diff --git a/include/QF/vrect.h b/include/QF/vrect.h
index e26e1f739..61ad31ab2 100644
--- a/include/QF/vrect.h
+++ b/include/QF/vrect.h
@@ -137,4 +137,33 @@ vrect_t *VRect_VSplit (const vrect_t *r, int x);
 */
 vrect_t *VRect_Difference (const vrect_t *r, const vrect_t *s);
 
+/** Return the union of the two rectangles.
+
+	The union rectangle will be big enough to entirely contain both \a r1
+	and \a r2. An empty rectangle will be returned if both rectangles are
+	empty.
+
+	\param r1		The first rectangle.
+	\param r2		The second rectangle.
+	\return         The union of the two rectangles.
+	\note	It is the caller's responsibility to delete the returned rectangle.
+*/
+vrect_t *VRect_Union (const vrect_t *r1, const vrect_t *r2);
+
+/** Return the rectangle representing the merge of the two given rectangles.
+
+	If the two given rectangles cannot be perfectly joined (either they
+	intesect or subtracting them from the merged rectangle would result
+	in scrap rectangles, null will be returned. Two empty rectangles will
+	result in null being returned, but only one empty rectangle will result
+	in a copy of the non-empty rectangle.
+
+	\param r1		The first rectangle to be merged.
+	\param r2		The second rectangle to be merged.
+	\return			The merged rectangle, or null if the given rectangles
+					cannot be merged.
+	\note	It is the caller's responsibility to delete the returned rectangle.
+*/
+vrect_t *VRect_Merge (const vrect_t *r, const vrect_t *s);
+
 #endif//__QF_vrect_h
diff --git a/libs/util/test/test-vrect.c b/libs/util/test/test-vrect.c
index 6874f43cb..b1ba859bc 100644
--- a/libs/util/test/test-vrect.c
+++ b/libs/util/test/test-vrect.c
@@ -95,6 +95,31 @@ struct {
 	{VRect_Difference, VR (3,3,2,2), VR (1,1,3,3), &de_15_0},
 
 	{VRect_Difference, VR (4,4,2,2), VR (1,1,3,3), &de_16_0},
+
+	{VRect_Union, VR (0, 0, 0, 0), VR (1, 1, -1, 1), 0, VR (1, 1, 1, -1), 1},
+	{VRect_Union, VR (0, 0, 0, 0), VR (1, 1, 3, 3), 0, VR (1, 1, 3, 3), 1},
+	{VRect_Union, VR (0, 0, 2, 5), VR (1, 1, -1, 1), 0, VR (0, 0, 2, 5), 1},
+	{VRect_Union, VR (0, 0, 2, 5), VR (1, 1, 3, 3), 0, VR (0, 0, 4, 5), 1},
+
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (0, 0, 0, 0), VR (1, 1, -1, 1), 0},
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (0, 0, 0, 0), VR (1, 1, 3, 3), 0, VR (1, 1, 3, 3), 1},
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (0, 0, 2, 5), VR (1, 1, -1, 1), 0, VR (0, 0, 2, 5), 1},
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (0, 0, 2, 5), VR (1, 1, 3, 3), 0},
+
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (0,0,2,2), VR (1,1,3,3), 0},
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (0,0,5,2), VR (1,1,3,3), 0},
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (2,0,2,2), VR (1,1,3,3), 0},
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (3,0,2,2), VR (1,1,3,3), 0},
+
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (0,0,4,1), VR (1,1,3,3), 0},
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (1,-1,3,1), VR (1,1,3,3), 0},
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (0,4,4,1), VR (1,1,3,3), 0},
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (1,5,3,1), VR (1,1,3,3), 0},
+
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (1,0,3,1), VR (1,1,3,3), 0, VR (1,0,3,4), 1},
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (1,4,3,1), VR (1,1,3,3), 0, VR (1,1,3,4), 1},
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (0,1,1,3), VR (1,1,3,3), 0, VR (0,1,4,3), 1},
+	{VRect_Merge, VR (4,1,1,3), VR (1,1,3,3), 0, VR (1,1,4,3), 1},
 };
 #define num_tests (sizeof (tests) / sizeof (tests[0]))
 
