diff --git a/libmscore/sym.cpp b/libmscore/sym.cpp
index f314e1d092..23e1854774 100644
--- a/libmscore/sym.cpp
+++ b/libmscore/sym.cpp
@@ -569,12 +569,12 @@ void Sym::init()
 
 // #define MT(a) QT_TRANSLATE_NOOP("symbol", a)
 
-      symNames[clefEightSym] = "clef eight";
-      symNames[clefOneSym]   = "clef one";
-      symNames[clefFiveSym]  = "clef five";
-      symNames[letterTSym]   = "T";
-      symNames[letterSSym]   = "S";
-      symNames[letterPSym]   = "P";
+      symUserNames[clefEightSym]    = symNames[clefEightSym]  = "clef eight";
+      symUserNames[clefOneSym]      = symNames[clefOneSym]    = "clef one";
+      symUserNames[clefFiveSym]     = symNames[clefFiveSym]   = "clef five";
+      symUserNames[letterTSym]      = symNames[letterTSym]    = "T";
+      symUserNames[letterSSym]      = symNames[letterSSym]    = "S";
+      symUserNames[letterPSym]      = symNames[letterPSym]    = "P";
 
       for (unsigned i = 0; pSymbols[i].code != -1; ++i) {
             if (pSymbols[i].code == 0 || pSymbols[i].text == 0)
diff --git a/libmscore/sym.h b/libmscore/sym.h
index e27b011c18..67508019ca 100644
--- a/libmscore/sym.h
+++ b/libmscore/sym.h
@@ -361,9 +361,10 @@ class Sym {
       QPointF getAttach() const            { return _attach; }
       QString toString() const;
 
-      static SymId name2id(const QString& s) { return lnhash[s];        }
+      static SymId name2id(const QString& s) { return lnhash.value(s, noSym); }     // return noSym if not found
       static const char* id2name(SymId id)   { return symNames[id];     }
       static QString id2userName(SymId id)   { return symUserNames[id]; }
+      static SymId userName2id(const QString& s)      { return (SymId)(symUserNames.indexOf(s)); }
       static void init();
       };
 
diff --git a/libmscore/symbol.cpp b/libmscore/symbol.cpp
index 1d6d3f27e9..6b64d72700 100644
--- a/libmscore/symbol.cpp
+++ b/libmscore/symbol.cpp
@@ -245,8 +245,14 @@ void Symbol::read(const QDomElement& de)
             if (tag == "name") {
                   s = Sym::name2id(val);
                   if (s == noSym) {
-                        qDebug("unknown symbol <%s>, symbols %d\n",
-                           qPrintable(val), symbols[0].size());
+                        // if symbol name not found, fall back to mnames
+                        s = Sym::userName2id(val);
+                        if (s == noSym) {
+                              qDebug("unknown symbol <%s> (%d symbols), defaulting to diamond head\n",
+                                 qPrintable(val), symbols[0].size());
+                              // set a default symbol, or layout() will crash
+                              s = diamondheadSym;
+                              }
                         }
                   }
             else if (tag == "Symbol") {