diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/loadingscreen.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/loadingscreen.cpp
index e82d78bfe..e32140cb3 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/loadingscreen.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/loadingscreen.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ namespace MWGui
         , mLastWallpaperChangeTime(0.0)
         , mLastRenderTime(0.0)
         , mLoadingOnTime(0.0)
+        , mImportantLabel(false)
         , mProgress(0)
     {
         mMainWidget->setSize(MyGUI::RenderManager::getInstance().getViewSize());
@@ -82,8 +83,10 @@ namespace MWGui
             std::cerr << "No splash screens found!" << std::endl;
     }
 
-    void LoadingScreen::setLabel(const std::string &label)
+    void LoadingScreen::setLabel(const std::string &label, bool important)
     {
+        mImportantLabel = important;
+
         mLoadingText->setCaptionWithReplacing(label);
         int padding = mLoadingBox->getWidth() - mLoadingText->getWidth();
         MyGUI::IntSize size(mLoadingText->getTextSize().width+padding, mLoadingBox->getHeight());
@@ -176,6 +179,19 @@ namespace MWGui
 
     void LoadingScreen::loadingOff()
     {
+        if (mLastRenderTime < mLoadingOnTime)
+        {
+            // the loading was so fast that we didn't show loading screen at all
+            // we may still want to show the label if the caller requested it
+            if (mImportantLabel)
+            {
+                MWBase::Environment::get().getWindowManager()->messageBox(mLoadingText->getCaption());
+                mImportantLabel = false;
+            }
+        }
+        else
+            mImportantLabel = false; // label was already shown on loading screen
+
         //std::cout << "loading took " << mTimer.time_m() - mLoadingOnTime << std::endl;
         setVisible(false);
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/loadingscreen.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/loadingscreen.hpp
index ce9f0f6dc..a7f7d3619 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/loadingscreen.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/loadingscreen.hpp
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ namespace MWGui
         virtual ~LoadingScreen();
 
         /// Overridden from Loading::Listener, see the Loading::Listener documentation for usage details
-        virtual void setLabel (const std::string& label);
+        virtual void setLabel (const std::string& label, bool important);
         virtual void loadingOn();
         virtual void loadingOff();
         virtual void setProgressRange (size_t range);
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ namespace MWGui
         osg::Timer mTimer;
         double mLoadingOnTime;
 
+        bool mImportantLabel;
+
         size_t mProgress;
 
         MyGUI::Widget* mLoadingBox;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
index b5426bc77..9931cf967 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ void MWState::StateManager::saveGame (const std::string& description, const Slot
         Loading::Listener& listener = *MWBase::Environment::get().getWindowManager()->getLoadingScreen();
         // Using only Cells for progress information, since they typically have the largest records by far
         listener.setProgressRange(MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->countSavedGameCells());
-        listener.setLabel("#{sNotifyMessage4}");
+        listener.setLabel("#{sNotifyMessage4}", true);
 
         Loading::ScopedLoad load(&listener);
 
diff --git a/components/loadinglistener/loadinglistener.hpp b/components/loadinglistener/loadinglistener.hpp
index 04e50dd28..1d48cce0b 100644
--- a/components/loadinglistener/loadinglistener.hpp
+++ b/components/loadinglistener/loadinglistener.hpp
@@ -9,7 +9,12 @@ namespace Loading
     {
     public:
         /// Set a text label to show on the loading screen.
-        virtual void setLabel (const std::string& label) {}
+        /// @param label The label
+        /// @param important Is the label considered important to show?
+        /// @note "non-important" labels may not show on screen if the loading process went so fast
+        /// that the implementation decided not to show a loading screen at all. "important" labels
+        /// will show in a separate message-box if the loading screen was not shown.
+        virtual void setLabel (const std::string& label, bool important=false) {}
 
         /// Start a loading sequence. Must call loadingOff() when done.
         /// @note To get the loading screen to actually update, you must call setProgress / increaseProgress periodically.