diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/saves/LoadGameScreen.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/saves/LoadGameScreen.kt
index 1c78d5b4ae..45f73d4360 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/saves/LoadGameScreen.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/saves/LoadGameScreen.kt
@@ -80,7 +80,9 @@ class LoadGameScreen(previousScreen:CameraStageBaseScreen) : PickerScreen(disabl
         loadFromClipboardButton.onClick {
             try {
                 val clipboardContentsString = Gdx.app.clipboard.contents.trim()
-                val decoded = Gzip.unzip(clipboardContentsString)
+                val decoded =
+                    if (clipboardContentsString.startsWith("{")) clipboardContentsString
+                    else Gzip.unzip(clipboardContentsString)
                 val loadedGame = GameSaver.gameInfoFromString(decoded)
                 UncivGame.Current.loadGame(loadedGame)
             } catch (ex: Exception) {
diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/worldscreen/unit/UnitActions.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/worldscreen/unit/UnitActions.kt
index ba2bc64bc9..6f91561466 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/worldscreen/unit/UnitActions.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/worldscreen/unit/UnitActions.kt
@@ -320,13 +320,21 @@ object UnitActions {
         return UnitAction(UnitActionType.Upgrade,
             title = "Upgrade to [${upgradedUnit.name}] ([$goldCostOfUpgrade] gold)",
             action = {
-                unit.civInfo.addGold(-goldCostOfUpgrade)
                 val unitTile = unit.getTile()
                 unit.destroy()
-                val newUnit = unit.civInfo.placeUnitNearTile(unitTile.position, upgradedUnit.name)!!
-                unit.copyStatisticsTo(newUnit)
-                
-                newUnit.currentMovement = 0f
+                val newUnit = unit.civInfo.placeUnitNearTile(unitTile.position, upgradedUnit.name)
+
+                /** We were UNABLE to place the new unit, which means that the unit failed to upgrade!
+                 * The only known cause of this currently is "land units upgrading to water units" which fail to be placed.
+                 */
+                if (newUnit == null) {
+                    val readdedUnit = unit.civInfo.placeUnitNearTile(unitTile.position, unit.name)
+                    unit.copyStatisticsTo(readdedUnit!!)
+                } else { // Managed to upgrade
+                    unit.civInfo.addGold(-goldCostOfUpgrade)
+                    unit.copyStatisticsTo(newUnit)
+                    newUnit.currentMovement = 0f
+                }
             }.takeIf {
                 isFree ||
                 (