diff --git a/include/QF/iqm.h b/include/QF/iqm.h
index 8d99895c5..9f2b46514 100644
--- a/include/QF/iqm.h
+++ b/include/QF/iqm.h
@@ -135,7 +135,10 @@ typedef struct iqm_s {
 	byte       *vertices;
 	int         stride;
 	int         num_elements;
-	uint16_t   *elements;
+	union {
+		uint16_t   *elements16;
+		uint32_t   *elements32;
+	};
 	int         num_arrays;
 	iqmvertexarray *vertexarrays;
 	int         num_joints;
diff --git a/libs/models/iqm/glsl_model_iqm.c b/libs/models/iqm/glsl_model_iqm.c
index 9f7a75ee6..0d42cf9c7 100644
--- a/libs/models/iqm/glsl_model_iqm.c
+++ b/libs/models/iqm/glsl_model_iqm.c
@@ -130,15 +130,16 @@ glsl_iqm_load_arrays (iqm_t *iqm)
 	qfeglBindBuffer (GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, glsl->element_array);
 	qfeglBufferData (GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, iqm->num_verts * iqm->stride,
 					 iqm->vertices, GL_STATIC_DRAW);
+	int esize = iqm->num_verts > 0xfff0 ? sizeof (uint32_t) : sizeof (uint16_t);
 	qfeglBufferData (GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER,
-					 iqm->num_elements * sizeof (uint16_t), iqm->elements,
+					 iqm->num_elements * esize, iqm->elements16,
 					 GL_STATIC_DRAW);
 	qfeglBindBuffer (GL_ARRAY_BUFFER, 0);
 	qfeglBindBuffer (GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, 0);
 	free (iqm->vertices);
 	iqm->vertices = 0;
-	free (iqm->elements);
-	iqm->elements = 0;
+	free (iqm->elements16);
+	iqm->elements16 = 0;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/libs/models/iqm/model_iqm.c b/libs/models/iqm/model_iqm.c
index 566c1eefa..b1ef3355f 100644
--- a/libs/models/iqm/model_iqm.c
+++ b/libs/models/iqm/model_iqm.c
@@ -344,9 +344,15 @@ load_iqm_meshes (model_t *mod, const iqmheader *hdr, byte *buffer)
 	if (!(tris = get_triangles (hdr, buffer)))
 		return false;
 	iqm->num_elements = hdr->num_triangles * 3;
-	iqm->elements = malloc (hdr->num_triangles * 3 * sizeof (uint16_t));
-	for (i = 0; i < hdr->num_triangles; i++)
-		VectorCopy (tris[i].vertex, iqm->elements + i * 3);
+	if (iqm->num_verts > 0xfff0) {
+		iqm->elements32 = malloc (hdr->num_triangles * 3 * sizeof (uint32_t));
+		for (i = 0; i < hdr->num_triangles; i++)
+			VectorCopy (tris[i].vertex, iqm->elements32 + i * 3);
+	} else {
+		iqm->elements16 = malloc (hdr->num_triangles * 3 * sizeof (uint16_t));
+		for (i = 0; i < hdr->num_triangles; i++)
+			VectorCopy (tris[i].vertex, iqm->elements16 + i * 3);
+	}
 	if (!(meshes = get_meshes (hdr, buffer)))
 		return false;
 	iqm->num_meshes = hdr->num_meshes;
@@ -528,8 +534,8 @@ Mod_FreeIQM (iqm_t *iqm)
 	if (iqm->vertices)
 		free (iqm->vertices);
 	free (iqm->vertexarrays);
-	if (iqm->elements)
-		free (iqm->elements);
+	if (iqm->elements16)
+		free (iqm->elements16);
 	free (iqm->meshes);
 	free (iqm->joints);
 	free (iqm->baseframe);
diff --git a/libs/models/iqm/sw_model_iqm.c b/libs/models/iqm/sw_model_iqm.c
index 0e6d1fa48..3ae8764b3 100644
--- a/libs/models/iqm/sw_model_iqm.c
+++ b/libs/models/iqm/sw_model_iqm.c
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ sw_iqm_load_textures (iqm_t *iqm)
 			tex = sw->skins[i] = &null_texture;
 		for (j = 0; j < (int) iqm->meshes[i].num_triangles * 3; j++) {
 			int         ind = iqm->meshes[i].first_triangle * 3 + j;
-			int         vind = iqm->elements[ind];
+			int         vind = iqm->elements16[ind];
 			byte       *vert = iqm->vertices + iqm->stride * vind;
 			byte       *tc = vert + sw->texcoord->offset;
 
