diff --git a/Mage.Client/src/main/java/org/mage/card/arcane/CardPanelRenderModeImage.java b/Mage.Client/src/main/java/org/mage/card/arcane/CardPanelRenderModeImage.java
index 73a8bd1392d..631f453327f 100644
--- a/Mage.Client/src/main/java/org/mage/card/arcane/CardPanelRenderModeImage.java
+++ b/Mage.Client/src/main/java/org/mage/card/arcane/CardPanelRenderModeImage.java
@@ -563,11 +563,23 @@ public class CardPanelRenderModeImage extends CardPanel {
     public void doLayout() {
         super.doLayout();
 
-        int cardWidth = getCardLocation().getCardWidth(); // must use current panel sizes to scale real image
-        int cardHeight = getCardLocation().getCardHeight();
+        int cardWidth;
+        int cardHeight;
         int cardXOffset = 0;
         int cardYOffset = 0;
 
+        // workaround to fix a rare NPE error with image loading
+        // reason: panel runs image load in another thread and that thread can be completed before top panel init, see updateArtImage
+        if (getTopPanelRef() == null) {
+            //noinspection deprecation - it's ok for workaround
+            cardWidth = this.getWidth();
+            //noinspection deprecation - it's ok for workaround
+            cardHeight = this.getHeight();
+        } else {
+            cardWidth = getCardLocation().getCardWidth(); // must use real card sizes to scale real image
+            cardHeight = getCardLocation().getCardHeight();
+        }
+
         CardSizes sizes = new CardSizes(getInsets(), cardXOffset, cardYOffset, cardWidth, cardHeight);
 
         // origin card without selection
diff --git a/Mage.Client/src/main/java/org/mage/card/arcane/Util.java b/Mage.Client/src/main/java/org/mage/card/arcane/Util.java
index cbc3af717bd..ee057202355 100644
--- a/Mage.Client/src/main/java/org/mage/card/arcane/Util.java
+++ b/Mage.Client/src/main/java/org/mage/card/arcane/Util.java
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ public final class Util {
     public static final boolean isMac = System.getProperty("os.name").toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH).contains("mac");
     public static final boolean isWindows = !System.getProperty("os.name").toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH).contains("windows");
 
-    public static final ThreadPoolExecutor threadPool;
+    public static final ThreadPoolExecutor threadPool; // uses for card images loading
     static private int threadCount;
 
     static {