diff --git a/Source/items.cpp b/Source/items.cpp
index 98150c36c..f7ba6ea88 100644
--- a/Source/items.cpp
+++ b/Source/items.cpp
@@ -886,7 +886,7 @@ void CalcPlrItemVals(int playerId, bool Loadgfx)
 		player._pgfxnum = g;
 		player._pGFXLoad = 0;
 		SetPlrAnims(player);
-		LoadPlrGFX(playerId, static_cast<player_graphic>(PFILE_STAND | PFILE_WALK));
+		LoadPlrGFX(player, static_cast<player_graphic>(PFILE_STAND | PFILE_WALK));
 		if (player._pmode == PM_STAND) {
 			player._pAnimWidth = player._pNWidth;
 			player.AnimInfo.ChangeAnimationData(player._pNAnim[player._pdir], player._pNFrames, 3);
diff --git a/Source/msg.cpp b/Source/msg.cpp
index 6b3021724..5c4657b4a 100644
--- a/Source/msg.cpp
+++ b/Source/msg.cpp
@@ -2218,6 +2218,7 @@ static DWORD On_ACK_PLRINFO(TCmd *pCmd, int pnum)
 static DWORD On_PLAYER_JOINLEVEL(TCmd *pCmd, int pnum)
 {
 	auto *p = (TCmdLocParam1 *)pCmd;
+	auto &player = plr[pnum];
 
 	if (gbBufferMsgs == 1)
 		msg_send_packet(pnum, p, sizeof(*p));
@@ -2235,13 +2236,13 @@ static DWORD On_PLAYER_JOINLEVEL(TCmd *pCmd, int pnum)
 			plr[pnum].plrlevel = p->wParam1;
 			plr[pnum]._pGFXLoad = 0;
 			if (currlevel == plr[pnum].plrlevel) {
-				LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_STAND);
+				LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_STAND);
 				SyncInitPlr(pnum);
 				if ((plr[pnum]._pHitPoints >> 6) > 0)
 					StartStand(pnum, DIR_S);
 				else {
 					plr[pnum]._pgfxnum = 0;
-					LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_DEATH);
+					LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_DEATH);
 					plr[pnum]._pmode = PM_DEATH;
 					NewPlrAnim(plr[pnum], plr[pnum]._pDAnim[DIR_S], plr[pnum]._pDFrames, 1, plr[pnum]._pDWidth);
 					plr[pnum].AnimInfo.CurrentFrame = plr[pnum].AnimInfo.NumberOfFrames - 1;
diff --git a/Source/multi.cpp b/Source/multi.cpp
index 27288ba10..7c1b63c7d 100644
--- a/Source/multi.cpp
+++ b/Source/multi.cpp
@@ -829,6 +829,8 @@ void recv_plrinfo(int pnum, TCmdPlrInfoHdr *p, bool recv)
 	}
 	assert((DWORD)pnum < MAX_PLRS);
 
+	auto &player = plr[pnum];
+
 	if (sgwPackPlrOffsetTbl[pnum] != p->wOffset) {
 		sgwPackPlrOffsetTbl[pnum] = 0;
 		if (p->wOffset != 0) {
@@ -864,7 +866,7 @@ void recv_plrinfo(int pnum, TCmdPlrInfoHdr *p, bool recv)
 	}
 	EventPlrMsg(fmt::format(szEvent, plr[pnum]._pName, plr[pnum]._pLevel).c_str());
 
-	LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_STAND);
+	LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_STAND);
 	SyncInitPlr(pnum);
 
 	if (plr[pnum].plrlevel == currlevel) {
@@ -872,7 +874,7 @@ void recv_plrinfo(int pnum, TCmdPlrInfoHdr *p, bool recv)
 			StartStand(pnum, DIR_S);
 		} else {
 			plr[pnum]._pgfxnum = 0;
-			LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_DEATH);
+			LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_DEATH);
 			plr[pnum]._pmode = PM_DEATH;
 			NewPlrAnim(plr[pnum], plr[pnum]._pDAnim[DIR_S], plr[pnum]._pDFrames, 1, plr[pnum]._pDWidth);
 			plr[pnum].AnimInfo.CurrentFrame = plr[pnum].AnimInfo.NumberOfFrames - 1;
diff --git a/Source/player.cpp b/Source/player.cpp
index 8370cf721..ebdb628f1 100644
--- a/Source/player.cpp
+++ b/Source/player.cpp
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ void SetPlayerGPtrs(byte *pData, byte **pAnim)
 	}
 }
 
-void LoadPlrGFX(int pnum, player_graphic gfxflag)
+void LoadPlrGFX(PlayerStruct &player, player_graphic gfxflag)
 {
 	char prefix[16];
 	char pszName[256];
@@ -391,11 +391,6 @@ void LoadPlrGFX(int pnum, player_graphic gfxflag)
 	byte *pData;
 	byte **pAnim;
 
