diff --git a/zone/entity.cpp b/zone/entity.cpp
index 2c8216101..8060312df 100644
--- a/zone/entity.cpp
+++ b/zone/entity.cpp
@@ -2476,7 +2476,7 @@ void EntityList::RemoveAllGroups()
 	while (group_list.size()) {
 		auto group = group_list.front();
 		group_list.pop_front();
-		delete group;
+		safe_delete(group);
 	}
 #if EQDEBUG >= 5
 	CheckGroupList (__FILE__, __LINE__);
@@ -2488,7 +2488,7 @@ void EntityList::RemoveAllRaids()
 	while (raid_list.size()) {
 		auto raid = raid_list.front();
 		raid_list.pop_front();
-		delete raid;
+		safe_delete(raid);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -2837,7 +2837,7 @@ bool EntityList::RemoveGroup(uint32 delete_id)
 	}
 	auto group = *it;
 	group_list.erase(it);
-	delete group;
+	safe_delete(group);
 	return true;
 }
 
@@ -2849,7 +2849,7 @@ bool EntityList::RemoveRaid(uint32 delete_id)
 		return false;
 	auto raid = *it;
 	raid_list.erase(it);
-	delete raid;
+	safe_delete(raid);
 	return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/zone/groups.cpp b/zone/groups.cpp
index 5734d4672..60a58b99c 100644
--- a/zone/groups.cpp
+++ b/zone/groups.cpp
@@ -498,6 +498,9 @@ void Group::SendEndurancePacketFrom(Mob* member)
 //if the group was in the zone already
 bool Group::UpdatePlayer(Mob* update){
 
+	if (!update)
+		return false;
+
 	bool updateSuccess = false;
 
 	VerifyGroup();
@@ -1009,6 +1012,7 @@ void Group::DisbandGroup(bool joinraid) {
 		Leader->UpdateLFP();
 	}
 
+	SetLeader(nullptr);
 	safe_delete(outapp);
 }
 
diff --git a/zone/raids.cpp b/zone/raids.cpp
index 2dc892a9a..51c52d8d4 100644
--- a/zone/raids.cpp
+++ b/zone/raids.cpp
@@ -279,6 +279,8 @@ void Raid::SetRaidLeader(const char *wasLead, const char *name)
 	Client *c = entity_list.GetClientByName(name);
 	if(c)
 		SetLeader(c);
+	else
+		SetLeader(nullptr); //sanity check, should never get hit but we want to prefer to NOT crash if we do VerifyRaid and leader never gets set there (raid without a leader?)
 
 	LearnMembers();
 	VerifyRaid();
@@ -1549,6 +1551,11 @@ void Raid::VerifyRaid()
 				SetLeader(members[x].member);
 				strn0cpy(leadername, members[x].membername, 64);
 			}
+			else
+			{
+				//should never happen, but maybe it is?
+				SetLeader(nullptr);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -1558,6 +1565,11 @@ void Raid::MemberZoned(Client *c)
 	if(!c)
 		return;
 
+	if (leader == c)
+	{
+		leader = nullptr;
+	}
+
 	// Raid::GetGroup() goes over the members as well, this way we go over once
 	uint32 gid = RAID_GROUPLESS;
 	for(int x = 0; x < MAX_RAID_MEMBERS; x++)
diff --git a/zone/zone.cpp b/zone/zone.cpp
index 9997f9ac9..b4df46a3c 100755
--- a/zone/zone.cpp
+++ b/zone/zone.cpp
@@ -857,12 +857,14 @@ void Zone::Shutdown(bool quiet)
 	while (!zone->npctable.empty()) {
 		itr = zone->npctable.begin();
 		delete itr->second;
+		itr->second = nullptr;
 		zone->npctable.erase(itr);
 	}
 
 	while (!zone->merctable.empty()) {
 		itr = zone->merctable.begin();
 		delete itr->second;
+		itr->second = nullptr;
 		zone->merctable.erase(itr);
 	}
 
@@ -872,6 +874,7 @@ void Zone::Shutdown(bool quiet)
 	while (!zone->ldon_trap_list.empty()) {
 		itr4 = zone->ldon_trap_list.begin();
 		delete itr4->second;
+		itr4->second = nullptr;
 		zone->ldon_trap_list.erase(itr4);
 	}
 	zone->ldon_trap_entry_list.clear();
@@ -1707,6 +1710,7 @@ bool Zone::Depop(bool StartSpawnTimer) {
 	while(!npctable.empty()) {
 		itr = npctable.begin();
 		delete itr->second;
+		itr->second = nullptr;
 		npctable.erase(itr);
 	}
 
@@ -1723,6 +1727,7 @@ void Zone::ClearNPCTypeCache(int id) {
 		auto iter = npctable.begin();
 		while (iter != npctable.end()) {
 			delete iter->second;
+			iter->second = nullptr;
 			++iter;
 		}
 		npctable.clear();
@@ -1732,6 +1737,7 @@ void Zone::ClearNPCTypeCache(int id) {
 		while (iter != npctable.end()) {
 			if (iter->first == (uint32)id) {
 				delete iter->second;
+				iter->second = nullptr;
 				npctable.erase(iter);
 				return;
 			}