diff --git a/include/QF/progs.h b/include/QF/progs.h
index 66009b0a7..2547b83fb 100644
--- a/include/QF/progs.h
+++ b/include/QF/progs.h
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ qboolean PR_EdictValid (progs_t *pr, int e);
 #define R_FUNCTION(p)	R_var (p, func)
 #define R_POINTER(p)	R_var (p, pointer)
 
-#define RETURN_STRING(p, s)		(R_STRING (p) = PR_SetTempString((p), s))
+#define RETURN_STRING(p, s)		(R_STRING (p) = PR_SetReturnString((p), s))
 #define RETURN_EDICT(p, e)		(R_STRING (p) = EDICT_TO_PROG(p, e))
 #define RETURN_POINTER(pr,p)	(R_POINTER (pr) = POINTER_TO_PROG (pr, p))
 #define RETURN_VECTOR(p, v)		(VectorCopy (v, R_VECTOR (p)))
@@ -251,9 +251,11 @@ qboolean PR_StringValid (progs_t *pr, int num);
 const char *PR_GetString(progs_t *pr, int num);
 struct dstring_s *PR_GetDString(progs_t *pr, int num);
 int PR_SetString(progs_t *pr, const char *s);
+int PR_SetReturnString(progs_t *pr, const char *s);
 int PR_SetTempString(progs_t *pr, const char *s);
 void PR_MakeTempString(progs_t *pr, int str);
 int PR_NewString (progs_t *pr);
+void PR_ClearReturnStrings (progs_t *pr);
 void PR_FreeString (progs_t *pr, int str);
 void PR_FreeTempStrings (progs_t *pr);
 void PR_Sprintf (progs_t *pr, struct dstring_s *result, const char *name,
@@ -313,6 +315,7 @@ void PR_Cmds_Init (progs_t *pr);
 
 #define MAX_STACK_DEPTH		64
 #define LOCALSTACK_SIZE		4096
+#define PR_RS_SLOTS			16
 
 typedef struct strref_s strref_t;
 
@@ -346,6 +349,8 @@ struct progs_s {
 	struct dstring_mem_s *ds_mem;
 	strref_t   *static_strings;
 	strref_t  **dynamic_strings;
+	strref_t   *return_strings[PR_RS_SLOTS];
+	int         rs_slot;
 	unsigned    dyn_str_size;
 	struct hashtab_s *strref_hash;
 	int         num_strings;
diff --git a/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_edict.c b/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_edict.c
index 45de839ac..ab63efde8 100644
--- a/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_edict.c
+++ b/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_edict.c
@@ -422,8 +422,9 @@ ED_Print (progs_t *pr, edict_t *ed)
 					continue;
 				break;
 			case ev_string:
-				if (!PR_GetString (pr, v->string_var)[0])
-					continue;
+				if (PR_StringValid (pr, v->string_var))
+					if (!PR_GetString (pr, v->string_var)[0])
+						continue;
 				break;
 			case ev_float:
 				if (!v->float_var)
diff --git a/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_load.c b/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_load.c
index 3c98e794f..37036df69 100644
--- a/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_load.c
+++ b/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_load.c
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ PR_LoadProgsFile (progs_t * pr, QFile *file, int size, int edicts, int zone)
 		pr->free_progs_mem = free_progs_mem;
 
 	PR_Resources_Clear (pr);
+	PR_ClearReturnStrings (pr);
 	if (pr->progs)
 		pr->free_progs_mem (pr, pr->progs);
 	mem_size = pr->progs_size + pr->zone_size + pr->pr_edictareasize;
diff --git a/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_parse.c b/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_parse.c
index 75726bc62..bb79d85a5 100644
--- a/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_parse.c
+++ b/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_parse.c
@@ -187,14 +187,14 @@ ED_WriteGlobals (progs_t *pr, QFile *f)
 }
 
 
-static char *
+static int
 ED_NewString (progs_t *pr, const char *string)
 {
 	char		*new, *new_p;
 	int			i, l;
 
 	l = strlen (string) + 1;
-	new = Hunk_Alloc (l);
+	new = Hunk_TempAlloc (l);
 	new_p = new;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < l; i++) {
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ ED_NewString (progs_t *pr, const char *string)
 			*new_p++ = string[i];
 	}
 
-	return new;
+	return PR_SetString (pr, new);
 }
 
 
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ ED_ParseEpair (progs_t *pr, pr_type_t *base, ddef_t *key, const char *s)
 
 	switch (key->type & ~DEF_SAVEGLOBAL) {
 		case ev_string:
-			d->string_var = PR_SetString (pr, ED_NewString (pr, s));
+			d->string_var = ED_NewString (pr, s);
 			break;
 
 		case ev_float:
diff --git a/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_strings.c b/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_strings.c
index 00d0d7304..b4c1c41f8 100644
--- a/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_strings.c
+++ b/libs/gamecode/engine/pr_strings.c
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ new_string_ref (progs_t *pr)
 }
 
 static void
-free_string_ref (progs_t *pr, strref_t *sr)
+free_string_ref (strref_t *sr)
 {
 	sr->string = 0;
 	sr->dstring = 0;
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ strref_free (void *_sr, void *_pr)
 
 	// free the string and ref only if it's not a static string
 	if (sr < pr->static_strings || sr >= pr->static_strings + pr->num_strings) {
-		free_string_ref (pr, sr);
+		free_string_ref (sr);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -302,6 +302,41 @@ PR_SetString (progs_t *pr, const char *s)
 	return string_index (pr, sr);
 }
 
+void
+PR_ClearReturnStrings (progs_t *pr)
+{
+	int         i;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < PR_RS_SLOTS; i++)
+		if (pr->return_strings[i])
+			free_string_ref (pr->return_strings[i]);
+}
+
+int
+PR_SetReturnString (progs_t *pr, const char *s)
+{
+	strref_t   *sr;
+
+	if (!s)
+		s = "";
+	if ((sr = Hash_Find (pr->strref_hash, s))) {
+		return string_index (pr, sr);
+	}
+
+	if ((sr = pr->return_strings[pr->rs_slot])) {
+		if (sr->string)
+			PR_Zone_Free (pr, sr->string);
+	} else {
+		sr = new_string_ref (pr);
+	}
+	sr->string = pr_strdup(pr, s);
+	sr->count = 0;
+
+	pr->return_strings[pr->rs_slot++] = sr;
+	pr->rs_slot %= PR_RS_SLOTS;
+	return string_index (pr, sr);
+}
+
 int
 PR_SetTempString (progs_t *pr, const char *s)
 {
@@ -355,7 +390,7 @@ PR_FreeString (progs_t *pr, int str)
 			dstring_delete (sr->dstring);
 		else
 			PR_Zone_Free (pr, sr->string);
-		free_string_ref (pr, sr);
+		free_string_ref (sr);
 		return;
 	}
 	PR_RunError (pr, "attempt to free invalid string %d", str);
@@ -369,7 +404,7 @@ PR_FreeTempStrings (progs_t *pr)
 	for (sr = pr->pr_xtstr; sr; sr = t) {
 		t = sr->next;
 		PR_Zone_Free (pr, sr->string);
-		free_string_ref (pr, sr);
+		free_string_ref (sr);
 	}
 	pr->pr_xtstr = 0;
 }