diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameClient/HeightMap.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameClient/HeightMap.cpp
index dcdd550caac..d290263dec8 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameClient/HeightMap.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameClient/HeightMap.cpp
@@ -1154,6 +1154,11 @@ Int HeightMapRenderObjClass::updateBlock(Int x0, Int y0, Int x1, Int y1,  WorldH
 		REF_PTR_SET(m_stageOneTexture, pMap->getAlphaTerrainTexture());
 	}
 
+	// Validate vertex buffer arrays before access to prevent race condition during resource cleanup
+	if (!m_vertexBufferTiles || !m_vertexBufferBackup) {
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	Int i,j;
 	DX8VertexBufferClass	**pVB;
 	Int originX,originY;
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameClient/HeightMap.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameClient/HeightMap.cpp
index b00eb8bd83e..6602d8aa293 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameClient/HeightMap.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameClient/HeightMap.cpp
@@ -1024,6 +1024,11 @@ Int HeightMapRenderObjClass::updateBlock(Int x0, Int y0, Int x1, Int y1,  WorldH
 		REF_PTR_SET(m_stageOneTexture, pMap->getAlphaTerrainTexture());
 	}
 
+	// Validate vertex buffer arrays before access to prevent race condition during resource cleanup
+	if (!m_vertexBufferTiles || !m_vertexBufferBackup) {
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	Int i,j;
 	DX8VertexBufferClass	**pVB;
 	Int originX,originY;