diff --git a/src/cata_tiles.cpp b/src/cata_tiles.cpp
index fa4cf3238196e..9e9e8c403544d 100644
--- a/src/cata_tiles.cpp
+++ b/src/cata_tiles.cpp
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ tile_type &tileset::create_tile_type( const std::string &id, tile_type &&new_til
 }
 
 void cata_tiles::load_tileset( const std::string &tileset_id, const bool precheck,
-                               const bool force, const bool pump_events )
+                               const bool force, const bool pump_events, const bool terrain )
 {
     if( tileset_ptr && tileset_ptr->get_tileset_id() == tileset_id && !force ) {
         return;
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ void cata_tiles::load_tileset( const std::string &tileset_id, const bool prechec
     // reset the overlay ordering from the previous loaded tileset
     tileset_mutation_overlay_ordering.clear();
 
-    tileset_ptr = cache.load_tileset( tileset_id, renderer, precheck, force, pump_events );
+    tileset_ptr = cache.load_tileset( tileset_id, renderer, precheck, force, pump_events, terrain );
 
     set_draw_scale( 16 );
 
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ void cata_tiles::set_draw_scale( int scale )
 }
 
 void tileset_cache::loader::load( const std::string &tileset_id, const bool precheck,
-                                  const bool pump_events )
+                                  const bool pump_events, const bool terrain )
 {
     std::string json_conf;
     std::string layering;
@@ -765,8 +765,9 @@ void tileset_cache::loader::load( const std::string &tileset_id, const bool prec
         }
     }
 
-    if( !ts.find_tile_type( "unknown" ) ) {
-        dbg( D_ERROR ) << "The tileset you're using has no 'unknown' tile defined!";
+    if( !ts.find_tile_type( terrain ? "unknown_terrain" : "unknown" ) ) {
+        dbg( D_ERROR ) << "The tileset you're using has no '" << ( terrain ? "unknown_terrain" : "unknown" )
+                       << "' tile defined!";
     }
     ensure_default_item_highlight();
 
@@ -4411,14 +4412,15 @@ bool cata_tiles::draw_item_highlight( const tripoint &pos, int &height_3d )
 }
 
 std::shared_ptr<const tileset> tileset_cache::load_tileset( const std::string &tileset_id,
-        const SDL_Renderer_Ptr &renderer, const bool precheck, const bool force, const bool pump_events )
+        const SDL_Renderer_Ptr &renderer, const bool precheck, const bool force, const bool pump_events,
+        const bool terrain )
 {
     const auto get_or_create_tileset = [&]() {
         const auto it = tilesets_.find( tileset_id );
         if( it == tilesets_.end() || it->second.expired() ) {
             std::shared_ptr<tileset> new_ts = std::make_shared<tileset>();
             loader loader( *new_ts, renderer );
-            loader.load( tileset_id, precheck, pump_events );
+            loader.load( tileset_id, precheck, pump_events, terrain );
             tilesets_.emplace( tileset_id, new_ts );
             return new_ts;
         }
@@ -4429,7 +4431,7 @@ std::shared_ptr<const tileset> tileset_cache::load_tileset( const std::string &t
 
     if( force || ( ts->get_tileset_id().empty() && !precheck ) ) {
         loader loader( *ts, renderer );
-        loader.load( tileset_id, precheck, pump_events );
+        loader.load( tileset_id, precheck, pump_events, terrain );
     }
     return ts;
 }
diff --git a/src/cata_tiles.h b/src/cata_tiles.h
index 01af515574368..d875a4dc1de97 100644
--- a/src/cata_tiles.h
+++ b/src/cata_tiles.h
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ class tileset_cache
     public:
         std::shared_ptr<const tileset> load_tileset( const std::string &tileset_id,
                 const SDL_Renderer_Ptr &renderer, bool precheck,
-                bool force, bool pump_events );
+                bool force, bool pump_events, bool terrain );
     private:
         class loader;
         std::unordered_map<std::string, std::weak_ptr<tileset>> tilesets_;
@@ -379,8 +379,10 @@ class tileset_cache::loader
          * @param pump_events Handle window events and refresh the screen when necessary.
          *        Please ensure that the tileset is not accessed when this method is
          *        executing if you set it to true.
+         * @param terrain If true, this will be an overmap/terrain tileset
          */
-        void load( const std::string &tileset_id, bool precheck, bool pump_events = false );
+        void load( const std::string &tileset_id, bool precheck, bool pump_events = false,
+                   bool terrain = false );
 };
 
