diff --git a/src/hardware/hw_main.c b/src/hardware/hw_main.c
index e4c9e833..39c140c5 100644
--- a/src/hardware/hw_main.c
+++ b/src/hardware/hw_main.c
@@ -5243,7 +5243,8 @@ static void HWR_DrawSprites(void)
 #endif
 				if (spr->mobj && spr->mobj->skin && spr->mobj->sprite == SPR_PLAY)
 				{
-					if (!cv_grmd2.value || md2_playermodels[(skin_t*)spr->mobj->skin-skins].notfound || md2_playermodels[(skin_t*)spr->mobj->skin-skins].scale < 0.0f)
+					// 8/1/19: Only don't display player models if no default SPR_PLAY is found.
+					if (!cv_grmd2.value || ((md2_playermodels[(skin_t*)spr->mobj->skin-skins].notfound || md2_playermodels[(skin_t*)spr->mobj->skin-skins].scale < 0.0f) && (md2_models[SPR_PLAY].notfound || md2_models[SPR_PLAY].scale < 0.0f)))
 						HWR_DrawSprite(spr);
 					else
 						HWR_DrawMD2(spr);
diff --git a/src/hardware/hw_md2.c b/src/hardware/hw_md2.c
index 2856cada..366ef460 100644
--- a/src/hardware/hw_md2.c
+++ b/src/hardware/hw_md2.c
@@ -824,11 +824,12 @@ void HWR_InitMD2(void)
 	}
 	while (fscanf(f, "%19s %31s %f %f", name, filename, &scale, &offset) == 4)
 	{
-		if (stricmp(name, "PLAY") == 0)
+		/*if (stricmp(name, "PLAY") == 0)
 		{
 			CONS_Printf("MD2 for sprite PLAY detected in kmd2.dat, use a player skin instead!\n");
 			continue;
-		}
+		}*/
+		// 8/1/19: Allow PLAY to load for default MD2.
 
 		for (i = 0; i < NUMSPRITES; i++)
 		{
@@ -1241,19 +1242,19 @@ void HWR_DrawMD2(gr_vissprite_t *spr)
 
 		// 1. load model+texture if not already loaded
 		// 2. draw model with correct position, rotation,...
-		if (spr->mobj->skin && spr->mobj->sprite == SPR_PLAY) // Use the player MD2 list if the mobj has a skin and is using the player sprites
+		if (spr->mobj->skin && spr->mobj->sprite == SPR_PLAY && !md2_playermodels[(skin_t*)spr->mobj->skin-skins].notfound) // Use the player MD2 list if the mobj has a skin and is using the player sprites
 		{
 			md2 = &md2_playermodels[(skin_t*)spr->mobj->skin-skins];
 			md2->skin = (skin_t*)spr->mobj->skin-skins;
 		}
-		else
+		else	// if we can't find the player md2, use SPR_PLAY's MD2.
 			md2 = &md2_models[spr->mobj->sprite];
 
 		if (md2->error)
 			return; // we already failed loading this before :(
 		if (!md2->model)
 		{
-			//CONS_Debug(DBG_RENDER, "Loading MD2... (%s)", sprnames[spr->mobj->sprite]);
+			CONS_Debug(DBG_RENDER, "Loading MD2... (%s, %s)", sprnames[spr->mobj->sprite], md2->filename);
 			sprintf(filename, "md2/%s", md2->filename);
 			md2->model = md2_readModel(filename);