diff --git a/src/GUI/MessageBox.cxx b/src/GUI/MessageBox.cxx
index 846752af8..67276448a 100644
--- a/src/GUI/MessageBox.cxx
+++ b/src/GUI/MessageBox.cxx
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ MessageBoxResult modalMessageBox(const std::string& caption,
         s += "\n( " +  moreText + ")";
     }
 
-    if (fgGetBool("/sim/initialized", false) == false) {
+    if (fgGetBool("/sim/rendering/initialized", false) == false) {
         SG_LOG(SG_GENERAL, SG_ALERT, s);
     } else {
         NewGUI* _gui = (NewGUI *)globals->get_subsystem("gui");
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ MessageBoxResult fatalMessageBox(const std::string& caption,
     if (!moreText.empty()) {
         s += "\n( " +  moreText + ")";
     }
-    if (fgGetBool("/sim/initialized", false) == false) {
+    if (fgGetBool("/sim/rendering/initialized", false) == false) {
         std::cerr << s << std::endl;
     } else {
         NewGUI* _gui = (NewGUI *)globals->get_subsystem("gui");
diff --git a/src/Main/main.cxx b/src/Main/main.cxx
index d66d8adfe..b001a2d64 100644
--- a/src/Main/main.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/main.cxx
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@ static void fgIdleFunction ( void ) {
             fgSetVideoOptions();
             idle_state+=2;
             fgSplashProgress("loading-aircraft-list");
+            fgSetBool("/sim/rendering/initialized", true);
         }
 
     } else if ( idle_state == 2 ) {