diff --git a/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/registry/LanguageRegistry.java b/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/registry/LanguageRegistry.java
index 1de27d199..65a7d2bd2 100644
--- a/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/registry/LanguageRegistry.java
+++ b/fml/common/cpw/mods/fml/common/registry/LanguageRegistry.java
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ import java.util.logging.Level;
 import com.google.common.base.Charsets;
 
 import cpw.mods.fml.common.FMLLog;
+import cpw.mods.fml.common.Loader;
+import cpw.mods.fml.common.ModContainer;
 
 import net.minecraft.block.Block;
 import net.minecraft.item.Item;
@@ -122,7 +124,23 @@ public class LanguageRegistry
 
     public void loadLocalization(String localizationFile, String lang, boolean isXML)
     {
-        loadLocalization(this.getClass().getResource(localizationFile), lang, isXML);
+        URL urlResource = this.getClass().getResource(localizationFile);
+        if (urlResource != null)
+        {
+            loadLocalization(urlResource, lang, isXML);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            ModContainer activeModContainer = Loader.instance().activeModContainer();
+            if (activeModContainer!=null)
+            {
+                FMLLog.log(activeModContainer.getModId(), Level.SEVERE, "The language resource %s cannot be located on the classpath. This is a programming error.", localizationFile);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                FMLLog.log(Level.SEVERE, "The language resource %s cannot be located on the classpath. This is a programming error.", localizationFile);
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     public void loadLocalization(URL localizationFile, String lang, boolean isXML)