diff --git a/source/blender/editors/screen/area.cc b/source/blender/editors/screen/area.cc
index c2161b89238..7506440b81a 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/screen/area.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/screen/area.cc
@@ -1925,6 +1925,39 @@ bool ED_area_has_shared_border(ScrArea *a, ScrArea *b)
   return area_getorientation(a, b) != -1;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Setup a known space type in the event a file with an unknown space-type is loaded.
+ */
+static void area_init_type_fallback(ScrArea *area, eSpace_Type space_type)
+{
+  BLI_assert(area->type == nullptr);
+  area->spacetype = space_type;
+  area->type = BKE_spacetype_from_id(area->spacetype);
+
+  SpaceLink *sl = nullptr;
+  LISTBASE_FOREACH (SpaceLink *, sl_iter, &area->spacedata) {
+    if (sl_iter->spacetype == space_type) {
+      sl = sl_iter;
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+  if (sl) {
+    SpaceLink *sl_old = static_cast<SpaceLink *>(area->spacedata.first);
+    if (LIKELY(sl != sl_old)) {
+      BLI_remlink(&area->spacedata, sl);
+      BLI_addhead(&area->spacedata, sl);
+
+      /* swap regions */
+      sl_old->regionbase = area->regionbase;
+      area->regionbase = sl->regionbase;
+      BLI_listbase_clear(&sl->regionbase);
+    }
+  }
+  else {
+    screen_area_spacelink_add(nullptr, area, space_type);
+  }
+}
+
 void ED_area_init(wmWindowManager *wm, wmWindow *win, ScrArea *area)
 {
   WorkSpace *workspace = WM_window_get_active_workspace(win);
@@ -1943,8 +1976,8 @@ void ED_area_init(wmWindowManager *wm, wmWindow *win, ScrArea *area)
   area->type = BKE_spacetype_from_id(area->spacetype);
 
   if (area->type == nullptr) {
-    area->spacetype = SPACE_VIEW3D;
-    area->type = BKE_spacetype_from_id(area->spacetype);
+    area_init_type_fallback(area, SPACE_VIEW3D);
+    BLI_assert(area->type != nullptr);
   }
 
   LISTBASE_FOREACH (ARegion *, region, &area->regionbase) {
@@ -2009,11 +2042,9 @@ static void area_offscreen_init(ScrArea *area)
 {
   area->flag |= AREA_FLAG_OFFSCREEN;
   area->type = BKE_spacetype_from_id(area->spacetype);
-
-  if (area->type == nullptr) {
-    area->spacetype = SPACE_VIEW3D;
-    area->type = BKE_spacetype_from_id(area->spacetype);
-  }
+  /* Off screen areas are only ever created at run-time,
+   * so there is no reason for the type to be unknown. */
+  BLI_assert(area->type != nullptr);
 
   LISTBASE_FOREACH (ARegion *, region, &area->regionbase) {
     region->type = BKE_regiontype_from_id_or_first(area->type, region->regiontype);