diff --git a/ModTekPreloader/Injector/AssemblyCache.cs b/ModTekPreloader/Injector/AssemblyCache.cs
index 42978df..e5f1ac0 100644
--- a/ModTekPreloader/Injector/AssemblyCache.cs
+++ b/ModTekPreloader/Injector/AssemblyCache.cs
@@ -16,10 +16,14 @@ internal AssemblyCache()
     {
         searchDirectories = new List<string>
         {
-            Paths.AssembliesOverrideDirectory,
             Paths.ModTekDirectory,
             Paths.ManagedDirectory
         };
+
+        if (Directory.Exists(Paths.AssembliesOverrideDirectory))
+        {
+            searchDirectories.Insert(0, Paths.AssembliesOverrideDirectory);
+        }
     }
 
     public AssemblyDefinition Resolve(AssemblyNameReference name)
diff --git a/ModTekPreloader/Loader/Preloader.cs b/ModTekPreloader/Loader/Preloader.cs
index 6a2e6f7..3728be5 100644
--- a/ModTekPreloader/Loader/Preloader.cs
+++ b/ModTekPreloader/Loader/Preloader.cs
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ private static void PreloadAssembliesInjected()
 
     private static void PreloadAssembliesOverride()
     {
+        if (!Directory.Exists(Paths.AssembliesOverrideDirectory))
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
         Logger.Main.Log($"Preloading override assemblies from `{Paths.GetRelativePath(Paths.AssembliesOverrideDirectory)}`:");
         foreach (var file in Directory.GetFiles(Paths.AssembliesOverrideDirectory, "*.dll").OrderBy(p => p))
         {