-	if ((DWORD)pnum >= MAX_PLRS) {
-		app_fatal("LoadPlrGFX: illegal player %i", pnum);
-	}
-	auto &player = plr[pnum];
-
 	HeroClass c = player._pClass;
 	if (c == HeroClass::Bard && hfbard_mpq == nullptr) {
 		c = HeroClass::Rogue;
@@ -508,9 +503,9 @@ void InitPlayerGFX(int pnum)
 
 	if (player._pHitPoints >> 6 == 0) {
 		player._pgfxnum = 0;
-		LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_DEATH);
+		LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_DEATH);
 	} else {
-		LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_NONDEATH);
+		LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_NONDEATH);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1317,7 +1312,7 @@ void StartStand(int pnum, Direction dir)
 
 	if (!player._pInvincible || player._pHitPoints != 0 || pnum != myplr) {
 		if ((player._pGFXLoad & PFILE_STAND) == 0) {
-			LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_STAND);
+			LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_STAND);
 		}
 
 		NewPlrAnim(player, player._pNAnim[dir], player._pNFrames, 3, player._pNWidth);
@@ -1482,7 +1477,7 @@ void StartWalk(int pnum, int xvel, int yvel, int xoff, int yoff, int xadd, int y
 
 	//Load walk animation in case it's not loaded yet
 	if ((player._pGFXLoad & PFILE_WALK) == 0) {
-		LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_WALK);
+		LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_WALK);
 	}
 
 	//Start walk animation
@@ -1525,7 +1520,7 @@ void StartAttack(int pnum, Direction d)
 	}
 
 	if ((player._pGFXLoad & PFILE_ATTACK) == 0) {
-		LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_ATTACK);
+		LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_ATTACK);
 	}
 
 	int skippedAnimationFrames = 0;
@@ -1561,7 +1556,7 @@ void StartRangeAttack(int pnum, Direction d, int cx, int cy)
 	}
 
 	if ((player._pGFXLoad & PFILE_ATTACK) == 0) {
-		LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_ATTACK);
+		LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_ATTACK);
 	}
 
 	int skippedAnimationFrames = 0;
@@ -1597,7 +1592,7 @@ void StartPlrBlock(int pnum, Direction dir)
 	PlaySfxLoc(IS_ISWORD, player.position.tile.x, player.position.tile.y);
 
 	if ((player._pGFXLoad & PFILE_BLOCK) == 0) {
-		LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_BLOCK);
+		LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_BLOCK);
 	}
 
 	int skippedAnimationFrames = 0;
@@ -1631,19 +1626,19 @@ void StartSpell(int pnum, Direction d, int cx, int cy)
 		switch (spelldata[player._pSpell].sType) {
 		case STYPE_FIRE:
 			if ((player._pGFXLoad & PFILE_FIRE) == 0) {
-				LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_FIRE);
+				LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_FIRE);
 			}
 			NewPlrAnim(player, player._pFAnim[d], player._pSFrames, 0, player._pSWidth, animationFlags, 0, player._pSFNum);
 			break;
 		case STYPE_LIGHTNING:
 			if ((player._pGFXLoad & PFILE_LIGHTNING) == 0) {
-				LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_LIGHTNING);
+				LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_LIGHTNING);
 			}
 			NewPlrAnim(player, player._pLAnim[d], player._pSFrames, 0, player._pSWidth, animationFlags, 0, player._pSFNum);
 			break;
 		case STYPE_MAGIC:
 			if ((player._pGFXLoad & PFILE_MAGIC) == 0) {
-				LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_MAGIC);
+				LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_MAGIC);
 			}
 			NewPlrAnim(player, player._pTAnim[d], player._pSFrames, 0, player._pSWidth, animationFlags, 0, player._pSFNum);
 			break;
@@ -1743,7 +1738,7 @@ void StartPlrHit(int pnum, int dam, bool forcehit)
 	Direction pd = player._pdir;
 
 	if ((player._pGFXLoad & PFILE_HIT) == 0) {
-		LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_HIT);
+		LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_HIT);
 	}
 
 	int skippedAnimationFrames = 0;
@@ -1852,7 +1847,7 @@ StartPlayerKill(int pnum, int earflag)
 	}
 
 	if ((player._pGFXLoad & PFILE_DEATH) == 0) {
-		LoadPlrGFX(pnum, PFILE_DEATH);
+		LoadPlrGFX(player, PFILE_DEATH);
 	}
 
 	NewPlrAnim(player, player._pDAnim[player._pdir], player._pDFrames, 1, player._pDWidth);
diff --git a/Source/player.h b/Source/player.h
index 599c21874..306b49214 100644
--- a/Source/player.h
+++ b/Source/player.h
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ extern PlayerStruct plr[MAX_PLRS];
 extern bool deathflag;
 extern int ToBlkTbl[enum_size<HeroClass>::value];
 
-void LoadPlrGFX(int pnum, player_graphic gfxflag);
+void LoadPlrGFX(PlayerStruct &player, player_graphic gfxflag);
 void InitPlayerGFX(int pnum);
 void InitPlrGFXMem(PlayerStruct &player);
 void FreePlayerGFX(PlayerStruct &player);