diff --git a/src/Core/Entities/PlayerEntity.m b/src/Core/Entities/PlayerEntity.m
index 93b87b18..00b6ac5d 100644
--- a/src/Core/Entities/PlayerEntity.m
+++ b/src/Core/Entities/PlayerEntity.m
@@ -866,7 +866,18 @@ static GLfloat		sBaseMass = 0.0;
 	unsigned original_hold_size = [UNIVERSE maxCargoForShip:[self shipDataKey]];
 	max_cargo = [dict oo_intForKey:@"max_cargo" defaultValue:max_cargo];
 	if (max_cargo > original_hold_size)  [self addEquipmentItem:@"EQ_CARGO_BAY"];
-	max_cargo = original_hold_size + ([self hasExpandedCargoBay] ? extra_cargo : 0) - max_passengers * 5;
+	max_cargo = original_hold_size + ([self hasExpandedCargoBay] ? extra_cargo : 0);
+	if (max_cargo >= max_passengers * 5)
+	{
+		max_cargo -= max_passengers * 5;
+	}
+	else // Handle case where something went wrong. Possibly the save file was hacked to contain more passenger cabins than the available cargo space would allow - Nikos 20110731
+	{
+		unsigned originalMaxPassengers = max_passengers;
+		max_passengers = (unsigned)(max_cargo / 5);		// we should really make the magic number 5 a constant - something like PASSENGER_BERTH_REQUIRED_SPACE or similar
+		OOLogWARN(@"setCommanderDataFromDictionary.max_cargo.isNegative", @"max_cargo for player ship %@ gone negative, probably due to max_passengers (%u) being set to a value that requires more cargo space than it is available on player ship. Resetting max_passengers to %u to compensate.", [self name], originalMaxPassengers, max_passengers);
+	}
+	
 	credits = OODeciCreditsFromObject([dict objectForKey:@"credits"]);
 	
 	fuel = [dict oo_unsignedIntForKey:@"fuel" defaultValue:fuel];