 enum class text_alignment : int {
@@ -682,10 +684,11 @@ class cata_tiles
          * @param pump_events Handle window events and refresh the screen when necessary.
          *        Please ensure that the tileset is not accessed when this method is
          *        executing if you set it to true.
+         * @param terrain If true, this will be an overmap/terrain tileset
          * @throw std::exception On any error.
          */
         void load_tileset( const std::string &tileset_id, bool precheck = false,
-                           bool force = false, bool pump_events = false );
+                           bool force = false, bool pump_events = false, bool terrain = false );
         /**
          * Reinitializes the current tileset, like @ref init, but using the original screen information.
          * @throw std::exception On any error.
diff --git a/src/game.cpp b/src/game.cpp
index 216520999e00c..0e47000335cf2 100644
--- a/src/game.cpp
+++ b/src/game.cpp
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ void game::reload_tileset()
         closetilecontext->reinit();
         closetilecontext->load_tileset( get_option<std::string>( "TILES" ),
                                         /*precheck=*/false, /*force=*/true,
-                                        /*pump_events=*/true );
+                                        /*pump_events=*/true, /*terrain=*/false );
         closetilecontext->do_tile_loading_report();
 
         tilecontext = closetilecontext;
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ void game::reload_tileset()
             }
             fartilecontext->load_tileset( get_option<std::string>( "DISTANT_TILES" ),
                                           /*precheck=*/false, /*force=*/true,
-                                          /*pump_events=*/true );
+                                          /*pump_events=*/true, /*terrain=*/false );
             fartilecontext->do_tile_loading_report();
         } catch( const std::exception &err ) {
             popup( _( "Loading the zoomed out tileset failed: %s" ), err.what() );
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ void game::reload_tileset()
         overmap_tilecontext->reinit();
         overmap_tilecontext->load_tileset( get_option<std::string>( "OVERMAP_TILES" ),
                                            /*precheck=*/false, /*force=*/true,
-                                           /*pump_events=*/true );
+                                           /*pump_events=*/true, /*terrain=*/true );
         overmap_tilecontext->do_tile_loading_report();
     } catch( const std::exception &err ) {
         popup( _( "Loading the overmap tileset failed: %s" ), err.what() );
diff --git a/src/options.cpp b/src/options.cpp
index 12cf9f63d2a02..e5823e6596a64 100644
--- a/src/options.cpp
+++ b/src/options.cpp
@@ -3273,7 +3273,7 @@ static void refresh_tiles( bool used_tiles_changed, bool pixel_minimap_height_ch
             closetilecontext->reinit();
             closetilecontext->load_tileset( get_option<std::string>( "TILES" ),
                                             /*precheck=*/false, /*force=*/false,
-                                            /*pump_events=*/true );
+                                            /*pump_events=*/true, /*terrain=*/false );
             //game_ui::init_ui is called when zoom is changed
             g->reset_zoom();
             g->mark_main_ui_adaptor_resize();
@@ -3290,7 +3290,7 @@ static void refresh_tiles( bool used_tiles_changed, bool pixel_minimap_height_ch
                 }
                 fartilecontext->load_tileset( get_option<std::string>( "DISTANT_TILES" ),
                                               /*precheck=*/false, /*force=*/false,
-                                              /*pump_events=*/true );
+                                              /*pump_events=*/true, /*terrain=*/false );
