diff --git a/engine/client/cl_parse.c b/engine/client/cl_parse.c
index abd70a3f9..c9e3b596b 100644
--- a/engine/client/cl_parse.c
+++ b/engine/client/cl_parse.c
@@ -849,7 +849,12 @@ void CL_DownloadFinished(qdownload_t *dl)
 						cl.model_precache[i]->loadstate = MLS_NOTLOADED;
 					cl.model_precache[i] = Mod_ForName(cl.model_name[i], MLV_WARN);
 					if (i == 1)
+					{
 						cl.worldmodel = cl.model_precache[i];
+						//just in case.
+						if (cl.model_precache[1] && cl.model_precache[1]->loadstate == MLS_LOADED)
+							FS_LoadMapPackFile(cl.model_precache[1]->name, cl.model_precache[1]->archive);
+					}
 					break;
 				}
 			}
@@ -1405,6 +1410,8 @@ static int CL_LoadModels(int stage, qboolean dontactuallyload)
 		if (cl.worldmodel && cl.worldmodel->loadstate == MLS_LOADING)
 			return -1;
 
+		FS_LoadMapPackFile(cl.worldmodel->name, cl.worldmodel->archive);
+
 #ifdef Q2CLIENT
 		if (cls.protocol == CP_QUAKE2 && cl.worldmodel && cl.worldmodel->checksum != cl.q2mapchecksum)
 			Host_EndGame("Local map version differs from server: %i != '%i'\n", cl.worldmodel->checksum, cl.q2mapchecksum);
@@ -4385,6 +4392,13 @@ static void CL_ParseModellist (qboolean lots)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	SCR_SetLoadingFile("loading data");
+
+	//we need to try to load it now if we can, so any embedded archive will be loaded *before* we start looking for other content...
+	cl.model_precache[1] = Mod_ForName (cl.model_name[1], MLV_WARNSYNC);
+	if (cl.model_precache[1] && cl.model_precache[1]->loadstate == MLS_LOADED)
+		FS_LoadMapPackFile(cl.model_precache[1]->name, cl.model_precache[1]->archive);
+
 	Sound_CheckDownloads();
 	Model_CheckDownloads();
 
@@ -4392,7 +4406,6 @@ static void CL_ParseModellist (qboolean lots)
 
 	//set the flag to load models and send prespawn
 	cl.sendprespawn = true;
-	SCR_SetLoadingFile("loading data");
 }
 
 #ifdef Q2CLIENT
diff --git a/engine/client/pr_csqc.c b/engine/client/pr_csqc.c
index 4401741df..c4fd07a5d 100644
--- a/engine/client/pr_csqc.c
+++ b/engine/client/pr_csqc.c
@@ -2707,6 +2707,7 @@ static void QCBUILTIN PF_R_RenderScene(pubprogfuncs_t *prinst, struct globalvars
 	{
 		csqc_worldchanged = false;
 		cl.worldmodel = r_worldentity.model = csqc_world.worldmodel;
+		FS_LoadMapPackFile(cl.worldmodel->name, cl.worldmodel->archive);
 		Surf_NewMap();
 		CL_UpdateWindowTitle();
 
diff --git a/engine/client/renderer.c b/engine/client/renderer.c
index 851c36f47..56decc6dd 100644
--- a/engine/client/renderer.c
+++ b/engine/client/renderer.c
@@ -403,6 +403,7 @@ cvar_t gl_blendsprites						= CVARD  ("gl_blendsprites", "0", "Specifies how spr
 cvar_t r_deluxemapping_cvar					= CVARAFD ("r_deluxemapping", "1", "r_glsl_deluxemapping",
 												CVAR_ARCHIVE|CVAR_RENDERERLATCH, "Enables bumpmapping based upon precomputed light directions.\n0=off\n1=use if available\n2=auto-generate (if possible)");
 cvar_t mod_loadsurfenvmaps					= CVARD ("r_loadsurfenvmaps", "1", "Load local reflection environment-maps, where available. These are normally defined via env_cubemap entities dotted around the place.");
+cvar_t mod_loadmappackages					= CVARD ("mod_loadmappackages", "1", "Load additional content embedded within bsp files.");
 qboolean r_deluxemapping;
 cvar_t r_shaderblobs						= CVARD ("r_shaderblobs", "0", "If enabled, can massively accelerate vid restarts / loading (especially with the d3d renderer). Can cause issues when upgrading engine versions, so this is disabled by default.");
 cvar_t gl_compress							= CVARFD ("gl_compress", "0", CVAR_ARCHIVE, "Enable automatic texture compression even for textures which are not pre-compressed.");
diff --git a/engine/common/fs.c b/engine/common/fs.c
index 65f95391d..35adfff5f 100644
--- a/engine/common/fs.c
+++ b/engine/common/fs.c
@@ -2839,6 +2839,8 @@ void COM_FlushTempoaryPacks(void)	//flush all temporary packages
 {
 	searchpath_t *sp, **link;
 
+	COM_AssertMainThread("COM_FlushTempoaryPacks");
+
 	COM_WorkerLock();	//make sure no workers are poking files...
 	Sys_LockMutex(fs_thread_mutex);
 
