diff --git a/src/core/kernel/exports/EmuKrnlXe.cpp b/src/core/kernel/exports/EmuKrnlXe.cpp
index 7a105f63d..48c26ec30 100644
--- a/src/core/kernel/exports/EmuKrnlXe.cpp
+++ b/src/core/kernel/exports/EmuKrnlXe.cpp
@@ -75,11 +75,6 @@ XBSYSAPI EXPORTNUM(327) xboxkrnl::NTSTATUS NTAPI xboxkrnl::XeLoadSection
 	if (sectionData != nullptr) {
 		// If the reference count was zero, load the section
 		if (Section->SectionReferenceCount == 0) {
-			// Clear the memory the section requires
-			memset(Section->VirtualAddress, 0, Section->VirtualSize);
-			// Copy the section data
-			memcpy(Section->VirtualAddress, sectionData, Section->FileSize);
-
 			// REMARK: Some titles have sections less than PAGE_SIZE, which will cause an overlap with the next section
 			// since both will have the same aligned starting address.
 			// Test case: Dead or Alive 3, section XGRPH has a size of 764 bytes
@@ -89,7 +84,15 @@ XBSYSAPI EXPORTNUM(327) xboxkrnl::NTSTATUS NTAPI xboxkrnl::XeLoadSection
 			VAddr BaseAddress = (VAddr)Section->VirtualAddress;
 			size_t SectionSize = (VAddr)Section->VirtualSize;
 
-			ret = g_VMManager.XbAllocateVirtualMemory(&BaseAddress, 0, &SectionSize, XBOX_MEM_COMMIT, XBOX_PAGE_EXECUTE_READWRITE);
+			ret = g_VMManager.XbAllocateVirtualMemory(&BaseAddress, 0, &SectionSize, XBOX_MEM_COMMIT, XBOX_PAGE_EXECUTE_READWRITE);
+			if (ret != STATUS_SUCCESS) {
+				RETURN(ret);
+			}
+
+			// Clear the memory the section requires
+			memset(Section->VirtualAddress, 0, Section->VirtualSize);
+			// Copy the section data
+			memcpy(Section->VirtualAddress, sectionData, Section->FileSize);
 
 			// Increment the head/tail page reference counters
 			(*Section->HeadReferenceCount)++;
diff --git a/src/core/kernel/init/CxbxKrnl.cpp b/src/core/kernel/init/CxbxKrnl.cpp
index fa4ce9524..1a22491e8 100644
--- a/src/core/kernel/init/CxbxKrnl.cpp
+++ b/src/core/kernel/init/CxbxKrnl.cpp
@@ -1231,7 +1231,7 @@ void CxbxKrnlMain(int argc, char* argv[])
 			if ((sectionHeaders[i].Flags & XBEIMAGE_SECTION_PRELOAD) != 0) {
 				NTSTATUS result = xboxkrnl::XeLoadSection(&sectionHeaders[i]);
 				if (FAILED(result)) {
-					CxbxKrnlCleanupEx(LOG_PREFIX_INIT, "Failed to preload XBE section: %s", CxbxKrnl_Xbe->m_szSectionName[i]);
+					EmuLogEx(LOG_PREFIX_INIT, LOG_LEVEL::WARNING, "Failed to preload XBE section: %s", CxbxKrnl_Xbe->m_szSectionName[i]);
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/src/core/kernel/memory-manager/VMManager.cpp b/src/core/kernel/memory-manager/VMManager.cpp
index 35de293b6..ca2578bbf 100644
--- a/src/core/kernel/memory-manager/VMManager.cpp
+++ b/src/core/kernel/memory-manager/VMManager.cpp
@@ -1744,6 +1744,19 @@ xboxkrnl::NTSTATUS VMManager::XbAllocateVirtualMemory(VAddr* addr, ULONG ZeroBit
 		goto Exit;
 	}
 
+	// Attempt to commit the requested range with VirtualAlloc *before* setting up and reserving the PT
+	// This allows an early-out in a failure scenario (Test Case: Star Wars Battlefront DVD Demo: LA-018 v1.02)
+	if (AlignedCapturedBase >= XBE_MAX_VA)
+	{
+		if (!VirtualAlloc((void*)AlignedCapturedBase, AlignedCapturedSize, MEM_COMMIT,
+			(ConvertXboxToWinProtection(PatchXboxPermissions(Protect))) & ~(PAGE_WRITECOMBINE | PAGE_NOCACHE)))
+		{
+			DBG_PRINTF("%s: VirtualAlloc failed to commit the memory! The error was %d\n", __func__, GetLastError());
+			status = STATUS_NO_MEMORY;
+			goto Exit;
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Check if we have to construct the PT's for this allocation
 
 	if (!AllocatePT(AlignedCapturedSize, AlignedCapturedBase))
@@ -1769,18 +1782,6 @@ xboxkrnl::NTSTATUS VMManager::XbAllocateVirtualMemory(VAddr* addr, ULONG ZeroBit
 		PointerPte++;
 	}
 
-	// Actually commit the requested range but don't if it's inside the placeholder or we are committing an xbe section so that
-	// XeLoadSection works as expected
-
-	if (AlignedCapturedBase >= XBE_MAX_VA)
-	{
-		if (!VirtualAlloc((void*)AlignedCapturedBase, AlignedCapturedSize, MEM_COMMIT,
-			(ConvertXboxToWinProtection(PatchXboxPermissions(Protect))) & ~(PAGE_WRITECOMBINE | PAGE_NOCACHE)))
-		{
-			DBG_PRINTF("%s: VirtualAlloc failed to commit the memory! The error was %d\n", __func__, GetLastError());
-		}
-	}
-
 	// Because VirtualAlloc always zeros the memory for us, XBOX_MEM_NOZERO is still unsupported
 
 	if (AllocationType & XBOX_MEM_NOZERO) { DBG_PRINTF("XBOX_MEM_NOZERO flag is not supported!\n"); }