diff --git a/src/server.cpp b/src/server.cpp
index 43b8f02a8..8ea65b18b 100644
--- a/src/server.cpp
+++ b/src/server.cpp
@@ -482,7 +482,13 @@ void Server::init()
 	// Register us to receive map edit events
 	servermap->addEventReceiver(this);
 
-	m_env->loadMeta();
+	try {
+		m_env->loadMeta();
+	} catch (SerializationError &e) {
+		warningstream << "Environment metadata is corrupted: " << e.what() << std::endl;
+		warningstream << "Loading the default instead" << std::endl;
+		m_env->loadDefaultMeta();
+	}
 
 	// Those settings can be overwritten in world.mt, they are
 	// intended to be cached after environment loading.
diff --git a/src/serverenvironment.h b/src/serverenvironment.h
index 1a4daa341..146572a0f 100644
--- a/src/serverenvironment.h
+++ b/src/serverenvironment.h
@@ -368,13 +368,13 @@ public:
 
 	const bool isCompatPlayerModel(const std::string &model_name);
 	inline bool getCompatSendOriginalModel() { return m_compat_send_original_model; }
-private:
 
 	/**
 	 * called if env_meta.txt doesn't exist (e.g. new world)
 	 */
 	void loadDefaultMeta();
 
+private:
 	static PlayerDatabase *openPlayerDatabase(const std::string &name,
 			const std::string &savedir, const Settings &conf);
 	static AuthDatabase *openAuthDatabase(const std::string &name,