diff --git a/src/game/player.cpp b/src/game/player.cpp
index 83b7740..754b966 100644
--- a/src/game/player.cpp
+++ b/src/game/player.cpp
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 #include "game/player.h"
 
 #include "core/config.h"
+#include "core/logger.h"
 #include "core/util.h"
 #include "data/excel.h"
+#include "data/scene_res.h"
 #include "game/player_store.h"
 #include "game/srtools.h"
 
@@ -11,6 +13,57 @@ namespace {
 
 constexpr uint64_t kSaveIntervalMs = 2000;
 
+// MazePlane's Challenge type, as the scene dump numbers it, and the Express floor to
+// fall back to.
+constexpr uint32_t kChallengePlaneType = 4;
+constexpr uint32_t kStartEntry = 1000002;
+
+// A run that never got to finish -- a server restart mid-floor, a crash -- leaves the
+// saved spot inside a challenge arena with nothing left to rebuild it from. The client
+// then gets a floor with no ground and no party under it: a black screen it can only
+// look around in. Start on the Express instead.
+void leaveStrandedArena(Player& player) {
+    const data::SceneRes& res = data::SceneRes::get();
+    const data::ResFloor* floor = res.byEntry(player.location().entryId);
+    if (floor == nullptr || floor->planeType != kChallengePlaneType) return;
+
+    const data::ResFloor* start = res.byEntry(kStartEntry);
+    if (start == nullptr) return;
+    logging::info("player", "uid {} was saved inside arena {}; starting at {} instead",
+                  player.uid(), player.location().entryId, kStartEntry);
+    player.location().entryId = kStartEntry;
+    player.location().planeId = start->planeId;
+    player.location().floorId = start->floorId;
+    player.position() = Position{};
+}
+
+// The last saved spot can be mid-jump or mid-fall, and coming back to it leaves the
+// player hanging in the air. Logging in lands on the floor's nearest anchor instead.
+void landOnAnchor(Player& player) {
+    const data::ResFloor* floor = data::SceneRes::get().byEntry(player.location().entryId);
+    if (floor == nullptr) return;
+
+    Position& at = player.position();
+    const data::ResTeleport* nearest = nullptr;
+    int64_t best = 0;
+    for (const data::ResGroup& group : floor->groups) {
+        for (const data::ResTeleport& anchor : group.teleports) {
+            int64_t dx = static_cast<int64_t>(anchor.pos.x) - at.x;
+            int64_t dz = static_cast<int64_t>(anchor.pos.z) - at.z;
+            int64_t distance = dx * dx + dz * dz;
+            if (nearest == nullptr || distance < best) {
+                nearest = &anchor;
+                best = distance;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    if (nearest == nullptr) return;
+    at.x = nearest->pos.x;
+    at.y = nearest->pos.y;
+    at.z = nearest->pos.z;
+    at.rotY = nearest->rot.y;
+}
+
 // A squad that at least exists, so a fresh account is not stranded with no party.
 void seedDefaultSquad(LineupBook& book) {
     if (book.cur().count() != 0) return;
@@ -60,6 +113,8 @@ void Player::load() {
     loadPlayerState(*this);
     seedDefaultSquad(lineups_);
     lineups_.clampMp();
+    leaveStrandedArena(*this);
+    landOnAnchor(*this);
 }
 
 void Player::save() {
diff --git a/src/game/rescue.cpp b/src/game/rescue.cpp
index ea812c5..9becb8f 100644
--- a/src/game/rescue.cpp
+++ b/src/game/rescue.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #include "game/rescue.h"
 
+#include "core/config.h"
 #include "core/logger.h"
+#include "data/scene_res.h"
 #include "game/challenge.h"
 #include "game/peak.h"
 #include "game/player.h"
@@ -85,5 +87,26 @@ std::string unstick(net::Session& session, uint32_t entryId) {
     return did;
 }
 
+std::string relocate(uint32_t entryId) {
+    if (data::SceneRes::get().byEntry(entryId) == nullptr) {
+        return "entry " + std::to_string(entryId) + " is not in the scene dump";
+    }
+
+    Player player(core::Config::get().player.uid);
+    player.load();
+    // scene::load only re-anchors when the floor changes, and the saved spot may already
+    // be on this one. Clearing the floor forces the entrance anchor -- keeping old
+    // coordinates, or worse (0, 0, 0), drops the player outside the geometry.
+    player.location().floorId = 0;
+    proto::SceneInfo scene;
+    if (!scene::load(player, entryId, 0, true, scene)) {
+        return "entry " + std::to_string(entryId) + " could not be loaded";
+    }
+    player.saveNow();
+
+    logging::info("rescue", "no client connected; the save now starts at entry {}", entryId);
+    return "saved spot moved to entry " + std::to_string(entryId);
+}
+
 }  // namespace rescue
 }  // namespace game
diff --git a/src/game/rescue.h b/src/game/rescue.h
index bbea726..e79837d 100644
--- a/src/game/rescue.h
+++ b/src/game/rescue.h
@@ -23,5 +23,10 @@ namespace rescue {
 // Returns a one-line summary of what was done, for the log and the http reply.
 std::string unstick(net::Session& session, uint32_t entryId);
 
+// The same escape with nobody connected: rewrites the saved spot so the next login
+// starts somewhere else. For the floor the client cannot finish loading at all, where
+// there is no session left to push anything to.
+std::string relocate(uint32_t entryId);
+
 }  // namespace rescue
 }  // namespace game
diff --git a/src/sdk/admin.cpp b/src/sdk/admin.cpp
index 8214577..db88bcd 100644
--- a/src/sdk/admin.cpp
+++ b/src/sdk/admin.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ namespace sdk {
 
 void registerAdminRoutes(http::Server& server, net::Gateway& gateway) {
     // GET /unstick            -- push the current scene again
-    // GET /unstick?entry=1000002 -- and move to the Astral Express while doing it
+    // GET /unstick?entry=1000002 -- and move to the Astral Express while doing it,
+    //                            or move the save there when nothing is connected
     //
     // The client has no timeout on a transition it started, so a scene or a battle the
     // server never finished leaves it looking at nothing forever. Pushing a scene is
@@ -34,7 +35,12 @@ void registerAdminRoutes(http::Server& server, net::Gateway& gateway) {
             if (session == nullptr) continue;
             out["sessions"].push_back(game::rescue::unstick(*session, entryId));
         }
-        if (out["sessions"].empty()) {
+        if (out["sessions"].empty() && entryId != 0) {
+            // Nobody is connected, so move the saved spot instead. A client that cannot
+            // finish loading the floor it was left on has no session to rescue, and this
+            // is the only way out of it short of editing the save by hand.
+            out["message"] = game::rescue::relocate(entryId);
+        } else if (out["sessions"].empty()) {
             logging::warn("rescue", "nothing to unstick -- no client is connected");
             out["message"] = "no client is connected";
         } else {