diff --git a/src/client/client.cpp b/src/client/client.cpp
index 122caa1fb..744c5eb90 100644
--- a/src/client/client.cpp
+++ b/src/client/client.cpp
@@ -1776,6 +1776,7 @@ float Client::mediaReceiveProgress()
 }
 
 struct TextureUpdateArgs {
+	gui::IGUIEnvironment *guienv;
 	u64 last_time_ms;
 	u16 last_percent;
 	std::wstring text_base;
@@ -1801,7 +1802,7 @@ void Client::showUpdateProgressTexture(void *args, u32 progress, u32 max_progres
 			targs->last_time_ms = time_ms;
 			std::wostringstream strm;
 			strm << targs->text_base << L" " << targs->last_percent << L"%...";
-			m_rendering_engine->draw_load_screen(strm.str(), targs->tsrc, 0,
+			m_rendering_engine->draw_load_screen(strm.str(), targs->guienv, targs->tsrc, 0,
 				72 + (u16) ((18. / 100.) * (double) targs->last_percent));
 		}
 }
@@ -1821,19 +1822,19 @@ void Client::afterContentReceived()
 	// Rebuild inherited images and recreate textures
 	infostream<<"- Rebuilding images and textures"<<std::endl;
 	m_rendering_engine->draw_load_screen(wstrgettext("Loading textures..."),
-			m_tsrc, 0, 70);
+			guienv, m_tsrc, 0, 70);
 	m_tsrc->rebuildImagesAndTextures();
 
 	// Rebuild shaders
 	infostream<<"- Rebuilding shaders"<<std::endl;
 	m_rendering_engine->draw_load_screen(wstrgettext("Rebuilding shaders..."),
-			m_tsrc, 0, 71);
+			guienv, m_tsrc, 0, 71);
 	m_shsrc->rebuildShaders();
 
 	// Update node aliases
 	infostream<<"- Updating node aliases"<<std::endl;
 	m_rendering_engine->draw_load_screen(wstrgettext("Initializing nodes..."),
-			m_tsrc, 0, 72);
+			guienv, m_tsrc, 0, 72);
 	m_nodedef->updateAliases(m_itemdef);
 	for (const auto &path : getTextureDirs()) {
 		TextureOverrideSource override_source(path + DIR_DELIM + "override.txt");
@@ -1846,6 +1847,7 @@ void Client::afterContentReceived()
 	// Update node textures and assign shaders to each tile
 	infostream<<"- Updating node textures"<<std::endl;
 	TextureUpdateArgs tu_args;
+	tu_args.guienv = guienv;
 	tu_args.last_time_ms = porting::getTimeMs();
 	tu_args.last_percent = 0;
 	tu_args.text_base = wstrgettext("Initializing nodes");
@@ -1862,7 +1864,7 @@ void Client::afterContentReceived()
 	if (m_mods_loaded)
 		m_script->on_client_ready(m_env.getLocalPlayer());
 
-	m_rendering_engine->draw_load_screen(wstrgettext("Done!"), m_tsrc, 0, 100);
+	m_rendering_engine->draw_load_screen(wstrgettext("Done!"), guienv, m_tsrc, 0, 100);
 	infostream<<"Client::afterContentReceived() done"<<std::endl;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/client/clientlauncher.cpp b/src/client/clientlauncher.cpp
index c6145d1a1..b7b58cff6 100644
--- a/src/client/clientlauncher.cpp
+++ b/src/client/clientlauncher.cpp
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 
 /* mainmenumanager.h
  */
+gui::IGUIEnvironment *guienv = nullptr;
 MainMenuManager g_menumgr;
 
 bool isMenuActive()
@@ -134,7 +135,7 @@ bool ClientLauncher::run(GameStartData &start_data, const Settings &cmd_args)
 	m_rendering_engine->get_scene_manager()->getParameters()->
 		setAttribute(scene::ALLOW_ZWRITE_ON_TRANSPARENT, true);
 
