diff --git a/src/lua_maplib.c b/src/lua_maplib.c
index c512bf3c..54614c4e 100644
--- a/src/lua_maplib.c
+++ b/src/lua_maplib.c
@@ -400,46 +400,6 @@ static int sector_get(lua_State *L)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-// help function for P_LoadSectors, find a flat in the active wad files,
-// allocate an id for it, and set the levelflat (to speedup search)
-//
-static INT32 P_AddLevelFlatRuntime(const char *flatname)
-{
-	size_t i;
-	levelflat_t *levelflat = levelflats;
-
-	//
-	//  first scan through the already found flats
-	//
-	for (i = 0; i < numlevelflats; i++, levelflat++)
-		if (strnicmp(levelflat->name,flatname,8)==0)
-			break;
-
-	// that flat was already found in the level, return the id
-	if (i == numlevelflats)
-	{
-		// allocate new flat memory
-		levelflats = Z_Realloc(levelflats, (numlevelflats + 1) * sizeof(*levelflats), PU_LEVEL, NULL);
-		levelflat = levelflats+i;
-
-		// store the name
-		strlcpy(levelflat->name, flatname, sizeof (levelflat->name));
-		strupr(levelflat->name);
-
-		// store the flat lump number
-		levelflat->lumpnum = R_GetFlatNumForName(flatname);
-
-#ifndef ZDEBUG
-		CONS_Debug(DBG_SETUP, "flat #%03d: %s\n", atoi(sizeu1(numlevelflats)), levelflat->name);
-#endif
-
-		numlevelflats++;
-	}
-
-	// level flat id
-	return (INT32)i;
-}
-
 static int sector_set(lua_State *L)
 {
 	sector_t *sector = *((sector_t **)luaL_checkudata(L, 1, META_SECTOR));
diff --git a/src/p_saveg.c b/src/p_saveg.c
index 5e457ca3..2144a3f9 100644
--- a/src/p_saveg.c
+++ b/src/p_saveg.c
@@ -509,10 +509,9 @@ static void P_NetArchiveWorld(void)
 		//
 		// flats
 		//
-		// P_AddLevelFlat should not add but just return the number
-		if (ss->floorpic != P_AddLevelFlat(ms->floorpic, levelflats))
+		if (ss->floorpic != P_CheckLevelFlat(ms->floorpic))
 			diff |= SD_FLOORPIC;
-		if (ss->ceilingpic != P_AddLevelFlat(ms->ceilingpic, levelflats))
+		if (ss->ceilingpic != P_CheckLevelFlat(ms->ceilingpic))
 			diff |= SD_CEILPIC;
 
 		if (ss->lightlevel != SHORT(ms->lightlevel))
@@ -752,12 +751,12 @@ static void P_NetUnArchiveWorld(void)
 			sectors[i].ceilingheight = READFIXED(get);
 		if (diff & SD_FLOORPIC)
 		{
-			sectors[i].floorpic = P_AddLevelFlat((char *)get, levelflats);
+			sectors[i].floorpic = P_AddLevelFlatRuntime((char *)get);
 			get += 8;
 		}
 		if (diff & SD_CEILPIC)
 		{
-			sectors[i].ceilingpic = P_AddLevelFlat((char *)get, levelflats);
+			sectors[i].ceilingpic = P_AddLevelFlatRuntime((char *)get);
 			get += 8;
 		}
 		if (diff & SD_LIGHT)
diff --git a/src/p_setup.c b/src/p_setup.c
index d6563735..ae6aa153 100644
--- a/src/p_setup.c
+++ b/src/p_setup.c
@@ -574,6 +574,69 @@ INT32 P_AddLevelFlat(const char *flatname, levelflat_t *levelflat)
 	return (INT32)i;
 }
 
+// help function for Lua and $$$.sav reading
+// same as P_AddLevelFlat, except this is not setup so we must realloc levelflats to fit in the new flat
+// no longer a static func in lua_maplib.c because p_saveg.c also needs it
+//
+INT32 P_AddLevelFlatRuntime(const char *flatname)
+{
+	size_t i;
+	levelflat_t *levelflat = levelflats;
+
+	//
+	//  first scan through the already found flats
+	//
+	for (i = 0; i < numlevelflats; i++, levelflat++)
+		if (strnicmp(levelflat->name,flatname,8)==0)
+			break;
+
+	// that flat was already found in the level, return the id
+	if (i == numlevelflats)
+	{
+		// allocate new flat memory
+		levelflats = Z_Realloc(levelflats, (numlevelflats + 1) * sizeof(*levelflats), PU_LEVEL, NULL);
+		levelflat = levelflats+i;
+
+		// store the name
+		strlcpy(levelflat->name, flatname, sizeof (levelflat->name));
+		strupr(levelflat->name);
+
+		// store the flat lump number
+		levelflat->lumpnum = R_GetFlatNumForName(flatname);
+
+#ifndef ZDEBUG
+		CONS_Debug(DBG_SETUP, "flat #%03d: %s\n", atoi(sizeu1(numlevelflats)), levelflat->name);
+#endif
+
+		numlevelflats++;
+	}
+
+	// level flat id
+	return (INT32)i;
+}
+
+// help function for $$$.sav checking
+// this simply returns the flat # for the name given
+//
+INT32 P_CheckLevelFlat(const char *flatname)
+{
+	size_t i;
+	levelflat_t *levelflat = levelflats;
+
+	//
+	//  scan through the already found flats
+	//
+	for (i = 0; i < numlevelflats; i++, levelflat++)
+		if (strnicmp(levelflat->name,flatname,8)==0)
+			break;
+
+	if (i == numlevelflats)
+		return 0; // ??? flat was not found, this should not happen!
+
+	// level flat id
+	return (INT32)i;
+}
+
 static void P_LoadSectors(lumpnum_t lumpnum)
 {
 	UINT8 *data;
diff --git a/src/p_setup.h b/src/p_setup.h
index 0d735fd7..3bca1104 100644
--- a/src/p_setup.h
+++ b/src/p_setup.h
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ typedef struct
 extern size_t numlevelflats;
 extern levelflat_t *levelflats;
 INT32 P_AddLevelFlat(const char *flatname, levelflat_t *levelflat);
+INT32 P_AddLevelFlatRuntime(const char *flatname);
+INT32 P_CheckLevelFlat(const char *flatname);
 
 extern size_t nummapthings;
 extern mapthing_t *mapthings;