@@ -150,10 +150,10 @@ sw_iqm_convert_tris (iqm_t *iqm)
 	tris = malloc (num_tris * sizeof (mtriangle_t));
 	for (i = 0; i < num_tris; i++) {
 		tris[i].facesfront = 1;
-		VectorCopy (iqm->elements + i * 3, tris[i].vertindex);
+		VectorCopy (iqm->elements16 + i * 3, tris[i].vertindex);
 	}
-	free (iqm->elements);
-	iqm->elements = (uint16_t *) tris;
+	free (iqm->elements16);
+	iqm->elements16 = (uint16_t *) tris;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/libs/models/iqm/vulkan_model_iqm.c b/libs/models/iqm/vulkan_model_iqm.c
index 297d1f592..8a1e64d63 100644
--- a/libs/models/iqm/vulkan_model_iqm.c
+++ b/libs/models/iqm/vulkan_model_iqm.c
@@ -225,6 +225,9 @@ vulkan_iqm_load_arrays (model_t *mod, iqm_t *iqm, qfv_iqm_t *mesh,
 	size_t      geom_size = iqm->num_verts * sizeof (iqmgvert_t);
 	size_t      rend_size = iqm->num_verts * sizeof (iqmrvert_t);
 	size_t      elem_size = iqm->num_elements * sizeof (uint16_t);
+	if (iqm->num_verts > 0xfff0) {
+		elem_size = iqm->num_elements * sizeof (uint32_t);
+	}
 	size_t      buff_size = geom_size + rend_size + elem_size + 1024;
 	qfv_stagebuf_t *stage = QFV_CreateStagingBuffer (device,
 													 va (ctx->va_ctx, "iqm:%s",
@@ -282,7 +285,7 @@ vulkan_iqm_load_arrays (model_t *mod, iqm_t *iqm, qfv_iqm_t *mesh,
 			data += size;
 		}
 	}
-	memcpy (elements, iqm->elements, elem_size);
+	memcpy (elements, iqm->elements16, elem_size);
 
