diff --git a/mods/ITEMS/mcl_itemframes/init.lua b/mods/ITEMS/mcl_itemframes/init.lua
index 5dde560b7..5937a16cf 100644
--- a/mods/ITEMS/mcl_itemframes/init.lua
+++ b/mods/ITEMS/mcl_itemframes/init.lua
@@ -65,7 +65,10 @@ minetest.register_entity("mcl_itemframes:map", {
 	},
 	on_activate = function(self, staticdata)
 		self.id = staticdata
-		self.object:set_properties({textures = {mcl_maps.load_map(self.id)}})
+        mcl_maps.load_map(self.id, function(texture)
+			-- will not crash even if self.object is invalid by now
+			self.object:set_properties({textures = {texture}})
+		end)
 	end,
 	get_staticdata = function(self)
 		return self.id