diff --git a/quakespasm/Quake/pr_edict.c b/quakespasm/Quake/pr_edict.c
index d5d8b2d7..32ea36d6 100644
--- a/quakespasm/Quake/pr_edict.c
+++ b/quakespasm/Quake/pr_edict.c
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ int		type_size[8] = {
 };
 
 static ddef_t	*ED_FieldAtOfs (int ofs);
-qboolean	ED_ParseEpair (void *base, ddef_t *key, const char *s);
 
 cvar_t	nomonsters = {"nomonsters", "0", CVAR_NONE};
 cvar_t	gamecfg = {"gamecfg", "0", CVAR_NONE};
@@ -575,7 +574,7 @@ static void ED_PrintEdict_f (void)
 			else if (Cmd_Argc() < 4)
 				Con_Printf("Edict %u.%s==%s\n", i, PR_GetString(def->s_name), PR_UglyValueString(def->type&~DEF_SAVEGLOBAL, (eval_t *)((char *)&EDICT_NUM(i)->v + def->ofs*4)));
 			else
-				ED_ParseEpair((void *)&EDICT_NUM(i)->v, def, Cmd_Argv(3));
+				ED_ParseEpair((void *)&EDICT_NUM(i)->v, def, Cmd_Argv(3), false);
 		}
 
 	}
@@ -698,7 +697,7 @@ const char *ED_ParseGlobals (const char *data)
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		if (!ED_ParseEpair ((void *)qcvm->globals, key, com_token))
+		if (!ED_ParseEpair ((void *)qcvm->globals, key, com_token, false))
 			Host_Error ("ED_ParseGlobals: parse error");
 	}
 	return data;
@@ -737,7 +736,37 @@ static string_t ED_NewString (const char *string)
 
 	return num;
 }
+static void ED_RezoneString (string_t *ref, const char *str)
+{
+	char *buf;
+	size_t len = strlen(str)+1;
+	size_t id;
 
+	if (*ref)
+	{	//if the reference is already a zoned string then free it first.
+		id = -1-*ref;
+		if (id < qcvm->knownzonesize && (qcvm->knownzone[id>>3] & (1u<<(id&7))))
+		{	//okay, it was zoned.
+			qcvm->knownzone[id>>3] &= ~(1u<<(id&7));
+			buf = (char*)PR_GetString(*ref);
+			PR_ClearEngineString(*ref);
+			Z_Free(buf);
+		}
+//		else
+//			Con_Warning("ED_RezoneString: string wasn't strzoned\n");	//warnings would trigger from the default cvar value that autocvars are initialised with
+	}
+
+	buf = Z_Malloc(len);
+	memcpy(buf, str, len);
+	id = -1-(*ref = PR_SetEngineString(buf));
+	//make sure its flagged as zoned so we can clean up properly after.
+	if (id >= qcvm->knownzonesize)
+	{
+		qcvm->knownzonesize = (id+32)&~7;
+		qcvm->knownzone = Z_Realloc(qcvm->knownzone, (qcvm->knownzonesize+7)>>3);
+	}
+	qcvm->knownzone[id>>3] |= 1u<<(id&7);
+}
 
 /*
 =============
@@ -747,7 +776,7 @@ Can parse either fields or globals
 returns false if error
 =============
 */
-qboolean ED_ParseEpair (void *base, ddef_t *key, const char *s)
+qboolean ED_ParseEpair (void *base, ddef_t *key, const char *s, qboolean zoned)
 {
 	int		i;
 	char	string[128];
@@ -762,7 +791,10 @@ qboolean ED_ParseEpair (void *base, ddef_t *key, const char *s)
 	switch (key->type & ~DEF_SAVEGLOBAL)
 	{
 	case ev_string:
-		*(string_t *)d = ED_NewString(s);
+		if (zoned)	//zoned version allows us to change the strings more freely
+			ED_RezoneString((string_t *)d, s);
+		else
+			*(string_t *)d = ED_NewString(s);
 		break;
 
 	case ev_float:
@@ -960,7 +992,7 @@ const char *ED_ParseEdict (const char *data, edict_t *ent)
 			sprintf (com_token, "0 %s 0", temp);
 		}
 
-		if (!ED_ParseEpair ((void *)&ent->v, key, com_token))
+		if (!ED_ParseEpair ((void *)&ent->v, key, com_token, false))
 			Host_Error ("ED_ParseEdict: parse error");
 	}
 
diff --git a/quakespasm/Quake/pr_ext.c b/quakespasm/Quake/pr_ext.c
index fe036fa9..41581ae6 100644
--- a/quakespasm/Quake/pr_ext.c
+++ b/quakespasm/Quake/pr_ext.c
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ static void PF_strzone(void)
 	if (id >= qcvm->knownzonesize)
 	{
 		qcvm->knownzonesize = (id+32)&~7;
-		qcvm->knownzone = Z_Realloc(qcvm->knownzone, qcvm->knownzonesize>>3);
+		qcvm->knownzone = Z_Realloc(qcvm->knownzone, (qcvm->knownzonesize+7)>>3);
 	}
 	qcvm->knownzone[id>>3] |= 1u<<(id&7);
 
