diff --git a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLWelcomeMenu.cpp b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLWelcomeMenu.cpp
index 4c5d98e5e65..6d7d0617a7f 100644
--- a/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLWelcomeMenu.cpp
+++ b/Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLWelcomeMenu.cpp
@@ -732,6 +732,12 @@ WindowMsgHandledType WOLWelcomeMenuSystem( GameWindow *window, UnsignedInt msg,
 {
 	UnicodeString txtInput;
 
+	// During shutdown the window hierarchy is being torn down; ignore all
+	// messages to prevent use-after-free crashes caused by mouse-enter/leave
+	// events that are still in-flight while the parent window is being destroyed.
+	if( isShuttingDown )
+		return MSG_IGNORED;
+
 	switch( msg )
 	{