diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/models/ruleset/Ruleset.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/models/ruleset/Ruleset.kt
index b670324ba7..2dce9adae2 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/models/ruleset/Ruleset.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/models/ruleset/Ruleset.kt
@@ -729,7 +729,8 @@ class Ruleset {
  * save all of the loaded rulesets somewhere for later use
  *  */
 object RulesetCache : HashMap<String,Ruleset>() {
-    fun loadRulesets(consoleMode: Boolean = false, printOutput: Boolean = false, noMods: Boolean = false) {
+    /** Returns error lines from loading the rulesets, so we can display the errors to users */
+    fun loadRulesets(consoleMode: Boolean = false, printOutput: Boolean = false, noMods: Boolean = false) :List<String> {
         clear()
         for (ruleset in BaseRuleset.values()) {
             val fileName = "jsons/${ruleset.fullName}"
@@ -742,11 +743,12 @@ object RulesetCache : HashMap<String,Ruleset>() {
             }
         }
 
-        if (noMods) return
+        if (noMods) return listOf()
 
         val modsHandles = if (consoleMode) FileHandle("mods").list()
         else Gdx.files.local("mods").list()
 
+        val errorLines = ArrayList<String>()
         for (modFolder in modsHandles) {
             if (modFolder.name().startsWith('.')) continue
             if (!modFolder.isDirectory) continue
@@ -761,13 +763,13 @@ object RulesetCache : HashMap<String,Ruleset>() {
                     println(modRuleset.checkModLinks().getErrorText())
                 }
             } catch (ex: Exception) {
-                if (printOutput) {
-                    println("Exception loading mod '${modFolder.name()}':")
-                    println("  ${ex.localizedMessage}")
-                    println("  ${ex.cause?.localizedMessage}")
-                }
+                errorLines += "Exception loading mod '${modFolder.name()}':"
+                errorLines += "  ${ex.localizedMessage}"
+                errorLines += "  ${ex.cause?.localizedMessage}"
             }
         }
+        if (printOutput) for (line in errorLines) println(line)
+        return errorLines
     }
 
 
diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/worldscreen/mainmenu/OptionsPopup.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/worldscreen/mainmenu/OptionsPopup.kt
index 8140c6c018..91aa85f9c2 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/ui/worldscreen/mainmenu/OptionsPopup.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/ui/worldscreen/mainmenu/OptionsPopup.kt
@@ -264,7 +264,6 @@ class OptionsPopup(val previousScreen: BaseScreen) : Popup(previousScreen) {
     private fun getModCheckTab() = Table(BaseScreen.skin).apply {
         defaults().pad(10f).align(Align.top)
         val reloadModsButton = "Reload mods".toTextButton().onClick {
-            RulesetCache.loadRulesets()
             runModChecker(modCheckCheckBox!!.isChecked)
         }
         add(reloadModsButton).row()
@@ -277,10 +276,20 @@ class OptionsPopup(val previousScreen: BaseScreen) : Popup(previousScreen) {
     }
 
     private fun runModChecker(complex: Boolean = false) {
+        
         modCheckFirstRun = false
         if (modCheckCheckBox == null) return
 
         modCheckResultTable.clear()
+
+        val rulesetErrors = RulesetCache.loadRulesets()
+        if (rulesetErrors.isNotEmpty()) {
+            val errorTable = Table().apply { defaults().pad(2f) }
+            for (rulesetError in rulesetErrors)
+                errorTable.add(rulesetError.toLabel()).width(stage.width / 2).row()
+            modCheckResultTable.add(errorTable)
+        }
+        
         modCheckResultTable.add("Checking mods for errors...".toLabel()).row()
         modCheckCheckBox!!.disable()
 
@@ -437,7 +446,6 @@ class OptionsPopup(val previousScreen: BaseScreen) : Popup(previousScreen) {
         }
         val toastText = "Uniques updated!"
         ToastPopup(toastText, screen).open(true)
-        RulesetCache.loadRulesets()
         runModChecker()
     }