diff --git a/changelog.txt b/changelog.txt
index 0884918..c732399 100644
--- a/changelog.txt
+++ b/changelog.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 
 DD Mmm 17 - 1.49
 
+fix: crash when the number of shader stages was wrong (would happen with the "brandon" player model)
+
 fix: the release of a key bound to "+vstr a b" would execute "b" even though the key press didn't execute "a"
 
 chg: r_brightness    <0.25..32.0> (default: 2) replaces r_overBrightBits
diff --git a/code/renderer/tr_shader.cpp b/code/renderer/tr_shader.cpp
index f537e4b..2129ea9 100644
--- a/code/renderer/tr_shader.cpp
+++ b/code/renderer/tr_shader.cpp
@@ -1504,6 +1504,7 @@ static shader_t* GeneratePermanentShader()
 
 	for ( int i = 0; i < newShader->numStages; ++i ) {
 		if ( !stages[i].active ) {
+			newShader->numStages = i;
 			break;
 		}
 		newShader->stages[i] = RI_New<shaderStage_t>();