diff --git a/Quake/host.c b/Quake/host.c
index 27e4413a..03b06869 100644
--- a/Quake/host.c
+++ b/Quake/host.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ cvar_t	host_framerate = {"host_framerate","0"};	// set for slow motion
 cvar_t	host_speeds = {"host_speeds","0"};			// set for running times
 cvar_t	host_maxfps = {"host_maxfps", "72", true}; //johnfitz
 cvar_t	host_timescale = {"host_timescale", "0"}; //johnfitz
-cvar_t	max_edicts = {"max_edicts", "2048", true}; //johnfitz
+cvar_t	max_edicts = {"max_edicts", STR(DEF_EDICTS), true}; //johnfitz
 
 cvar_t	sys_ticrate = {"sys_ticrate","0.05"}; // dedicated server
 cvar_t	serverprofile = {"serverprofile","0"};
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ Max_Edicts_f -- johnfitz
 */
 void Max_Edicts_f (void)
 {
-	static float oldval = 1024; //must match the default value for max_edicts
+	static float oldval = DEF_EDICTS; //must match the default value for max_edicts
 
 	//TODO: clamp it here?
 
diff --git a/Quake/quakedef.h b/Quake/quakedef.h
index cf6cbc06..7c5e25eb 100644
--- a/Quake/quakedef.h
+++ b/Quake/quakedef.h
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
 #ifndef __QUAKEDEFS_H
 #define __QUAKEDEFS_H
 
+// numeric macro to string conversion
+#define STR_(x) #x
+#define STR(x) STR_(x)
+
 // quakedef.h -- primary header for client
 
 #define	QUAKE_GAME			// as opposed to utilities
@@ -101,6 +105,8 @@ Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
 #define MIN_EDICTS		256			// johnfitz -- lowest allowed value for max_edicts cvar
 #define MAX_EDICTS		32000		// johnfitz -- highest allowed value for max_edicts cvar
 									// ents past 8192 can't play sounds in the standard protocol
+#define DEF_EDICTS		2048
+
 #define	MAX_LIGHTSTYLES	64
 #define	MAX_MODELS		2048		// johnfitz -- was 256
 #define	MAX_SOUNDS		2048		// johnfitz -- was 256