                 //game_ui::init_ui is called when zoom is changed
                 g->reset_zoom();
                 g->mark_main_ui_adaptor_resize();
@@ -3305,7 +3305,7 @@ static void refresh_tiles( bool used_tiles_changed, bool pixel_minimap_height_ch
             overmap_tilecontext->reinit();
             overmap_tilecontext->load_tileset( get_option<std::string>( "OVERMAP_TILES" ),
                                                /*precheck=*/false, /*force=*/false,
-                                               /*pump_events=*/true );
+                                               /*pump_events=*/true, /*terrain=*/true );
             //game_ui::init_ui is called when zoom is changed
             g->reset_zoom();
             g->mark_main_ui_adaptor_resize();
diff --git a/src/sdltiles.cpp b/src/sdltiles.cpp
index cdb61263f1572..476e7be2d513f 100644
--- a/src/sdltiles.cpp
+++ b/src/sdltiles.cpp
@@ -3680,7 +3680,7 @@ void catacurses::init_interface()
             ui_adaptor dummy( ui_adaptor::disable_uis_below{} );
             fartilecontext->load_tileset( get_option<std::string>( "DISTANT_TILES" ),
                                           /*precheck=*/true, /*force=*/false,
-                                          /*pump_events=*/true );
+                                          /*pump_events=*/true, /*terrain=*/false );
         } catch( const std::exception &err ) {
             dbg( D_ERROR ) << "failed to check for tileset: " << err.what();
             // use_tiles is the cached value of the USE_TILES option.
@@ -3695,7 +3695,7 @@ void catacurses::init_interface()
         ui_adaptor dummy( ui_adaptor::disable_uis_below{} );
         closetilecontext->load_tileset( get_option<std::string>( "TILES" ),
                                         /*precheck=*/true, /*force=*/false,
-                                        /*pump_events=*/true );
+                                        /*pump_events=*/true, /*terrain=*/false );
         tilecontext = closetilecontext;
     } catch( const std::exception &err ) {
         dbg( D_ERROR ) << "failed to check for tileset: " << err.what();
@@ -3710,7 +3710,7 @@ void catacurses::init_interface()
         ui_adaptor dummy( ui_adaptor::disable_uis_below{} );
         overmap_tilecontext->load_tileset( get_option<std::string>( "OVERMAP_TILES" ),
                                            /*precheck=*/true, /*force=*/false,
-                                           /*pump_events=*/true );
+                                           /*pump_events=*/true, /*terrain=*/true );
     } catch( const std::exception &err ) {
         dbg( D_ERROR ) << "failed to check for overmap tileset: " << err.what();
         // use_tiles is the cached value of the USE_TILES option.
@@ -3755,11 +3755,11 @@ void load_tileset()
     }
     closetilecontext->load_tileset( get_option<std::string>( "TILES" ),
                                     /*precheck=*/false, /*force=*/false,
-                                    /*pump_events=*/true );
+                                    /*pump_events=*/true, /*terrain=*/false );
     if( use_far_tiles ) {
         fartilecontext->load_tileset( get_option<std::string>( "DISTANT_TILES" ),
                                       /*precheck=*/false, /*force=*/false,
-                                      /*pump_events=*/true );
+                                      /*pump_events=*/true, /*terrain=*/false );
     }
     tilecontext = closetilecontext;
     tilecontext->do_tile_loading_report();
@@ -3767,7 +3767,7 @@ void load_tileset()
     if( overmap_tilecontext ) {
         overmap_tilecontext->load_tileset( get_option<std::string>( "OVERMAP_TILES" ),
                                            /*precheck=*/false, /*force=*/false,
-                                           /*pump_events=*/true );
+                                           /*pump_events=*/true, /*terrain=*/true );
         overmap_tilecontext->do_tile_loading_report();
     }
 }