diff --git a/dissect/target/helpers/loaderutil.py b/dissect/target/helpers/loaderutil.py
index 475cabb2a..ad376b566 100644
--- a/dissect/target/helpers/loaderutil.py
+++ b/dissect/target/helpers/loaderutil.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import urllib
 from os import PathLike
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, BinaryIO, Optional, Union
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, BinaryIO
 
 from dissect.target.exceptions import FileNotFoundError
 from dissect.target.filesystem import Filesystem
@@ -42,12 +42,31 @@ def add_virtual_ntfs_filesystem(
     fh_sds = _try_open(fs, sds_path)
 
     if any([fh_boot, fh_mft]):
-        ntfs = NtfsFilesystem(boot=fh_boot, mft=fh_mft, usnjrnl=fh_usnjrnl, sds=fh_sds)
-        target.filesystems.add(ntfs)
-        fs.ntfs = ntfs.ntfs
+        ntfs = None
 
-
-def _try_open(fs: Filesystem, path: str) -> BinaryIO:
+        try:
+            ntfs = NtfsFilesystem(boot=fh_boot, mft=fh_mft, usnjrnl=fh_usnjrnl, sds=fh_sds)
+        except Exception as e:
+            if fh_boot:
+                log.warning("Failed to load NTFS filesystem from %s, retrying without $Boot file", fs)
+                log.debug("", exc_info=e)
+
+                try:
+                    # Try once more without the $Boot file
+                    ntfs = NtfsFilesystem(mft=fh_mft, usnjrnl=fh_usnjrnl, sds=fh_sds)
+                except Exception:
+                    log.warning("Failed to load NTFS filesystem from %s without $Boot file, skipping", fs)
+                    return
+
+        # Only add it if we have a valid NTFS with an MFT
+        if ntfs and ntfs.ntfs.mft:
+            target.filesystems.add(ntfs)
+            fs.ntfs = ntfs.ntfs
+        else:
+            log.warning("Opened NTFS filesystem from %s but could not find $MFT, skipping", fs)
+
+
+def _try_open(fs: Filesystem, path: str) -> BinaryIO | None:
     paths = [path] if not isinstance(path, list) else path
 
     for path in paths:
@@ -61,7 +80,7 @@ def _try_open(fs: Filesystem, path: str) -> BinaryIO:
             pass
 
 
-def extract_path_info(path: Union[str, Path]) -> tuple[Path, Optional[urllib.parse.ParseResult]]:
+def extract_path_info(path: str | Path) -> tuple[Path, urllib.parse.ParseResult | None]:
     """
     Extracts a ParseResult from a path if it has
     a scheme and adjusts the path if necessary.
diff --git a/tests/helpers/test_loaderutil.py b/tests/helpers/test_loaderutil.py
index 8dad73703..1d8d0996a 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/test_loaderutil.py
+++ b/tests/helpers/test_loaderutil.py
@@ -2,13 +2,21 @@
 
 import urllib
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Optional
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+from unittest.mock import Mock, patch
 
 import pytest
 
+from dissect.target.filesystem import VirtualFilesystem
 from dissect.target.filesystems.dir import DirectoryFilesystem
 from dissect.target.helpers.fsutil import TargetPath
-from dissect.target.helpers.loaderutil import extract_path_info
+from dissect.target.helpers.loaderutil import (
+    add_virtual_ntfs_filesystem,
+    extract_path_info,
+)
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from dissect.target.target import Target
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
@@ -36,6 +44,102 @@
     ],
 )
 def test_extract_path_info(
-    path: Path | str, expected: tuple[Optional[Path], Optional[urllib.parse.ParseResult[str]]]
+    path: Path | str, expected: tuple[Path | None, urllib.parse.ParseResult[str] | None]
 ) -> None:
     assert extract_path_info(path) == expected
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "boot, mft, expected_logs",
+    [
+        (None, None, []),
+        (
+            None,
+            False,
+            [
+                "Opened NTFS filesystem from <VirtualFilesystem> but could not find $MFT, skipping",
+            ],
+        ),
+        (None, True, []),
+        (
+            False,
+            None,
+            [
+                "Failed to load NTFS filesystem from <VirtualFilesystem>, retrying without $Boot file",
+                "Opened NTFS filesystem from <VirtualFilesystem> but could not find $MFT, skipping",
+            ],
+        ),
+        (
+            False,
+            False,
+            [
+                "Failed to load NTFS filesystem from <VirtualFilesystem>, retrying without $Boot file",
+                "Failed to load NTFS filesystem from <VirtualFilesystem> without $Boot file, skipping",
+            ],
+        ),
+        (
+            False,
+            True,
+            [
+                "Failed to load NTFS filesystem from <VirtualFilesystem>, retrying without $Boot file",
+            ],
+        ),
+        (
+            True,
+            None,
+            [
+                "Opened NTFS filesystem from <VirtualFilesystem> but could not find $MFT, skipping",
+            ],
+        ),
+        (
+            True,
+            False,
+            [
+                "Failed to load NTFS filesystem from <VirtualFilesystem>, retrying without $Boot file",
+                "Failed to load NTFS filesystem from <VirtualFilesystem> without $Boot file, skipping",
+            ],
+        ),
+        (True, True, []),
+    ],
+)
+def test_virtual_ntfs_resiliency(
+    boot: bool | None,
+    mft: bool | None,
+    expected_logs: list[str],
+    target_default: Target,
+    caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture,
+) -> None:
+    sentinels = {
+        None: None,
+        False: Mock(),
+        True: Mock(),
+    }
+
+    def _try_open(fs, path):
+        state = None
+        if path == "$Boot":
+            state = boot
+        elif path == "$MFT":
+            state = mft
+        return sentinels[state]
+
+    def NtfsFilesystem(boot=None, mft=None, **kwargs):
+        if boot is sentinels[False] or mft is sentinels[False]:
+            raise Exception("Oopsiewoopsie")
+
+        fake_ntfs = Mock()
+        fake_ntfs.ntfs.mft = None
+
+        if mft is sentinels[True]:
+            fake_ntfs.ntfs.mft = Mock()
+
+        return fake_ntfs
+
+    vfs = VirtualFilesystem()
+    with patch("dissect.target.helpers.loaderutil._try_open", new=_try_open), patch(
+        "dissect.target.helpers.loaderutil.NtfsFilesystem", new=NtfsFilesystem
+    ):
+        add_virtual_ntfs_filesystem(target_default, vfs)
+
+    assert caplog.messages == expected_logs
+    assert hasattr(vfs, "ntfs") == (True if mft else False)