diff --git a/language.version b/language.version
index 2db787e3a..411b7f25d 100644
--- a/language.version
+++ b/language.version
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 [default]
-SWWM_MODVER="\cyDEMOLITIONIST \cw1.2.10 r3 \cu(Sun 17 Apr 19:51:50 CEST 2022)\c-";
-SWWM_SHORTVER="\cw1.2.10 r3 \cu(2022-04-17 19:51:50)\c-";
+SWWM_MODVER="\cyDEMOLITIONIST \cw1.2.10 r4 \cu(Sun 17 Apr 19:52:07 CEST 2022)\c-";
+SWWM_SHORTVER="\cw1.2.10 r4 \cu(2022-04-17 19:52:07)\c-";
diff --git a/zscript/menu/swwm_inter.zsc b/zscript/menu/swwm_inter.zsc
index 00078826f..46bcda1c4 100644
--- a/zscript/menu/swwm_inter.zsc
+++ b/zscript/menu/swwm_inter.zsc
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // Custom intermission screens
-Class SWWMStatScreenData : Thinker
+Class SWWMStatScreenData : SWWMStaticThinker
 {
 	// to prevent repetition
 	Array<int> lasttip, lastart;
diff --git a/zscript/swwm_player.zsc b/zscript/swwm_player.zsc
index e261fa9f6..3547f8764 100644
--- a/zscript/swwm_player.zsc
+++ b/zscript/swwm_player.zsc
@@ -471,6 +471,9 @@ Class Demolitionist : PlayerPawn
 		}
 		oldsinglefirst = swwm_singlefirst;	// super already sets up the slots, so save the cvar value now
 		mystats = SWWMStats.Find(player);
+		// sanity checks
+		if ( !EventHandler.Find("SWWMHandler") || !StaticEventHandler.Find("SWWMStaticHandler") )
+			ThrowAbortException("Panic! SWWM event handlers not detected!");
 	}
 	void A_Dash()
 	{
diff --git a/zscript/swwm_statichandler.zsc b/zscript/swwm_statichandler.zsc
index cb2fa68fd..11f7fcc0b 100644
--- a/zscript/swwm_statichandler.zsc
+++ b/zscript/swwm_statichandler.zsc
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Static handler responsible for some special stuff
 
 // save version holder
-Class SWWMSaveVerData : Thinker
+Class SWWMSaveVerData : SWWMStaticThinker
 {
 	String ver;
 }
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ Class SWWMStaticHandler : StaticEventHandler
 	bool titlefirst;
 	// warnings
 	bool mpwarned;
+	// checks
+	ThinkerIterator sti;
 
 	override void NewGame()
 	{
@@ -47,6 +49,17 @@ Class SWWMStaticHandler : StaticEventHandler
 			Console.Printf("\cgWARNING:\c- Multiplayer is no longer officially supported, desyncs and other issues may potentially happen. You are on your own.");
 			S_StartSound("compat/warn",CHAN_YOUDONEFUCKEDUP,CHANF_UI|CHANF_NOPAUSE|CHANF_OVERLAP,1,ATTN_NONE);
 		}
+		// sanity check
+		Array<Thinker> stinkers;
+		if ( !sti ) sti = ThinkerIterator.Create("SWWMStaticThinker");
+		else sti.Reinit();
+		Thinker t;
+		while ( t = sti.Next() ) stinkers.Push(t);
+		if ( stinkers.Size() > 0 )
+		{
+			for ( int i=0; i<stinkers.Size(); i++ ) Console.Printf("%s is not STAT_STATIC!",stinkers[i].GetClassName());
+			ThrowAbortException("Panic! %d static thinker%s been tampered with!",stinkers.Size(),(stinkers.Size()==1)?" has":"s have");
+		}
 	}
 
 	override void WorldLoaded( WorldEvent e )
diff --git a/zscript/swwm_thinkers.zsc b/zscript/swwm_thinkers.zsc
index 00c82a518..e044cdf6d 100644
--- a/zscript/swwm_thinkers.zsc
+++ b/zscript/swwm_thinkers.zsc
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ Class LIEntry
 	Color mapcolor;
 }
 
-Class SWWMCachedLockInfo : Thinker
+Class SWWMCachedLockInfo : SWWMStaticThinker
 {
 	Array<LIEntry> ent;
 
diff --git a/zscript/swwm_thinkers_player.zsc b/zscript/swwm_thinkers_player.zsc
index 7bfc3a8e4..c28ab022a 100644
--- a/zscript/swwm_thinkers_player.zsc
+++ b/zscript/swwm_thinkers_player.zsc
@@ -1,8 +1,15 @@
 // player-specific thinkers
 
+Class SWWMStaticThinker : Thinker abstract
+{
+	// shell class to iterate easier on sanity checks
+	// all subclasses should be guaranteed to have a statnum of STAT_STATIC
+	// if they don't, something is very wrong
+}
+
 // "Full History" contains all messages since session start, nothing is flushed
 // this can be accessed from a section of the knowledge base
-Class SWWMFullHistory : Thinker
+Class SWWMFullHistory : SWWMStaticThinker
 {
 	String lastmap;
 	Array<MsgLine> msg;
@@ -40,7 +47,7 @@ Class SWWMFullHistory : Thinker
 }
 
 // Dedicated mission log (for custom maps)
-Class SWWMMissionLog : Thinker
+Class SWWMMissionLog : SWWMStaticThinker
 {
 	Array<String> entries;
 	bool clockset;
@@ -107,7 +114,7 @@ Class LevelStat
 	int time, par, suck;
 }
 
-Class SWWMStats : Thinker
+Class SWWMStats : SWWMStaticThinker
 {
 	PlayerInfo myplayer;
 	int lastspawn, dashcount, boostcount, stompcount, airtime, kills,
@@ -289,7 +296,7 @@ Class SWWMStats : Thinker
 }
 
 // Scoring
-Class SWWMCredits : Thinker
+Class SWWMCredits : SWWMStaticThinker
 {
 	PlayerInfo myplayer;
 	int credits;
@@ -367,7 +374,7 @@ Class SWWMLore
 	bool read;
 }
 
-Class SWWMLoreLibrary : Thinker
+Class SWWMLoreLibrary : SWWMStaticThinker
 {
 	PlayerInfo myplayer;
 	Array<SWWMLore> ent;