-	gui::IGUIEnvironment *guienv = m_rendering_engine->get_gui_env();
+	guienv = m_rendering_engine->get_gui_env();
 	skin = guienv->getSkin();
 	skin->setColor(gui::EGDC_BUTTON_TEXT, video::SColor(255, 255, 255, 255));
 	skin->setColor(gui::EGDC_3D_LIGHT, video::SColor(0, 0, 0, 0));
diff --git a/src/client/game.cpp b/src/client/game.cpp
index 280788603..7b6201513 100644
--- a/src/client/game.cpp
+++ b/src/client/game.cpp
@@ -1530,9 +1530,7 @@ bool Game::createClient(const GameStartData &start_data)
 
 bool Game::initGui()
 {
-	auto guienv = m_rendering_engine->get_gui_env();
-
-	m_game_ui->init(guienv);
+	m_game_ui->init();
 
 	// Remove stale "recent" chat messages from previous connections
 	chat_backend->clearRecentChat();
@@ -1727,11 +1725,11 @@ bool Game::getServerContent(bool *aborted)
 		if (!client->itemdefReceived()) {
 			progress = 25;
 			m_rendering_engine->draw_load_screen(wstrgettext("Item definitions..."),
-					texture_src, dtime, progress);
+					guienv, texture_src, dtime, progress);
 		} else if (!client->nodedefReceived()) {
 			progress = 30;
 			m_rendering_engine->draw_load_screen(wstrgettext("Node definitions..."),
-					texture_src, dtime, progress);
+					guienv, texture_src, dtime, progress);
 		} else {
 			std::ostringstream message;
 			std::fixed(message);
@@ -1756,7 +1754,7 @@ bool Game::getServerContent(bool *aborted)
 			}
 
 			progress = 30 + client->mediaReceiveProgress() * 35 + 0.5;
-			m_rendering_engine->draw_load_screen(utf8_to_wide(message.str()),
+			m_rendering_engine->draw_load_screen(utf8_to_wide(message.str()), guienv,
 				texture_src, dtime, progress);
 		}
 	}
@@ -1807,23 +1805,20 @@ inline bool Game::handleCallbacks()
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	auto guienv = m_rendering_engine->get_gui_env();
-	auto guiroot = guienv->getRootGUIElement();
-
 	if (g_gamecallback->changepassword_requested) {
-		(new GUIPasswordChange(guienv, guiroot, -1,
+		(new GUIPasswordChange(guienv, guienv->getRootGUIElement(), -1,
 				       &g_menumgr, client, texture_src))->drop();
 		g_gamecallback->changepassword_requested = false;
 	}
 
 	if (g_gamecallback->changevolume_requested) {
-		(new GUIVolumeChange(guienv, guiroot, -1,
+		(new GUIVolumeChange(guienv, guienv->getRootGUIElement(), -1,
 				     &g_menumgr, texture_src))->drop();
 		g_gamecallback->changevolume_requested = false;
 	}
 
 	if (g_gamecallback->keyconfig_requested) {
-		(new GUIKeyChangeMenu(guienv, guiroot, -1,
+		(new GUIKeyChangeMenu(guienv, guienv->getRootGUIElement(), -1,
 				      &g_menumgr, texture_src))->drop();
 		g_gamecallback->keyconfig_requested = false;
 	}
@@ -1954,8 +1949,6 @@ void Game::updateStats(RunStats *stats, const FpsControl &draw_times,
 
 void Game::processUserInput(f32 dtime)
 {
-	auto guienv = m_rendering_engine->get_gui_env();
-
 	// Reset input if window not active or some menu is active
 	if (!device->isWindowActive() || isMenuActive() || guienv->hasFocus(gui_chat_console)) {
 		if(m_game_focused) {
@@ -4297,7 +4290,7 @@ void FpsControl::limit(IrrlichtDevice *device, f32 *dtime)
 
 void Game::showOverlayMessage(const char *msg, float dtime, int percent, bool draw_sky)
 {
-	m_rendering_engine->draw_load_screen(wstrgettext(msg), texture_src,
+	m_rendering_engine->draw_load_screen(wstrgettext(msg), guienv, texture_src,
 			dtime, percent, draw_sky);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/client/gameui.cpp b/src/client/gameui.cpp
index 17f4eb0c0..4cc68fa10 100644
--- a/src/client/gameui.cpp
+++ b/src/client/gameui.cpp
@@ -43,12 +43,17 @@ inline static const char *yawToDirectionString(int yaw)
 	return direction[yaw];
 }
 