@@ -3809,7 +3809,7 @@ static void PF_putentfldstr(void)
 	edict_t *ent = G_EDICT(OFS_PARM1);
 	const char *value = G_STRING(OFS_PARM2);
 	if (fldidx < (unsigned int)qcvm->progs->numfielddefs)
-		G_FLOAT(OFS_RETURN) = ED_ParseEpair ((void *)&ent->v, qcvm->fielddefs+fldidx, value);
+		G_FLOAT(OFS_RETURN) = ED_ParseEpair ((void *)&ent->v, qcvm->fielddefs+fldidx, value, true);
 	else
 		G_FLOAT(OFS_RETURN) = false;
 }
@@ -6645,33 +6645,31 @@ void PR_AutoCvarChanged(cvar_t *var)
 		glob = ED_FindGlobal(n);
 		if (glob)
 		{
-			if (!ED_ParseEpair ((void *)qcvm->globals, glob, var->string))
+			if (!ED_ParseEpair ((void *)qcvm->globals, glob, var->string, true))
 				Con_Warning("EXT: Unable to configure %s\n", n);
 		}
 		PR_SwitchQCVM(NULL);
 	}
 	if (cl.qcvm.globals)
 	{
-		PR_SwitchQCVM(NULL);
 		PR_SwitchQCVM(&cl.qcvm);
 		n = va("autocvar_%s", var->name);
 		glob = ED_FindGlobal(n);
 		if (glob)
 		{
-			if (!ED_ParseEpair ((void *)qcvm->globals, glob, var->string))
+			if (!ED_ParseEpair ((void *)qcvm->globals, glob, var->string, true))
 				Con_Warning("EXT: Unable to configure %s\n", n);
 		}
 		PR_SwitchQCVM(NULL);
 	}
 	if (cls.menu_qcvm.globals)
 	{
-		PR_SwitchQCVM(NULL);
 		PR_SwitchQCVM(&cls.menu_qcvm);
 		n = va("autocvar_%s", var->name);
 		glob = ED_FindGlobal(n);
 		if (glob)
 		{
-			if (!ED_ParseEpair ((void *)qcvm->globals, glob, var->string))
+			if (!ED_ParseEpair ((void *)qcvm->globals, glob, var->string, true))
 				Con_Warning("EXT: Unable to configure %s\n", n);
 		}
 		PR_SwitchQCVM(NULL);
@@ -6806,7 +6804,7 @@ void PR_EnableExtensions(ddef_t *pr_globaldefs)
 			if (!var)
 				continue;	//name conflicts with a command?
 	
-			if (!ED_ParseEpair ((void *)qcvm->globals, &pr_globaldefs[i], var->string))
+			if (!ED_ParseEpair ((void *)qcvm->globals, &pr_globaldefs[i], var->string, true))
 				Con_Warning("EXT: Unable to configure %s\n", n);
 			var->flags |= CVAR_AUTOCVAR;
 		}
diff --git a/quakespasm/Quake/progs.h b/quakespasm/Quake/progs.h
index d7f18d5a..d3a3fdad 100644
--- a/quakespasm/Quake/progs.h
+++ b/quakespasm/Quake/progs.h
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ int SV_Precache_Sound(const char *s);
 void PR_spawnfunc_misc_model(edict_t *self);
 
 //from pr_edict, for pr_ext. reflection is messy.
-qboolean	ED_ParseEpair (void *base, ddef_t *key, const char *s);
+qboolean	ED_ParseEpair (void *base, ddef_t *key, const char *s, qboolean zoned);
 const char *PR_UglyValueString (int type, eval_t *val);
 ddef_t *ED_FindField (const char *name);
 ddef_t *ED_FindGlobal (const char *name);
diff --git a/quakespasm/Quake/zone.c b/quakespasm/Quake/zone.c
index 9ab8cfe2..d6e02e29 100644
--- a/quakespasm/Quake/zone.c
+++ b/quakespasm/Quake/zone.c
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ void Z_Free (void *ptr)
 	memblock_t	*block, *other;
 
 	if (!ptr)
-		Sys_Error ("Z_Free: NULL pointer");
+		return;	//ignore this like libc would
+//		Sys_Error ("Z_Free: NULL pointer");
 
 	block = (memblock_t *) ( (byte *)ptr - sizeof(memblock_t));
 	if (block->id != ZONEID)