diff --git a/src/deh_lua.c b/src/deh_lua.c
index a08477b26d95584405c383670768823115fc6fc6..9696426d256c85cb62f7faaf544137caa17fa507 100644
--- a/src/deh_lua.c
+++ b/src/deh_lua.c
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ static inline int lib_freeslot(lua_State *L)
 			teamnames[i] = Z_Malloc(strlen(word)+1, PU_STATIC, NULL);
 			strcpy(teamnames[i],word);
 			lua_pushinteger(L, i);
+			G_InitTeam(i);
 			numteams++;
 			r++;
 			break;
diff --git a/src/deh_soc.c b/src/deh_soc.c
index ad47c535ddd9421e477b24d3a5004f66eb4bc590..509d56959d3ad3166bdbf0a25b54bc4afec2c74d 100644
--- a/src/deh_soc.c
+++ b/src/deh_soc.c
@@ -479,6 +479,7 @@ void readfreeslots(MYFILE *f)
 				{
 					teamnames[numteams] = Z_Malloc(strlen(word)+1, PU_STATIC, NULL);
 					strcpy(teamnames[numteams],word);
+					G_InitTeam(numteams);
 					numteams++;
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/src/g_game.c b/src/g_game.c
index 009bc0e7846f55f35b7c454f1ee6cde37694a18c..aa0007d96c2a0aae461d2dd11d7ffafd9c9670b5 100644
--- a/src/g_game.c
+++ b/src/g_game.c
@@ -3917,6 +3917,13 @@ UINT32 G_TOLFlag(INT32 pgametype)
 	return gametypes[pgametype].typeoflevel;
 }
 
+void G_InitTeam(UINT8 team)
+{
+	G_FreeTeamData(team);
+
+	memset(&teams[team], 0, sizeof(team_t));
+}
+
 UINT8 G_GetGametypeTeam(UINT8 gtype, UINT8 team)
 {
 	if (team == TEAM_NONE || team >= gametypes[gtype].teams.num + 1)
@@ -3962,7 +3969,7 @@ UINT8 G_GetTeamListFromTeamFlags(UINT8 *teamlist, UINT32 flags)
 
 const char *G_GetTeamName(UINT8 team)
 {
-	if (team >= numteams)
+	if (team >= numteams || !teams[team].name)
 		return "Unknown";
 
 	return teams[team].name;
@@ -3970,7 +3977,7 @@ const char *G_GetTeamName(UINT8 team)
 
 const char *G_GetTeamFlagName(UINT8 team)
 {
-	if (team >= numteams)
+	if (team >= numteams || !teams[team].flag_name)
 		return "";
 
 	return teams[team].flag_name;
diff --git a/src/g_game.h b/src/g_game.h
index 1d6ba0cb4724bf688703ee416a192027d194b935..d2021bab589c669cde9c1f387673fd6588284867 100644
--- a/src/g_game.h
+++ b/src/g_game.h
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ void G_UseContinue(void);
 void G_AfterIntermission(void);
 void G_EndGame(void); // moved from y_inter.c/h and renamed
 
+void G_InitTeam(UINT8 team);
 UINT8 G_GetGametypeTeam(UINT8 gtype, UINT8 team);
 UINT8 G_GetTeam(UINT8 team);
 UINT8 G_GetTeamFromTeamFlag(UINT32 flag);
diff --git a/src/lua_infolib.c b/src/lua_infolib.c
index 6bbfb626e751fb2e5199bb5ecdf1d8e22574b76f..46ad64672f9d3983bd0a0807732b19c89004d243 100644
--- a/src/lua_infolib.c
+++ b/src/lua_infolib.c
@@ -2244,9 +2244,7 @@ static int lib_setTeams(lua_State *L)
 	if (hook_cmd_running)
 		return luaL_error(L, "Do not alter team data in CMD building code!");
 
-	G_FreeTeamData(teamnum);
-
-	memset(team, 0, sizeof(team_t));
+	G_InitTeam(teamnum);
 
 	lua_pushnil(L);
 	while (lua_next(L, 1)) {
diff --git a/src/netcode/d_netcmd.c b/src/netcode/d_netcmd.c
index 0658387752ca37211da606d48ae88cdee8209215..8ae2d8b37331ee9cc504d487e4c2fea992189399 100644
--- a/src/netcode/d_netcmd.c
+++ b/src/netcode/d_netcmd.c
@@ -2271,7 +2271,8 @@ static UINT8 GetTeamByName(const char *name)
 {
 	for (UINT8 i = 1; i < teamsingame; i++)
 	{
-		if (!stricmp(name, G_GetTeamName(G_GetTeam(i))))
+		const char *team_name = teams[G_GetTeam(i)].name;
+		if (team_name && !stricmp(name, team_name))
 			return i;
 	}
 	return MAXTEAMS;