diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs
index 5aed939c03..2281324ce3 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/Player.cs
@@ -249,7 +249,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
             foreach (var mod in Beatmap.Value.Mods.Value.OfType<IApplicableToScoreProcessor>())
                 mod.ApplyToScoreProcessor(ScoreProcessor);
 
-            Background.UpdateDim.Value = true;
+            if (Background != null)
+                Background.UpdateDim.Value = true;
         }
 
         private void applyRateFromMods()
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PlayerLoader.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PlayerLoader.cs
index 4bb126e0e2..4844883dfe 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PlayerLoader.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PlayerLoader.cs
@@ -242,7 +242,9 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
             content.ScaleTo(0.7f, 150, Easing.InQuint);
             this.FadeOut(150);
             cancelLoad();
-            Background.UpdateDim.Value = false;
+
+            if (Background != null)
+                Background.UpdateDim.Value = false;
 
             return base.OnExiting(next);
         }