diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GameLogic.h b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GameLogic.h
index a5b91bb8f6f..0c02bdecd75 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GameLogic.h
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GameLogic.h
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ class GameLogic : public SubsystemInterface, public Snapshot
 
 	/// factory for TheTerrainLogic, called from init()
 	virtual TerrainLogic *createTerrainLogic();
-	virtual GhostObjectManager *createGhostObjectManager();
+	virtual GhostObjectManager *createGhostObjectManager(bool headless = false);
 
 	GameMode m_gameMode;
 	Int m_rankLevelLimit;
diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GhostObject.h b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GhostObject.h
index 6c63ee2f769..8a6b28f0186 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GhostObject.h
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GhostObject.h
@@ -108,5 +108,19 @@ inline Bool GhostObjectManager::trackAllPlayers() const
 #endif
 }
 
+// TheSuperHackers @feature bobtista 19/01/2026
+// GhostObjectManager that does nothing for headless mode.
+// Note: Does NOT override crc/xfer/loadPostProcess to maintain save compatibility.
+class GhostObjectManagerDummy : public GhostObjectManager
+{
+public:
+	virtual void reset() override {}
+	virtual GhostObject *addGhostObject(Object *object, PartitionData *pd) override { return nullptr; }
+	virtual void removeGhostObject(GhostObject *mod) override {}
+	virtual void updateOrphanedObjects(int *playerIndexList, int playerIndexCount) override {}
+	virtual void releasePartitionData() override {}
+	virtual void restorePartitionData() override {}
+};
+
 // the singleton
 extern GhostObjectManager *TheGhostObjectManager;
diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
index 25a0bdf0175..b0571f6180e 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ void GameLogic::init()
 	// Create system for holding deleted objects that are
 	// still in the partition manager because player has a fogged
 	// view of them.
-	TheGhostObjectManager = createGhostObjectManager();
+	TheGhostObjectManager = createGhostObjectManager(TheGlobalData->m_headless);
 
 	// create the terrain logic
 	TheTerrainLogic = createTerrainLogic();
@@ -3933,7 +3933,7 @@ UnsignedInt GameLogic::getObjectCount()
 
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-GhostObjectManager *GameLogic::createGhostObjectManager()
+GhostObjectManager *GameLogic::createGhostObjectManager(bool)
 {
 	return NEW GhostObjectManager;
 }
diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Include/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGameLogic.h b/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Include/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGameLogic.h
index a48ecfb93ab..4c386a5e032 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Include/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGameLogic.h
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Include/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGameLogic.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ class W3DGameLogic : public GameLogic
 
 	/// factory for TheTerrainLogic, called from init()
 	virtual TerrainLogic *createTerrainLogic() { return NEW W3DTerrainLogic; };
-	virtual GhostObjectManager *createGhostObjectManager() { return NEW W3DGhostObjectManager; }
+	// TheSuperHackers @feature bobtista 19/01/2026 Use dummy for headless mode
+	virtual GhostObjectManager *createGhostObjectManager(bool headless) { return headless ? static_cast<GhostObjectManager*>(NEW GhostObjectManagerDummy) : NEW W3DGhostObjectManager; }
 
 };
diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGhostObject.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGhostObject.cpp
index 9ba4bd16acb..dd139056adb 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGhostObject.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGhostObject.cpp
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ void W3DRenderObjectSnapshot::update(RenderObjClass *robj, DrawableInfo *drawInf
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Bool W3DRenderObjectSnapshot::addToScene()
 {
-	if (W3DDisplay::m_3DScene != nullptr && !m_robj->Is_In_Scene())
+	if (!m_robj->Is_In_Scene())
 	{
 		W3DDisplay::m_3DScene->Add_Render_Object(m_robj);
 		return true;
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GameLogic.h b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GameLogic.h
index 160d1dbd4cf..a53c4a6a8ed 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GameLogic.h
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GameLogic.h
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ class GameLogic : public SubsystemInterface, public Snapshot
 
 	/// factory for TheTerrainLogic, called from init()
 	virtual TerrainLogic *createTerrainLogic();
-	virtual GhostObjectManager *createGhostObjectManager();
+	virtual GhostObjectManager *createGhostObjectManager(bool headless = false);
 
 	GameMode m_gameMode;
 	Int m_rankLevelLimit;
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GhostObject.h b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GhostObject.h
index 907596e94bf..e320c50cbd7 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GhostObject.h
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameLogic/GhostObject.h
@@ -108,5 +108,19 @@ inline Bool GhostObjectManager::trackAllPlayers() const
 #endif
 }
 
+// TheSuperHackers @feature bobtista 19/01/2026
+// GhostObjectManager that does nothing for headless mode.
+// Note: Does NOT override crc/xfer/loadPostProcess to maintain save compatibility.
+class GhostObjectManagerDummy : public GhostObjectManager
+{
+public:
+	virtual void reset() override {}
+	virtual GhostObject *addGhostObject(Object *object, PartitionData *pd) override { return nullptr; }
+	virtual void removeGhostObject(GhostObject *mod) override {}
+	virtual void updateOrphanedObjects(int *playerIndexList, int playerIndexCount) override {}
+	virtual void releasePartitionData() override {}
+	virtual void restorePartitionData() override {}
+};
+
 // the singleton
 extern GhostObjectManager *TheGhostObjectManager;
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
index 4d0bb085dc4..fe7de50da3a 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameLogic/System/GameLogic.cpp
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ void GameLogic::init()
 	// Create system for holding deleted objects that are
 	// still in the partition manager because player has a fogged
 	// view of them.
-	TheGhostObjectManager = createGhostObjectManager();
+	TheGhostObjectManager = createGhostObjectManager(TheGlobalData->m_headless);
 
 	// create the terrain logic
 	TheTerrainLogic = createTerrainLogic();
@@ -4492,7 +4492,7 @@ UnsignedInt GameLogic::getObjectCount()
 
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-GhostObjectManager *GameLogic::createGhostObjectManager()
+GhostObjectManager *GameLogic::createGhostObjectManager(bool)
 {
 	return NEW GhostObjectManager;
 }
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Include/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGameLogic.h b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Include/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGameLogic.h
index 74a736a46cf..7ca53a273e4 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Include/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGameLogic.h
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Include/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGameLogic.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ class W3DGameLogic : public GameLogic
 
 	/// factory for TheTerrainLogic, called from init()
 	virtual TerrainLogic *createTerrainLogic() { return NEW W3DTerrainLogic; };
-	virtual GhostObjectManager *createGhostObjectManager() { return NEW W3DGhostObjectManager; }
+	// TheSuperHackers @feature bobtista 19/01/2026 Use dummy for headless mode
+	virtual GhostObjectManager *createGhostObjectManager(bool headless) { return headless ? static_cast<GhostObjectManager*>(NEW GhostObjectManagerDummy) : NEW W3DGhostObjectManager; }
 
 };
diff --git a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGhostObject.cpp b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGhostObject.cpp
index d2be8e5fb1d..ea4276098b0 100644
--- a/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGhostObject.cpp
+++ b/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameLogic/W3DGhostObject.cpp
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ void W3DRenderObjectSnapshot::update(RenderObjClass *robj, DrawableInfo *drawInf
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Bool W3DRenderObjectSnapshot::addToScene()
 {
-	if (W3DDisplay::m_3DScene != nullptr && !m_robj->Is_In_Scene())
+	if (!m_robj->Is_In_Scene())
 	{
 		W3DDisplay::m_3DScene->Add_Render_Object(m_robj);
 		return true;