diff --git a/code/AssetLib/SMD/SMDLoader.cpp b/code/AssetLib/SMD/SMDLoader.cpp
index 1c73c7e668..9af871ceed 100644
--- a/code/AssetLib/SMD/SMDLoader.cpp
+++ b/code/AssetLib/SMD/SMDLoader.cpp
@@ -837,7 +837,10 @@ void SMDImporter::ParseNodeInfo(const char* szCurrent, const char** szCurrentOut
     unsigned int iBone  = 0;
     SkipSpacesAndLineEnd(szCurrent,&szCurrent);
     if ( !ParseUnsignedInt(szCurrent,&szCurrent,iBone) || !SkipSpaces(szCurrent,&szCurrent)) {
-        LogErrorNoThrow("Unexpected EOF/EOL while parsing bone index");
+        throw DeadlyImportError("Unexpected EOF/EOL while parsing bone index");
+    }
+    if (iBone == UINT_MAX) {
+        LogErrorNoThrow("Invalid bone number while parsing bone index");
         SMDI_PARSE_RETURN;
     }
     // add our bone to the list