@@ -2851,6 +2853,7 @@ void COM_FlushTempoaryPacks(void)	//flush all temporary packages
 			FS_FlushFSHashFull();
 
 			*link = sp->next;
+			com_purepaths = NULL;
 
 			sp->handle->ClosePath(sp->handle);
 			Z_Free (sp);
@@ -2858,16 +2861,32 @@ void COM_FlushTempoaryPacks(void)	//flush all temporary packages
 		else
 			link = &sp->next;
 	}
-	com_purepaths = NULL;
 	Sys_UnlockMutex(fs_thread_mutex);
 	COM_WorkerUnlock();	//workers can continue now
 }
 
+static searchpath_t *FS_MapPackIsActive(searchpathfuncs_t *archive)
+{
+	searchpath_t *sp;
+	Sys_LockMutex(fs_thread_mutex);
+	for (sp = com_searchpaths; sp; sp = sp->next)
+	{
+		if (sp->handle == archive)
+			break;
+	}
+	Sys_UnlockMutex(fs_thread_mutex);
+	return sp;
+}
+
 static searchpath_t *FS_AddPathHandle(searchpath_t **oldpaths, const char *purepath, const char *probablepath, searchpathfuncs_t *handle, const char *prefix, unsigned int flags, unsigned int loadstuff);
 qboolean FS_LoadMapPackFile (const char *filename, searchpathfuncs_t *archive)
 {
+	if (!archive)
+		return false;
 	if (!archive->AddReference)
 		return false;	//nope...
+	if (FS_MapPackIsActive(archive))
+		return false;	//don't do it twice.
 	archive->AddReference(archive);
 	if (FS_AddPathHandle(NULL, filename, filename, archive, "", SPF_TEMPORARY, 0))
 		return true;
@@ -2877,6 +2896,8 @@ void FS_CloseMapPackFile (searchpathfuncs_t *archive)
 {
 	searchpath_t *sp, **link;
 
+	COM_AssertMainThread("FS_CloseMapPackFile");
+
 	COM_WorkerLock();	//make sure no workers are poking files...
 	Sys_LockMutex(fs_thread_mutex);
 
@@ -2889,6 +2910,7 @@ void FS_CloseMapPackFile (searchpathfuncs_t *archive)
 			FS_FlushFSHashFull();
 
 			*link = sp->next;
+			com_purepaths = NULL; //FIXME...
 
 			sp->handle->ClosePath(sp->handle);
 			Z_Free (sp);
@@ -2897,7 +2919,6 @@ void FS_CloseMapPackFile (searchpathfuncs_t *archive)
 		else
 			link = &sp->next;
 	}
-	com_purepaths = NULL;
 
 	Sys_UnlockMutex(fs_thread_mutex);
 	COM_WorkerUnlock();	//workers can continue now
diff --git a/engine/common/q1bsp.c b/engine/common/q1bsp.c
index 5759870e9..5affd501c 100644
--- a/engine/common/q1bsp.c
+++ b/engine/common/q1bsp.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 extern cvar_t r_decal_noperpendicular;
 extern cvar_t mod_loadsurfenvmaps;
+extern cvar_t mod_loadmappackages;
 
 /*
 Decal functions
@@ -2281,7 +2282,7 @@ bspx_header_t *BSPX_Setup(model_t *mod, char *filebase, size_t filelen, lump_t *
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (offs < filelen && !mod->archive)
+	if (offs < filelen && !mod->archive && mod_loadmappackages.ival)
 	{	//we have some sort of trailing junk... is it a zip?...
 		vfsfile_t *f = VFSPIPE_Open(1,true);
 		if (f)
diff --git a/engine/qclib/qcd_main.c b/engine/qclib/qcd_main.c
index 29d254bc4..ea8ea0ff3 100644
--- a/engine/qclib/qcd_main.c
+++ b/engine/qclib/qcd_main.c
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ int QC_EnumerateFilesFromBlob(const void *blob, size_t blobsize, void (*cb)(cons
 	cd = blob;
 	cd += QC_ReadRawInt(eocd+16);
 	cdlen = QC_ReadRawInt(eocd+12);
-	cdentries = QC_ReadRawInt(eocd+10);
+	cdentries = QC_ReadRawShort(eocd+10);
 	if (cd+cdlen>=(const unsigned char*)blob+blobsize)
 		return ret;
 
diff --git a/engine/server/sv_init.c b/engine/server/sv_init.c
index a108cdfcc..9473d51e9 100644
--- a/engine/server/sv_init.c
+++ b/engine/server/sv_init.c
@@ -1040,6 +1040,10 @@ void SV_SpawnServer (const char *server, const char *startspot, qboolean noents,
 
 	sv.state = ss_dead;
 
+	//make sure our map's package is loaded.
+	if (sv.world.worldmodel)
+		FS_LoadMapPackFile(sv.world.worldmodel->name, sv.world.worldmodel->archive);
+
 #ifndef SERVERONLY
 	current_loading_size+=10;
 //	SCR_BeginLoadingPlaque();