diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/util/ParameterUtil.as b/src/as/com/threerings/util/ParameterUtil.as
index 766b1f38c..dc0d8018d 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/util/ParameterUtil.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/util/ParameterUtil.as
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package com.threerings.util {
 
 import flash.display.DisplayObject;
+import flash.display.LoaderInfo;
 
 import flash.events.Event;
 import flash.events.IOErrorEvent;
@@ -27,19 +28,51 @@ public class ParameterUtil
      */
     public static function getParameters (disp :DisplayObject, callback :Function) :void
     {
-        var url :String = disp.root.loaderInfo.url;
-        // normal parameters
-        if (url == null || 0 != url.indexOf("file:")) {
-            callback(disp.root.loaderInfo.parameters);
+        return getInfoParameters(disp.root.loaderInfo, callback);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the parameters.
+     * Note: the callback function may be called prior to this method
+     * returning.
+     */
+    public static function getInfoParameters (loaderInfo :LoaderInfo, callback :Function) :void
+    {
+        // ensure that it's initialized...
+        if (loaderInfo.url == null) {
+            // Create a function to wait until the loaded object is initialized
+            var initWaiter :Function = function (event :Event) :void {
+                loaderInfo.removeEventListener(Event.INIT, initWaiter);
+                if (loaderInfo.url != null) {
+                    // re-call
+                    getInfoParameters(loaderInfo, callback);
+
+                } else {
+                    // url is still null, don't infinite loop
+                    logWarning("Unable to determine url, bailing");
+                    callback(loaderInfo.parameters);
+                }
+            }; // end- initWaiter function
+
+            // and wait.
+            loaderInfo.addEventListener(Event.INIT, initWaiter);
             return;
         }
 
-        // instead read from XML
+        // Simply use the parameters in the loaderInfo if we were not
+        // loaded from a file.
+        if (0 != loaderInfo.url.indexOf("file:")) {
+            callback(loaderInfo.parameters);
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // If we were loaded from a file, read our parameters from the
+        // parameters.xml file.
         var loader :URLLoader = new URLLoader();
         loader.addEventListener(IOErrorEvent.IO_ERROR,
             function (event :Event) :void {
-                trace("Error loading params: " + event);
-                callback(disp.root.loaderInfo.parameters);
+                logWarning("Error loading params: " + event);
+                callback(loaderInfo.parameters);
             }
         );
         loader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE,
@@ -54,5 +87,14 @@ public class ParameterUtil
         );
         loader.load(new URLRequest("file:parameters.xml"));
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Convenience function to log a warning, since we don't keep around
+     * a Log instance.
+     */
+    protected static function logWarning (msg :String) :void
+    {
+        Log.getLog(ParameterUtil).warning(msg);
+    }
 }
 }