@@ -116,6 +141,9 @@ compare_rects (vrect_t *r1, vrect_t *r2)
 		return 1;
 	if (!r1 || !r2)
 		return 0;
+	// when both rects are empty, their exact values don't matter.
+	if (VRect_IsEmpty (r1) && VRect_IsEmpty (r2))
+		return 1;
 	if (r1->x != r2->x || r1->y != r2->y
 		|| r1->width != r2->width || r1->height != r2->height)
 		return 0;
diff --git a/libs/util/vrect.c b/libs/util/vrect.c
index c1c7f1ac7..7edb1defb 100644
--- a/libs/util/vrect.c
+++ b/libs/util/vrect.c
@@ -38,14 +38,18 @@ static __attribute__ ((used)) const char rcsid[] = "$Id$";
 #include "QF/mathlib.h"
 #include "QF/vrect.h"
 
+//#define TEST_MEMORY
+
 #define RECT_BLOCK 128
+#ifndef TEST_MEMORY
 static vrect_t *free_rects;
+#endif
 
 VISIBLE vrect_t *
 VRect_New (int x, int y, int width, int height)
 {
 	vrect_t    *r;
-
+#ifndef TEST_MEMORY
 	if (!free_rects) {
 		int         i;
 
@@ -56,6 +60,9 @@ VRect_New (int x, int y, int width, int height)
 	}
 	r = free_rects;
 	free_rects = free_rects->next;
+#else
+	r = malloc (sizeof (vrect_t));
+#endif
 	r->next = 0;
 	r->x = x;
 	r->y = y;
@@ -67,8 +74,12 @@ VRect_New (int x, int y, int width, int height)
 VISIBLE void
 VRect_Delete (vrect_t *rect)
 {
+#ifndef TEST_MEMORY
 	rect->next = free_rects;
 	free_rects = rect;
+#else
+	free (rect);
+#endif
 }
 
 VISIBLE vrect_t *
@@ -178,3 +189,72 @@ VRect_Difference (const vrect_t *r, const vrect_t *s)
 
 	return rects;
 }
+
+VISIBLE vrect_t *
+VRect_Union (const vrect_t *r1, const vrect_t *r2)
+{
+	int         minx, miny;
+	int         maxx, maxy;
+
+	if (VRect_IsEmpty (r1))
+		return VRect_New (r2->x, r2->y, r2->width, r2->height);
+
+	if (VRect_IsEmpty (r2))
+		return VRect_New (r1->x, r1->y, r1->width, r1->height);
+
+	minx = min (VRect_MinX (r1), VRect_MinX (r2));
+	miny = min (VRect_MinY (r1), VRect_MinY (r2));
+	maxx = max (VRect_MaxX (r1), VRect_MaxX (r2));
+	maxy = max (VRect_MaxY (r1), VRect_MaxY (r2));
+	return VRect_New (minx, miny, maxx - minx, maxy - miny);
+}
+
+VISIBLE vrect_t *
+VRect_Merge (const vrect_t *r1, const vrect_t *r2)
+{
+	vrect_t    *t, *u = 0;
+	vrect_t    *merge;
+
+	// cannot merge intersecting rectangles
+	t = VRect_Intersect (r1, r2);
+	if (!VRect_IsEmpty (t)) {
+		VRect_Delete (t);
+		return 0;
+	}
+	VRect_Delete (t);
+
+	merge = VRect_Union (r1, r2);
+	if (VRect_IsEmpty (merge)) {
+		VRect_Delete (merge);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	// If the subtracting r1 from the union results in more than one rectangle
+	// then r1 and r2 cannot be merged.
+	t = VRect_Difference (merge, r1);
+	if (t && t->next)
+		goto cleanup;
+
+	// If subtracting r2 from the result of the previous difference results in
+	// any rectangles, then r1 and r2 cannot be merged.
+	if (t)
+		u = VRect_Difference (t, r2);
+	if (!u) {
+		VRect_Delete (t);
+		return merge;
+	}
+cleanup:
+	VRect_Delete (merge);
+	// merge is used as a temp while freeing t and u
+	while (u) {
+		merge = u->next;
+		VRect_Delete (u);
+		u = merge;
+	}
+	while (t) {
+		merge = t->next;
+		VRect_Delete (t);
+		t = merge;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}