diff --git a/src/engine/util/MapLoader.java b/src/engine/util/MapLoader.java
index ce187965..779080bd 100644
--- a/src/engine/util/MapLoader.java
+++ b/src/engine/util/MapLoader.java
@@ -103,31 +103,38 @@ public enum MapLoader {
                 if (Files.isRegularFile(filePath)) {
                     File imageFile = filePath.toFile();
 
+                    BufferedImage heightmapImage;
+
                     try {
-                        BufferedImage heightmapImage = ImageIO.read(imageFile);
-
-                        // Generate pixel data for this heightmap.  RPG channels are all the same
-                        // in this greyscale TGA heightmap.  We will choose red.
-
-                        short[][] colorData = new short[heightmapImage.getWidth()][heightmapImage.getHeight()];
-
-                        for (int y = 0; y < heightmapImage.getHeight(); y++)
-                            for (int x = 0; x < heightmapImage.getWidth(); x++) {
-
-                                Color color = new Color(heightmapImage.getRGB(x, y));
-                                colorData[x][y] = (short) color.getRed();
-                            }
-
-                        // Insert color data into lookup table
-
-                        int heightMapID = Integer.parseInt(imageFile.getName().substring(0, imageFile.getName().lastIndexOf(".")));
-                        Terrain._heightmap_pixel_cache.put(heightMapID, colorData);
-
+                        heightmapImage = ImageIO.read(imageFile);
                     } catch (IOException e) {
-                        Logger.error(e);
+                        throw new RuntimeException(e);
                     }
 
+                    int fileName = Integer.parseInt(imageFile.getName().substring(0, imageFile.getName().lastIndexOf(".")));
+                    boolean singleBandRaster = heightmapImage.getRaster().getNumBands() == 1;
+                    int color;
+
+                    // Generate pixel data for this heightmap.
+
+                    short[][] colorData = new short[heightmapImage.getWidth()][heightmapImage.getHeight()];
+
+                    for (int y = 0; y < heightmapImage.getHeight(); y++)
+                        for (int x = 0; x < heightmapImage.getWidth(); x++) {
+
+                            if (singleBandRaster)
+                                color = heightmapImage.getRaster().getSample(x, y, 0);
+                            else
+                                color = new Color(heightmapImage.getRGB(x, y)).getRed();
+
+                            colorData[x][y] = (short) color;
+                        }
+
+                    // Add pixel for this TGA image into the collection
+
+                    Terrain._heightmap_pixel_cache.put(fileName, colorData);
                 }
+
             });  // Try with resources block
 
         } catch (IOException e) {