diff --git a/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/trait/Anchors.java b/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/trait/Anchors.java
index 9dd8ab50d..b3918a2dc 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/trait/Anchors.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/trait/Anchors.java
@@ -12,9 +12,13 @@ import net.citizensnpcs.util.Messages;
 
 import org.bukkit.Bukkit;
 import org.bukkit.Location;
+import org.bukkit.event.EventHandler;
+import org.bukkit.event.Listener;
+import org.bukkit.event.world.WorldLoadEvent;
+import org.bukkit.event.world.WorldUnloadEvent;
 
 public class Anchors extends Trait {
-    private final List<Anchor> anchors = new ArrayList<Anchor>();
+    private List<Anchor> anchors = new ArrayList<Anchor>();
 
     public Anchors() {
         super("anchors");
@@ -41,14 +45,20 @@ public class Anchors extends Trait {
 
     @Override
     public void load(DataKey key) throws NPCLoadException {
-        for (DataKey sub : key.getRelative("list").getIntegerSubKeys())
+        for (DataKey sub : key.getRelative("list").getIntegerSubKeys()) {
+            String[] parts = sub.getString("").split(";");
+            Location location;
             try {
-                String[] parts = sub.getString("").split(";");
-                anchors.add(new Anchor(parts[0], new Location(Bukkit.getServer().getWorld(parts[1]), Double
-                        .valueOf(parts[2]), Double.valueOf(parts[3]), Double.valueOf(parts[4]))));
+                location = new Location(Bukkit.getServer().getWorld(parts[1]), Double
+                        .valueOf(parts[2]), Double.valueOf(parts[3]), Double.valueOf(parts[4]));
+                anchors.add(new Anchor(parts[0], location));
             } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
                 Messaging.logTr(Messages.SKIPPING_INVALID_ANCHOR, sub.name(), e.getMessage());
+            } catch (NullPointerException e) {
+                // Invalid world/location/etc. Still enough data to build an unloaded anchor
+                anchors.add(new Anchor(parts[0], sub.getString("").split(";", 2)[1]));
             }
+        }
     }
 
     public boolean removeAnchor(Anchor anchor) {
@@ -65,4 +75,12 @@ public class Anchors extends Trait {
         for (int i = 0; i < anchors.size(); i++)
             key.setString("list." + String.valueOf(i), anchors.get(i).stringValue());
     }
+
+    @EventHandler
+    public void checkWorld(WorldLoadEvent event) {
+        for (Anchor anchor : anchors)
+            if (!anchor.isLoaded())
+                anchor.load();
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/util/Anchor.java b/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/util/Anchor.java
index 3cd716318..21f1d7d0a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/util/Anchor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/citizensnpcs/util/Anchor.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package net.citizensnpcs.util;
 
 import org.apache.commons.lang.builder.EqualsBuilder;
 import org.apache.commons.lang.builder.HashCodeBuilder;
+import org.bukkit.Bukkit;
 import org.bukkit.Location;
 
 /*
@@ -9,12 +10,39 @@ import org.bukkit.Location;
  */
 
 public class Anchor {
-    private final Location location;
+    private Location location;
     private final String name;
 
+    // Needed for Anchors defined that can't currently have a valid 'Location'
+    private final String unloaded_value;
+
+    // Allow construction of anchor for unloaded worlds
+    public Anchor(String name, String unloaded_value) {
+        this.location = null;
+        this.unloaded_value = unloaded_value;
+        this.name = name;
+    }
+
     public Anchor(String name, Location location) {
         this.location = location;
         this.name = name;
+        this.unloaded_value = location.getWorld().getName() + ';'
+                + location.getX() + ';' + location.getY() + ';' + location.getZ();
+    }
+
+    public boolean isLoaded() {
+        return location != null;
+    }
+
+    public boolean load() {
+        try {
+            String[] parts = getUnloadedValue();
+            this.location = new Location(Bukkit.getWorld(parts[0]),
+                    Double.valueOf(parts[1]), Double.valueOf(parts[2]), Double.valueOf(parts[3]));
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            // Still not able to be loaded
+        }
+        return location != null;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -27,7 +55,7 @@ public class Anchor {
             return false;
 
         Anchor op = (Anchor) object;
-        return new EqualsBuilder().append(name, op.getName()).isEquals();
+        return new EqualsBuilder().append(name, op.name).isEquals();
     }
 
     public Location getLocation() {
@@ -38,20 +66,30 @@ public class Anchor {
         return name;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns a String[] of the 'world_name, x, y, z' information needed to create the Location
+     * that is associated with the Anchor, in that order.
+     *
+     * @return a String array of the anchor's location data
+     */
+    public String[] getUnloadedValue() {
+        return unloaded_value.split(";");
+    }
+
     @Override
     public int hashCode() {
         return new HashCodeBuilder(13, 21).append(name).toHashCode();
     }
 
+    // A friendly representation for use in saves.yml
     public String stringValue() {
-        return name + ";" + location.getWorld().getName() + ";" + location.getX() + ";" + location.getY() + ";"
-                + location.getZ();
+        return name + ';' + unloaded_value;
     }
 
     @Override
     public String toString() {
-        return "Name: " + name + " World: " + location.getWorld().getName() + " Location: " + location.getBlockX()
-                + "," + location.getBlockY() + "," + location.getBlockZ();
+        String[] parts = getUnloadedValue();
+        return  "Anchor{Name='" + name + "';World='" + parts[0] + "';Location='" + parts[1] + ',' + parts[2] + ',' + parts[3] + "';}";
     }
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file