diff --git a/game_root.cpp b/game_root.cpp
index 8a803ae..163d5ad 100644
--- a/game_root.cpp
+++ b/game_root.cpp
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ bool GameRoot::initialize_player(IPlayer *player, uint32_t id) {
     found.second = player;
     // set player id
     player->player_id = id;
+    this->emit_signal("player_spawned", player->to_node());
     this->add_child(player->to_node());
     player->setup_player_input(found.first);
-    this->emit_signal("player_spawned", player->to_node());
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -124,7 +124,8 @@ void GameRoot::set_game_mode(Ref<GameMode> prototype) {
     // allow "unsetting" the gamemode by passing an invalid gamemode
     // shorthand for this behaviour is reset_game_mode
     if(prototype.is_null() || !prototype.is_valid()) {
-        this->game_mode->_end();
+        if(!this->game_mode.is_null() && this->game_mode.is_valid())
+            this->game_mode->_end();
         this->game_mode.unref();
         return;
     }
@@ -181,14 +182,14 @@ Level3D *GameRoot3D::load_level_at(Ref<PackedScene> level, Transform3D at) {
         UtilityFunctions::push_error("Unexpected failure to instantiate level scene '", level->get_path(), "'.");
         return nullptr;
     }
-    // store and add to tree at desired transform
-    this->add_child(instance);
-    instance->set_global_transform(at);
     this->levels.insert(level->get_path(), instance);
+    // store and add to tree at desired transform
     // if this is the first level containing a game mode currently active use it's gamemode as a prototype
     if(this->game_mode.is_null()) {
         this->set_game_mode(instance->get_game_mode_prototype());
     }
+    this->add_child(instance);
+    instance->set_global_transform(at);
     return instance;
 }