diff --git a/src/ui/game_screen.cpp b/src/ui/game_screen.cpp
index 287f0456..eab06871 100644
--- a/src/ui/game_screen.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/game_screen.cpp
@@ -6551,17 +6551,23 @@ VkDescriptorSet GameScreen::getSpellIcon(uint32_t spellId, pipeline::AssetManage
                 }
             };
 
-            // Always use expansion-aware layout if available
-            // Field indices vary by expansion: Classic=117, TBC=124, WotLK=133
+            // Use expansion-aware layout if available AND the DBC field count
+            // matches the expansion's expected format.  Classic=173, TBC=216,
+            // WotLK=234 fields.  When Classic is active but the base WotLK DBC
+            // is loaded (234 fields), field 117 is NOT IconID — we must use
+            // the WotLK field 133 instead.
+            uint32_t iconField = 133; // WotLK default
+            uint32_t idField = 0;
             if (spellL) {
-                tryLoadIcons((*spellL)["ID"], (*spellL)["IconID"]);
-            }
-
-            // Fallback if expansion layout missing or yielded nothing
-            // Only use WotLK field 133 as last resort if we have no layout
-            if (spellIconIds_.empty() && !spellL && fieldCount > 133) {
-                tryLoadIcons(0, 133);
+                uint32_t layoutIcon = (*spellL)["IconID"];
+                // Only trust the expansion layout if the DBC has a compatible
+                // field count (within ~20 of the layout's icon field).
+                if (layoutIcon < fieldCount && fieldCount <= layoutIcon + 20) {
+                    iconField = layoutIcon;
+                    idField = (*spellL)["ID"];
+                }
             }
+            tryLoadIcons(idField, iconField);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/ui/talent_screen.cpp b/src/ui/talent_screen.cpp
index bed817ab..c2b92eff 100644
--- a/src/ui/talent_screen.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/talent_screen.cpp
@@ -593,15 +593,27 @@ void TalentScreen::loadSpellDBC(pipeline::AssetManager* assetManager) {
     if (!dbc || !dbc->isLoaded()) return;
 
     const auto* spellL = pipeline::getActiveDBCLayout() ? pipeline::getActiveDBCLayout()->getLayout("Spell") : nullptr;
+    uint32_t fieldCount = dbc->getFieldCount();
+    // Detect DBC/layout mismatch: Classic layout expects ~173 fields but we may
+    // load the WotLK base DBC (234 fields).  Use WotLK field indices in that case.
+    uint32_t idField = 0, iconField = 133, tooltipField = 139;
+    if (spellL) {
+        uint32_t layoutIcon = (*spellL)["IconID"];
+        if (layoutIcon < fieldCount && fieldCount <= layoutIcon + 20) {
+            idField = (*spellL)["ID"];
+            iconField = layoutIcon;
+            try { tooltipField = (*spellL)["Tooltip"]; } catch (...) {}
+        }
+    }
     uint32_t count = dbc->getRecordCount();
     for (uint32_t i = 0; i < count; ++i) {
-        uint32_t spellId = dbc->getUInt32(i, spellL ? (*spellL)["ID"] : 0);
+        uint32_t spellId = dbc->getUInt32(i, idField);
         if (spellId == 0) continue;
 
-        uint32_t iconId = dbc->getUInt32(i, spellL ? (*spellL)["IconID"] : 133);
+        uint32_t iconId = dbc->getUInt32(i, iconField);
         spellIconIds[spellId] = iconId;
 
-        std::string tooltip = dbc->getString(i, spellL ? (*spellL)["Tooltip"] : 139);
+        std::string tooltip = dbc->getString(i, tooltipField);
         if (!tooltip.empty()) {
             spellTooltips[spellId] = tooltip;
         }