diff --git a/source/glest_game/menu/menu_state_scenario.cpp b/source/glest_game/menu/menu_state_scenario.cpp
index 41b3cdd1f..769573692 100644
--- a/source/glest_game/menu/menu_state_scenario.cpp
+++ b/source/glest_game/menu/menu_state_scenario.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // ==============================================================
 //	This file is part of Glest (www.glest.org)
 //
-//	Copyright (C) 2001-2005 Martiño Figueroa
+//	Copyright (C) 2001-2005 Marti�o Figueroa
 //
 //	You can redistribute this code and/or modify it under 
 //	the terms of the GNU General Public License as published 
@@ -143,10 +143,19 @@ void MenuStateScenario::loadScenarioInfo(string file, ScenarioInfo *scenarioInfo
 	}
 
 	const XmlNode *playersNode= scenarioNode->getChild("players");
+	
     for(int i= 0; i<GameConstants::maxPlayers; ++i){
-        const XmlNode* playerNode = playersNode->getChild("player", i);
-        ControlType factionControl = strToControllerType( playerNode->getAttribute("control")->getValue() );
-        string factionTypeName;
+    	XmlNode* playerNode;
+    	string factionTypeName;
+    	ControlType factionControl;
+    	
+    	if(playersNode->hasChildAtIndex("player",i)){
+        	playerNode = playersNode->getChild("player", i);
+        	factionControl = strToControllerType( playerNode->getAttribute("control")->getValue() );
+    	}
+        else{
+        	factionControl=ctClosed;
+        }
 
         scenarioInfo->factionControls[i] = factionControl;
 
diff --git a/source/shared_lib/include/xml/xml_parser.h b/source/shared_lib/include/xml/xml_parser.h
index 46d70f2f2..883f67c50 100644
--- a/source/shared_lib/include/xml/xml_parser.h
+++ b/source/shared_lib/include/xml/xml_parser.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // ==============================================================
 //	This file is part of Glest Shared Library (www.glest.org)
 //
-//	Copyright (C) 2001-2008 Martiño Figueroa
+//	Copyright (C) 2001-2008 Marti�o Figueroa
 //
 //	You can redistribute this code and/or modify it under
 //	the terms of the GNU General Public License as published
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ public:
 	XmlAttribute *getAttribute(const string &name) const;
 	XmlNode *getChild(int i) const;
 	XmlNode *getChild(const string &childName, int childIndex=0) const;
+	bool hasChildAtIndex(const string &childName, int childIndex=0) const;
 	bool hasChild(const string &childName) const;
 	XmlNode *getParent() const;
 
diff --git a/source/shared_lib/sources/xml/xml_parser.cpp b/source/shared_lib/sources/xml/xml_parser.cpp
index 3c29a10a4..ade984720 100644
--- a/source/shared_lib/sources/xml/xml_parser.cpp
+++ b/source/shared_lib/sources/xml/xml_parser.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // ==============================================================
 //	This file is part of Glest Shared Library (www.glest.org)
 //
-//	Copyright (C) 2001-2008 Martiño Figueroa
+//	Copyright (C) 2001-2008 Marti�o Figueroa
 //
 //	You can redistribute this code and/or modify it under
 //	the terms of the GNU General Public License as published
@@ -269,6 +269,24 @@ XmlNode *XmlNode::getChild(const string &childName, int i) const{
 	throw runtime_error("Node \""+getName()+"\" doesn't have "+intToStr(i+1)+" children named  \""+childName+"\"\n\nTree: "+getTreeString());
 }
 
+bool XmlNode::hasChildAtIndex(const string &childName, int i) const
+{
+	int count= 0;
+	for(int j = 0; j < children.size(); ++j)
+	{
+		if(children[j]->getName()==childName)
+		{
+            if(count==i){
+				return true;
+			}
+			count++;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false;
+}
+
+
 bool XmlNode::hasChild(const string &childName) const
 {
 	int count= 0;