 	qfv_bufferbarrier_t bb[] = {
 		bufferBarriers[qfv_BB_Unknown_to_TransferWrite],
@@ -417,11 +420,15 @@ Vulkan_Mod_IQMFinish (model_t *mod, vulkan_ctx_t *ctx)
 					| VK_BUFFER_USAGE_VERTEX_BUFFER_BIT,
 		},
 	};
+	size_t      elem_size = iqm->num_elements * sizeof (uint16_t);
+	if (iqm->num_verts > 0xfff0) {
+		elem_size = iqm->num_elements * sizeof (uint32_t);
+	}
 	mesh->mesh->objects[2] = (qfv_resobj_t) {
 		.name = "index",
 		.type = qfv_res_buffer,
 		.buffer = {
-			.size = iqm->num_elements * sizeof (uint16_t),
+			.size = elem_size,
 			.usage = VK_BUFFER_USAGE_TRANSFER_DST_BIT
 					| VK_BUFFER_USAGE_INDEX_BUFFER_BIT,
 		},
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/gl/gl_mod_iqm.c b/libs/video/renderer/gl/gl_mod_iqm.c
index 94cfd80eb..109f777d4 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/gl/gl_mod_iqm.c
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/gl/gl_mod_iqm.c
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ gl_draw_iqm_frame (iqm_t *iqm, gliqm_t *gl, iqmframe_t *frame, iqmmesh *mesh)
 	for (i = 0; i < mesh->num_triangles; i++) {
 		int     vind = (mesh->first_triangle + i) * 3;
 		for (j = 0; j < 3; j++) {
-			vert = iqm->vertices + iqm->elements[vind + j] * iqm->stride;
+			vert = iqm->vertices + iqm->elements16[vind + j] * iqm->stride;
 			if (gl->texcoord)
 				qfglTexCoord2fv ((float *) (vert + gl->texcoord->offset));
 			if (gl->color)
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/glsl/glsl_iqm.c b/libs/video/renderer/glsl/glsl_iqm.c
index a70b7cb08..d7f8b7fd0 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/glsl/glsl_iqm.c
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/glsl/glsl_iqm.c
@@ -269,9 +269,16 @@ glsl_R_DrawIQM (entity_t ent)
 		qfeglBindTexture (GL_TEXTURE_2D, glsl->textures[i]);
 		qfeglActiveTexture (GL_TEXTURE0 + 1);
 		qfeglBindTexture (GL_TEXTURE_2D, glsl->normmaps[i]);
-		qfeglDrawElements (GL_TRIANGLES, 3 * iqm->meshes[i].num_triangles,
-						   GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT,
-						   iqm->elements + 3 * iqm->meshes[i].first_triangle);
+		int firstElement = 3 * iqm->meshes[i].first_triangle;
+		if (iqm->num_verts > 0xfff0) {
+			qfeglDrawElements (GL_TRIANGLES, 3 * iqm->meshes[i].num_triangles,
+							   GL_UNSIGNED_INT,
+							   iqm->elements32 + firstElement);
+		} else {
+			qfeglDrawElements (GL_TRIANGLES, 3 * iqm->meshes[i].num_triangles,
+							   GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT,
+							   iqm->elements16 + firstElement);
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/sw/sw_riqm.c b/libs/video/renderer/sw/sw_riqm.c
index 06c0e8882..9ba26d2c9 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/sw/sw_riqm.c
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/sw/sw_riqm.c
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ R_IQMPrepareUnclippedPoints (iqm_t *iqm, swiqm_t *sw, iqmframe_t *frame)
 
 		iqm_setup_skin (sw, i);
 
-		tris = iqm->elements + mesh->first_triangle;
+		tris = iqm->elements16 + mesh->first_triangle;
 		r_affinetridesc.ptriangles = (mtriangle_t *) tris;
 		r_affinetridesc.numtriangles = mesh->num_triangles;
 		D_PolysetDraw ();
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ R_IQMPreparePoints (iqm_t *iqm, swiqm_t *sw, iqmframe_t *frame)
 
 		iqm_setup_skin (sw, i);
 
-		mtri = (mtriangle_t *) iqm->elements + mesh->first_triangle;
+		mtri = (mtriangle_t *) iqm->elements16 + mesh->first_triangle;
 		r_affinetridesc.numtriangles = 1;
 		for (j = 0; j < mesh->num_triangles; j++, mtri++) {
 			pfv[0] = &pfinalverts[mtri->vertindex[0]];
diff --git a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_iqm.c b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_iqm.c
index f8efa5fe3..54738095c 100644
--- a/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_iqm.c
+++ b/libs/video/renderer/vulkan/vulkan_iqm.c
@@ -86,8 +86,9 @@ emit_commands (VkCommandBuffer cmd, int pose1, int pose2,
 	Vulkan_BeginEntityLabel (ctx, cmd, ent);
 
 	dfunc->vkCmdBindVertexBuffers (cmd, 0, bindingCount, buffers, offsets);
-	dfunc->vkCmdBindIndexBuffer (cmd, mesh->index_buffer, 0,
-								 VK_INDEX_TYPE_UINT16);
+	VkIndexType indexType = iqm->num_verts > 0xfff0 ? VK_INDEX_TYPE_UINT32
+													: VK_INDEX_TYPE_UINT16;
+	dfunc->vkCmdBindIndexBuffer (cmd, mesh->index_buffer, 0, indexType);
 	QFV_PushConstants (device, cmd, layout, numPC, constants);
 	for (int i = 0; i < iqm->num_meshes; i++) {
 		if (skins) {