diff --git a/source/gl_mesh.c b/source/gl_mesh.c
index d6c9476..1b9ae54 100644
--- a/source/gl_mesh.c
+++ b/source/gl_mesh.c
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ GL_MakeAliasModelDisplayLists (model_t *m, aliashdr_t *hdr)
 		// save out the cached version
 		// 
 		snprintf (fullpath, sizeof (fullpath), "%s/%s", com_gamedir, cache);
-		f = Qopen (fullpath, "wb");
+		f = Qopen (fullpath, "wbz9");
 		if (!f) {
 			COM_CreatePath (fullpath);
 			f = Qopen (fullpath, "wb");
diff --git a/source/quakeio.c b/source/quakeio.c
index 295bcb3..987a603 100644
--- a/source/quakeio.c
+++ b/source/quakeio.c
@@ -125,6 +125,11 @@ Qopen (const char *path, const char *mode)
 			zip = 1;
 			continue;
 		}
+#ifndef HAVE_ZLIB
+		if (strchr ("0123456789fh", *mode)) {
+			continue;
+		}
+#endif
 		*p++ = *mode;
 	}
 	*p = 0;