 +1315,11 @@ void GameLogic::tryStartNewGame( Bool loadingSaveGame )
 			d.setInt(TheKey_multiplayerStartIndex, slot->getStartPos());
 //			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, slot->isLocalPlayer());
 //			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, slot->getIP() == game->getLocalIP());
-			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, slot->isHuman() && (slot->getName().compare(TheGameInfo->getSlot(TheGameInfo->getLocalSlotNum())->getName().str()) == 0));
+			// TheSuperHackers @bugfix bobtista 30/08/2026 A replay recorded without a local player has no
+			// local slot number and getSlot returns NULL for it, so no slot can be the local one.
+			const Int localSlotNum = TheGameInfo->getLocalSlotNum();
+			const GameSlot *localGameSlot = localSlotNum >= 0 ? TheGameInfo->getSlot(localSlotNum) : nullptr;
+			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, slot->isHuman() && localGameSlot != nullptr && (slot->getName().compare(localGameSlot->getName().str()) == 0));
 
 /*
 			if (slot->getIP() == game->getLocalIP())
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp
index 9d71eb45b1b..68fc12acb0b 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/Recorder.cpp
@@ -1152,16 +1152,21 @@ Bool RecorderClass::playbackFile(AsciiString filename)
 	}
 #endif
 
-	Bool isMultiplayer = m_gameInfo.getSlot(header.localPlayerIndex)->getIP() != 0;
-	m_crcInfo = CRCInfo(header.localPlayerIndex, isMultiplayer);
 	REPLAY_CRC_INTERVAL = m_gameInfo.getCRCInterval();
-	DEBUG_LOG(("Player index is %d, replay CRC interval is %d", m_crcInfo.getLocalPlayer(), REPLAY_CRC_INTERVAL));
 
 	Int difficulty = 0;
 	m_file->read(&difficulty, sizeof(difficulty));
 
 	m_file->read(&m_originalGameMode, sizeof(m_originalGameMode));
 
+	// TheSuperHackers @bugfix bobtista 30/08/2026 A replay header is allowed to carry a local player
+	// index of -1 and getSlot returns NULL for it, so reading the slot to tell a network game from a
+	// local one dereferenced NULL. The recorded game mode answers the same question directly, so the
+	// crc queue is now primed from the mode and the local slot is no longer read here.
+	const Bool isMultiplayer = m_originalGameMode == GAME_LAN || m_originalGameMode == GAME_INTERNET;
+	m_crcInfo = CRCInfo(header.localPlayerIndex, isMultiplayer);
+	DEBUG_LOG(("Player index is %d, replay CRC interval is %d", m_crcInfo.getLocalPlayer(), REPLAY_CRC_INTERVAL));
+
 	Int rankPoints = 0;
 	m_file->read(&rankPoints, sizeof(rankPoints));
 
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
index 60bae04f186..71e8f72b235 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
@@ -1476,7 +1476,11 @@ void GameLogic::tryStartNewGame( Bool loadingSaveGame )
 			d.setInt(TheKey_multiplayerStartIndex, slot->getStartPos());
 //			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, slot->isLocalPlayer());
 //			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, slot->getIP() == game->getLocalIP());
-			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, slot->isHuman() && (slot->getName().compare(TheGameInfo->getSlot(TheGameInfo->getLocalSlotNum())->getName().str()) == 0));
+			// TheSuperHackers @bugfix bobtista 30/08/2026 A replay recorded without a local player has no
+			// local slot number and getSlot returns NULL for it, so no slot can be the local one.
+			const Int localSlotNum = TheGameInfo->getLocalSlotNum();
+			const GameSlot *localGameSlot = localSlotNum >= 0 ? TheGameInfo->getSlot(localSlotNum) : nullptr;
+			d.setBool(TheKey_multiplayerIsLocal, slot->isHuman() && localGameSlot != nullptr && (slot->getName().compare(localGameSlot->getName().str()) == 0));
 
 /*
 			if (slot->getIP() == game->getLocalIP())