-void GameUI::init(gui::IGUIEnvironment *guienv)
+GameUI::GameUI()
 {
-	if (guienv->getSkin())
+	if (guienv && guienv->getSkin())
 		m_statustext_initial_color = guienv->getSkin()->getColor(gui::EGDC_BUTTON_TEXT);
+	else
+		m_statustext_initial_color = video::SColor(255, 0, 0, 0);
 
-	gui::IGUIElement *guiroot = guienv->getRootGUIElement();
+}
+void GameUI::init()
+{
+	IGUIElement *guiroot = guienv->getRootGUIElement();
 
 	// First line of debug text
 	m_guitext = gui::StaticText::add(guienv, utf8_to_wide(PROJECT_NAME_C).c_str(),
diff --git a/src/client/gameui.h b/src/client/gameui.h
index 2856feb7d..589328a28 100644
--- a/src/client/gameui.h
+++ b/src/client/gameui.h
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ class GameUI
 	friend class TestGameUI;
 
 public:
+	GameUI();
+	~GameUI() = default;
+
 	// Flags that can, or may, change during main game loop
 	struct Flags
 	{
@@ -60,7 +63,7 @@ public:
 		bool show_profiler_graph = false;
 	};
 
-	void init(gui::IGUIEnvironment *m_guienv);
+	void init();
 	void update(const RunStats &stats, Client *client, MapDrawControl *draw_control,
 			const CameraOrientation &cam, const PointedThing &pointed_old,
 			const GUIChatConsole *chat_console, float dtime);
@@ -118,7 +121,7 @@ private:
 	gui::IGUIStaticText *m_guitext_status = nullptr;
 	std::wstring m_statustext;
 	float m_statustext_time = 0.0f;
-	video::SColor m_statustext_initial_color = video::SColor(255, 0, 0, 0);
+	video::SColor m_statustext_initial_color;
 
 	gui::IGUIStaticText *m_guitext_chat = nullptr; // Chat text
 	u32 m_recent_chat_count = 0;
diff --git a/src/client/renderingengine.cpp b/src/client/renderingengine.cpp
index 7048f8525..2c3ad4403 100644
--- a/src/client/renderingengine.cpp
+++ b/src/client/renderingengine.cpp
@@ -226,9 +226,9 @@ bool RenderingEngine::setWindowIcon()
 	Additionally, a progressbar can be drawn when percent is set between 0 and 100.
 */
 void RenderingEngine::draw_load_screen(const std::wstring &text,
-		ITextureSource *tsrc, float dtime, int percent, bool sky)
+		gui::IGUIEnvironment *guienv, ITextureSource *tsrc, float dtime,
+		int percent, bool sky)
 {
-	gui::IGUIEnvironment *guienv = get_gui_env();
 	v2u32 screensize = getWindowSize();
 
 	v2s32 textsize(g_fontengine->getTextWidth(text), g_fontengine->getLineHeight());
diff --git a/src/client/renderingengine.h b/src/client/renderingengine.h
index b5eac6da2..22b8a3946 100644
--- a/src/client/renderingengine.h
+++ b/src/client/renderingengine.h
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ public:
 		return m_device->getGUIEnvironment();
 	}
 
-	void draw_load_screen(const std::wstring &text, ITextureSource *tsrc,
+	void draw_load_screen(const std::wstring &text,
+			gui::IGUIEnvironment *guienv, ITextureSource *tsrc,
 			float dtime = 0, int percent = 0, bool sky = true);
 
 	void draw_scene(video::SColor skycolor, bool show_hud,
diff --git a/src/gui/mainmenumanager.h b/src/gui/mainmenumanager.h
index 2fba04d44..b86d1892a 100644
--- a/src/gui/mainmenumanager.h
+++ b/src/gui/mainmenumanager.h
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ public:
 	virtual void signalKeyConfigChange() = 0;
 };
 
+// FIXME: do we really need this global variable?
+extern gui::IGUIEnvironment *guienv;
+
 // Handler for the modal menus
 
 class MainMenuManager : public IMenuManager