diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/file/renderfile/RenderMetaDataFile.java b/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/file/renderfile/RenderMetaDataFile.java
index e7dc376e9..7362e7df4 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/file/renderfile/RenderMetaDataFile.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/file/renderfile/RenderMetaDataFile.java
@@ -80,6 +80,24 @@ public class RenderMetaDataFile extends AbstractMetaDataContainerFile implements
 	// constructor //
 	//=============//
 	
+	/** 
+	 * Can be used instead of {@link RenderMetaDataFile#createFromExistingFile} or {@link RenderMetaDataFile#createNewFileForPos}, 
+	 * if we are uncertain whether a file exists or not.
+	 */
+	public static RenderMetaDataFile createFromExistingOrNewFile(RenderSourceFileHandler fileHandler, DhSectionPos pos) throws IOException
+	{
+		File file = fileHandler.computeRenderFilePath(pos);
+		if (file.exists())
+		{
+			return createFromExistingFile(fileHandler, file);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			return createNewFileForPos(fileHandler, pos);
+		}
+	}
+	
+	
 	/**
 	 * NOTE: should only be used if there is NOT an existing file.
 	 *
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/file/renderfile/RenderSourceFileHandler.java b/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/file/renderfile/RenderSourceFileHandler.java
index 5f6e7feb1..8e3613e34 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/file/renderfile/RenderSourceFileHandler.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/seibel/distanthorizons/core/file/renderfile/RenderSourceFileHandler.java
@@ -310,12 +310,11 @@ public class RenderSourceFileHandler implements ILodRenderSourceProvider
 			return null;
 		}
 		
-		// File does not exist, create it.
-		// In this case, since 'creating' a file object doesn't actually do anything heavy on IO yet, we use CAS
-		// to avoid overhead of 'synchronized', and eat the mini-overhead of possibly creating duplicate objects.
+		// File probably doesn't exist, try creating it.
 		try
 		{
-			metaFile = RenderMetaDataFile.createNewFileForPos(this, pos);
+			// createFromExistingOrNewFile is due to a rare issue where the file may already exist but isn't in the file list
+			metaFile = RenderMetaDataFile.createFromExistingOrNewFile(this, pos);
 		}
 		catch (IOException e)
 		{