diff --git a/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashcatcher.cpp b/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashcatcher.cpp
index 23dfac549c..d9ef00ef77 100644
--- a/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashcatcher.cpp
+++ b/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashcatcher.cpp
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ namespace Crash
         // must remain until monitor has finished
         waitMonitor();
 
-        std::string message = "OpenMW has encountered a fatal error.\nCrash log saved to '"
+        std::string message = "OpenMW has encountered a fatal error.\nCrash dump saved to '"
             + Misc::StringUtils::u8StringToString(getCrashDumpPath(*mShm).u8string())
             + "'.\nPlease report this to https://gitlab.com/OpenMW/openmw/issues !";
         SDL_ShowSimpleMessageBox(0, "Fatal Error", message.c_str(), nullptr);
diff --git a/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashcatcher.hpp b/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashcatcher.hpp
index 89678c9ada..bcf1ed688d 100644
--- a/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashcatcher.hpp
+++ b/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashcatcher.hpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ namespace Crash
     // the main openmw process in task manager.
 
     static constexpr const int CrashCatcherTimeout = 2500;
+    static constexpr const int CrashCatcherThawTimeout = 250;
 
     struct CrashSHM;
 
diff --git a/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashmonitor.cpp b/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashmonitor.cpp
index 3708283efa..8398528ec9 100644
--- a/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashmonitor.cpp
+++ b/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashmonitor.cpp
@@ -87,9 +87,10 @@ namespace Crash
         SetEvent(mSignalAppEvent);
     }
 
-    bool CrashMonitor::waitApp() const
+    bool CrashMonitor::waitApp(bool thawMode) const
     {
-        return WaitForSingleObject(mSignalMonitorEvent, CrashCatcherTimeout) == WAIT_OBJECT_0;
+        return WaitForSingleObject(mSignalMonitorEvent, thawMode ? CrashCatcherThawTimeout : CrashCatcherTimeout)
+            == WAIT_OBJECT_0;
     }
 
     bool CrashMonitor::isAppAlive() const
@@ -185,7 +186,7 @@ namespace Crash
                     frozen = false;
                 }
 
-                if (!mFreezeAbort && waitApp())
+                if (!mFreezeAbort && waitApp(frozen))
                 {
                     shmLock();
 
@@ -215,7 +216,7 @@ namespace Crash
             {
                 handleCrash(true);
                 TerminateProcess(mAppProcessHandle, 0xDEAD);
-                std::string message = "OpenMW appears to have frozen.\nCrash log saved to '"
+                std::string message = "OpenMW has frozen.\nCrash dump saved to '"
                     + Misc::StringUtils::u8StringToString(getFreezeDumpPath(*mShm).u8string())
                     + "'.\nPlease report this to https://gitlab.com/OpenMW/openmw/issues !";
                 SDL_ShowSimpleMessageBox(0, "Fatal Error", message.c_str(), nullptr);
@@ -289,10 +290,10 @@ namespace Crash
     {
         std::thread messageBoxThread([&]() {
             SDL_MessageBoxButtonData button = { SDL_MESSAGEBOX_BUTTON_RETURNKEY_DEFAULT, 0, "Abort" };
-            SDL_MessageBoxData messageBoxData = { SDL_MESSAGEBOX_ERROR, nullptr, "OpenMW appears to have frozen",
-                "OpenMW appears to have frozen. Press Abort to terminate it and generate a crash dump.\nIf OpenMW "
-                "hasn't actually frozen, this message box will disappear a within a few seconds of it becoming "
-                "responsive.",
+            SDL_MessageBoxData messageBoxData = { SDL_MESSAGEBOX_ERROR, nullptr, "OpenMW has frozen",
+                "OpenMW has frozen. This should never happen. Press Abort to terminate it and generate a crash dump to "
+                "help diagnose the problem.\nOpenMW may unfreeze if you wait, and this message box will disappear "
+                "after it becomes responsive.",
                 1, &button, nullptr };
 
             int buttonId;
diff --git a/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashmonitor.hpp b/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashmonitor.hpp
index 16e173169e..25ee710fd3 100644
--- a/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashmonitor.hpp
+++ b/components/crashcatcher/windows_crashmonitor.hpp
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ namespace Crash
 
         void signalApp() const;
 
-        bool waitApp() const;
+        bool waitApp(bool thawMode) const;
 
         bool isAppAlive() const;