diff --git a/S1API.Tests/Internal/Patches/ContactsAppWaitTests.cs b/S1API.Tests/Internal/Patches/ContactsAppWaitTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b346d2e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/S1API.Tests/Internal/Patches/ContactsAppWaitTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+using S1API.Internal.Patches;
+
+namespace S1API.Tests.Internal.Patches;
+
+public sealed class ContactsAppWaitTests
+{
+    private static Func<string> Id(string id) => () => id;
+    private static Func<string> Throws() => () => throw new NullReferenceException("NPC data is gone");
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void AnNpcWhoseIdThrowsDoesNotHideTheOthers()
+    {
+        Assert.True(ContactsAppPatches.AllIdsPresent(
+            new[] { Id("big_willy"), Throws(), Id("disco_davey"), Throws() },
+            new[] { "big_willy", "disco_davey" }));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void AMissingCustomNpcIsStillWaitedFor()
+    {
+        Assert.False(ContactsAppPatches.AllIdsPresent(
+            new[] { Id("big_willy"), Throws() },
+            new[] { "big_willy", "disco_davey" }));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void NothingReadableMeansNothingPresent()
+    {
+        Assert.False(ContactsAppPatches.AllIdsPresent(new[] { Throws() }, new[] { "big_willy" }));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/S1API/Internal/Patches/ContactsAppPatches.cs b/S1API/Internal/Patches/ContactsAppPatches.cs
index 1ef7e88f..89f22a1e 100644
--- a/S1API/Internal/Patches/ContactsAppPatches.cs
+++ b/S1API/Internal/Patches/ContactsAppPatches.cs
@@ -169,11 +169,9 @@ private static IEnumerator WaitForNPCs(S1ContactsApp.ContactsApp contactsApp)
             if (customNPCs.Count == 0)
                 yield break;
             
-            yield return new WaitUntil((Func<bool>)(() =>
-            {
-                var allSceneNPCs = Object.FindObjectsOfType<S1NPCs.NPC>(true);
-                return customNPCs.All(npc => allSceneNPCs.Any(sn => sn.ID == npc.ID));
-            }));
+            // A few checks a second, not every frame: this searches the whole scene, inactive objects included.
+            while (!AllPresentInScene(customNPCs))
+                yield return new WaitForSeconds(0.25f);
 
             yield return new WaitUntil((Func<bool>)(() =>
             {
@@ -201,6 +199,30 @@ private static IEnumerator WaitForNPCs(S1ContactsApp.ContactsApp contactsApp)
             AddRelationCircles(contactsApp);
         }
 
+        private static bool AllPresentInScene(System.Collections.Generic.List<NPC> customNPCs) =>
+            AllIdsPresent(
+                Object.FindObjectsOfType<S1NPCs.NPC>(true).Select(sceneNpc => (System.Func<string>)(() => sceneNpc.ID)),
+                customNPCs.Select(npc => npc.ID));
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Are all <paramref name="wanted"/> ids among the scene's NPC ids? Some of the game's own NPCs throw from
+        /// <c>ID</c> (the pooled special customers on IL2CPP); they are never waited for, so they are skipped rather
+        /// than failing the whole check.
+        /// </summary>
+        internal static bool AllIdsPresent(
+            System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable<System.Func<string>> sceneIds,
+            System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable<string> wanted)
+        {
+            var present = new System.Collections.Generic.HashSet<string>();
+            foreach (System.Func<string> readId in sceneIds)
+            {
+                try { present.Add(readId()); }
+                catch (System.Exception) { }
+            }
+
+            return wanted.All(present.Contains);
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Creates and positions relation circles for all custom NPCs.
         /// </summary>