diff --git a/fml/client/net/minecraft/src/BaseMod.java b/fml/client/net/minecraft/src/BaseMod.java
index a15876c85..ac811556a 100644
--- a/fml/client/net/minecraft/src/BaseMod.java
+++ b/fml/client/net/minecraft/src/BaseMod.java
@@ -34,10 +34,12 @@ public abstract class BaseMod implements cpw.mods.fml.common.modloader.BaseModPr
 {
     // CALLBACK MECHANISMS
 
+    private boolean fml_lastWorld = false;
+
     public final boolean doTickInGame(TickType tick, boolean tickEnd, Object... data)
     {
         Minecraft mc = FMLClientHandler.instance().getClient();
-        boolean hasWorld = true;
+        boolean hasWorld = mc.field_71441_e != null;
         // World and render ticks
         if (tickEnd && ( tick==TickType.RENDER || tick==TickType.CLIENT ) && hasWorld) {
             return onTickInGame((Float) data[0], mc);
@@ -48,6 +50,16 @@ public abstract class BaseMod implements cpw.mods.fml.common.modloader.BaseModPr
     public final boolean doTickInGUI(TickType tick, boolean tickEnd, Object... data)
     {
         Minecraft mc = FMLClientHandler.instance().getClient();
+        boolean hasWorld = mc.field_71441_e != null;
+        if (!hasWorld && !fml_lastWorld)
+        {
+            fml_lastWorld = true;
+        }
+        else if (!hasWorld && fml_lastWorld)
+        {
+            return true;
+        }
+
         if (tickEnd && ( tick==TickType.RENDER || tick==TickType.CLIENT)) {
             return onTickInGUI((Float) data[0], mc, mc.field_71462_r);
         }
diff --git a/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/FMLModContainer.java b/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/FMLModContainer.java
index d47e25395..be1533cf5 100644
--- a/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/FMLModContainer.java
+++ b/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/FMLModContainer.java
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ public class FMLModContainer implements ModContainer
         .put(FMLServerStoppingEvent.class, Mod.ServerStopping.class)
         .build();
     private static final BiMap<Class<? extends Annotation>, Class<? extends FMLStateEvent>> modTypeAnnotations = modAnnotationTypes.inverse();
+    private String annotationDependencies;
 
 
     public FMLModContainer(String className, File modSource, Map<String,Object> modDescriptor)
@@ -138,7 +139,8 @@ public class FMLModContainer implements ModContainer
             List<ArtifactVersion> requirements = Lists.newArrayList();
             List<ArtifactVersion> dependencies = Lists.newArrayList();
             List<ArtifactVersion> dependants = Lists.newArrayList();
-            Loader.instance().computeDependencies((String) descriptor.get("dependencies"), requirements, dependencies, dependants);
+            annotationDependencies = (String) descriptor.get("dependencies");
+            Loader.instance().computeDependencies(annotationDependencies, requirements, dependencies, dependants);
             modMetadata.requiredMods = requirements;
             modMetadata.dependencies = dependencies;
             modMetadata.dependants = dependants;
@@ -176,7 +178,7 @@ public class FMLModContainer implements ModContainer
     @Override
     public String getSortingRules()
     {
-        return modMetadata.printableSortingRules();
+        return (overridesMetadata ? annotationDependencies : modMetadata.printableSortingRules());
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/LoadController.java b/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/LoadController.java
index 88576d4f4..051db9624 100644
--- a/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/LoadController.java
+++ b/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/LoadController.java
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ public class LoadController
             {
                 builder.put(mc, mc.getMod());
             }
-            if (mc.getMod()==null && !mc.isImmutable())
+            if (mc.getMod()==null && !mc.isImmutable() && state!=LoaderState.CONSTRUCTING)
             {
                 FMLLog.severe("There is a severe problem with %s - it appears not to have constructed correctly", mc.getModId());
                 if (state != LoaderState.CONSTRUCTING)
diff --git a/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/ModMetadata.java b/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/ModMetadata.java
index bd5979155..65257cde8 100644
--- a/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/ModMetadata.java
+++ b/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/ModMetadata.java
@@ -156,6 +156,6 @@ public class ModMetadata
 
     public String printableSortingRules()
     {
-        return null;
+        return "";
     }
 }
diff --git a/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/modloader/ModLoaderHelper.java b/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/modloader/ModLoaderHelper.java
index 3a57899c7..5adab4b8b 100644
--- a/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/modloader/ModLoaderHelper.java
+++ b/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/modloader/ModLoaderHelper.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import cpw.mods.fml.common.FMLCommonHandler;
 import cpw.mods.fml.common.ICraftingHandler;
 import cpw.mods.fml.common.IFuelHandler;
 import cpw.mods.fml.common.IWorldGenerator;
+import cpw.mods.fml.common.Loader;
 import cpw.mods.fml.common.ModContainer;
 import cpw.mods.fml.common.TickType;
 import cpw.mods.fml.common.network.IConnectionHandler;
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ public class ModLoaderHelper
     public static IModLoaderSidedHelper sidedHelper;
     public static void updateStandardTicks(BaseMod mod, boolean enable, boolean useClock)
     {
-        ModLoaderModContainer mlmc = findOrBuildModContainer(mod);
+        ModLoaderModContainer mlmc = (ModLoaderModContainer) Loader.instance().activeModContainer();
         BaseModTicker ticker = mlmc.getGameTickHandler();
         EnumSet<TickType> ticks = ticker.ticks();
         // If we're enabled we get render ticks
diff --git a/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/modloader/ModLoaderModContainer.java b/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/modloader/ModLoaderModContainer.java
index 9ef4506f1..6a2964c0c 100644
--- a/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/modloader/ModLoaderModContainer.java
+++ b/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/modloader/ModLoaderModContainer.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import java.util.logging.Level;
 
 import net.minecraft.src.MLProp;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import com.google.common.base.Throwables;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
 import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@ public class ModLoaderModContainer implements ModContainer
         this.modClazzName = className;
         this.modSource = modSource;
         this.modId = className.contains(".") ? className.substring(className.lastIndexOf('.')+1) : className;
-        this.sortingProperties = sortingProperties;
+        this.sortingProperties = Strings.isNullOrEmpty(sortingProperties) ? "" : sortingProperties;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -494,6 +495,9 @@ public class ModLoaderModContainer implements ModContainer
         {
             ModClassLoader modClassLoader = event.getModClassLoader();
             modClassLoader.addFile(modSource);
+            EnumSet<TickType> ticks = EnumSet.noneOf(TickType.class);
+            this.gameTickHandler = new BaseModTicker(ticks, false);
+            this.guiTickHandler = new BaseModTicker(ticks.clone(), true);
             Class<? extends BaseModProxy> modClazz = (Class<? extends BaseModProxy>) Class.forName(modClazzName, true, modClassLoader);
             configureMod(modClazz, event.getASMHarvestedData());
             isNetworkMod = FMLNetworkHandler.instance().registerNetworkMod(this, modClazz, event.getASMHarvestedData());
@@ -512,9 +516,6 @@ public class ModLoaderModContainer implements ModContainer
     {
         try
         {
-            EnumSet<TickType> ticks = EnumSet.noneOf(TickType.class);
-            this.gameTickHandler = new BaseModTicker(ticks, false);
-            this.guiTickHandler = new BaseModTicker(ticks.clone(), true);
             this.gameTickHandler.setMod(mod);
             this.guiTickHandler.setMod(mod);
             TickRegistry.registerTickHandler(this.gameTickHandler, Side.CLIENT);