diff --git a/src/devtools/stdin_cmd_reader.cpp b/src/devtools/stdin_cmd_reader.cpp
index fccbb7f57..8e4a48c22 100644
--- a/src/devtools/stdin_cmd_reader.cpp
+++ b/src/devtools/stdin_cmd_reader.cpp
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #include <thread>
 #include <iostream>
 
-static debug::Logger logger("stdin-reader");
+static debug::Logger logger("stdin-cmd");
 
 static std::thread reader_thread;
 
diff --git a/src/engine/Engine.cpp b/src/engine/Engine.cpp
index 0f34cb031..17e9e9f80 100644
--- a/src/engine/Engine.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/Engine.cpp
@@ -420,10 +420,20 @@ EngineSettings& Engine::getSettings() {
 }
 
 Assets* Engine::getAssets() {
-    return assets->getStorage();
+    return assets ? assets->getStorage() : nullptr;
+}
+
+Assets& Engine::requireAssets() {
+    if (isHeadless()) {
+        throw std::runtime_error("assets are not available in headless mode");
+    }
+    return *assets->getStorage();
 }
 
 AssetsLoader& Engine::acquireBackgroundLoader() {
+    if (isHeadless()) {
+        throw std::runtime_error("assets are not available in headless mode");
+    }
     return assets->acquireBackgroundLoader();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/engine/Engine.hpp b/src/engine/Engine.hpp
index 4f4e68280..4f726b700 100644
--- a/src/engine/Engine.hpp
+++ b/src/engine/Engine.hpp
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ public:
     
     /// @brief Get active assets storage instance
     Assets* getAssets();
+    Assets& requireAssets();
 
     AssetsLoader& acquireBackgroundLoader();
 
diff --git a/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libassets.cpp b/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libassets.cpp
index 0921f1b9c..82135ad86 100644
--- a/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libassets.cpp
+++ b/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libassets.cpp
@@ -15,10 +15,10 @@
 using namespace scripting;
 
 static void load_texture(
-    const ubyte* bytes, size_t size, const std::string& destname
+    Assets& assets, const ubyte* bytes, size_t size, const std::string& destname
 ) {
     try {
-        engine->getAssets()->store(png::load_texture(bytes, size), destname);
+        assets.store(png::load_texture(bytes, size), destname);
     } catch (const std::runtime_error& err) {
         debug::Logger logger("lua.assetslib");
         logger.error() << err.what();
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ static int l_request_texture(lua::State* L) {
 }
 
 static int l_load_texture(lua::State* L) {
+    auto& assets = engine->requireAssets();
+
     if (lua::isstring(L, 3) && lua::require_lstring(L, 3) != "png") {
         throw std::runtime_error("unsupportd image format");
     }
@@ -47,10 +49,13 @@ static int l_load_texture(lua::State* L) {
             lua::pop(L);
         }
         lua::pop(L);
-        load_texture(buffer.data(), buffer.size(), lua::require_string(L, 2));
+        load_texture(
+            assets, buffer.data(), buffer.size(), lua::require_string(L, 2)
+        );
     } else {
         auto string = lua::bytearray_as_string(L, 1);
         load_texture(
+            assets,
             reinterpret_cast<const ubyte*>(string.data()),
             string.size(),
             lua::require_string(L, 2)
@@ -61,13 +66,15 @@ static int l_load_texture(lua::State* L) {
 }
 
 static int l_parse_model(lua::State* L) {
+    auto& assets = engine->requireAssets();
+
     auto format = lua::require_lstring(L, 1);
     auto string = lua::require_lstring(L, 2);
     auto name = lua::require_string(L, 3);
     
     if (format == "xml" || format == "vcm") {
         auto vcmModel = vcm::parse(name, string, format == "xml");
-        engine->getAssets()->store(
+        assets.store(
             std::make_unique<model::Model>(std::move(vcmModel.squash())), name
         );
     } else {
@@ -79,7 +86,7 @@ static int l_parse_model(lua::State* L) {
 }
 
 static int l_to_canvas(lua::State* L) {
-    auto& assets = *engine->getAssets();
+    auto& assets = engine->requireAssets();
 
     auto alias = lua::require_lstring(L, 1);
     size_t sep = alias.rfind(':');
diff --git a/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libgui.cpp b/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libgui.cpp
index fe4cabada..514f3f98d 100644
--- a/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libgui.cpp
+++ b/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libgui.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ using namespace scripting;
 static DocumentNode get_document_node_impl(
     lua::State*, const std::string& name, const std::string& nodeName, bool throwable=true
 ) {
-    auto doc = engine->getAssets()->get<UiDocument>(name);
+    auto doc = engine->requireAssets().get<UiDocument>(name);
     if (doc == nullptr) {
         if (throwable) {
             throw std::runtime_error("document '" + name + "' not found");
@@ -1026,7 +1026,7 @@ static int l_gui_str(lua::State* L) {
 
 static int l_gui_reindex(lua::State* L) {
     auto name = lua::require_string(L, 1);
-    auto doc = engine->getAssets()->get<UiDocument>(name);
+    auto doc = engine->requireAssets().get<UiDocument>(name);
     if (doc == nullptr) {
         throw std::runtime_error(
             "document '" + std::string(name) + "' not found"
@@ -1124,7 +1124,7 @@ static int l_gui_load_document(lua::State* L) {
         engine->getGUI(), std::move(env), alias, filename, filename.string()
     );
     auto document = documentPtr.get();
-    engine->getAssets()->store(std::move(documentPtr), alias);
+    engine->requireAssets().store(std::move(documentPtr), alias);
 
     // namespace extension
     if (lua::istable(L, 4)) {