diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c b/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c
index 88b9a7282..611170e78 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c
@@ -13362,11 +13362,9 @@ int32_t setrendermode(int32_t renderer)
     {
         int32_t i;
 
-        if (!polymer_init())
-            renderer = 3;
-
         // potentially deferred MD3 postprocessing
         for (i=0; i<nextmodelid; i++)
+        {
             if (models[i]->mdnum==3 && ((md3model_t *)models[i])->head.surfs[0].geometry == NULL)
             {
                 static int32_t warned=0;
@@ -13378,8 +13376,18 @@ int32_t setrendermode(int32_t renderer)
                     warned = 1;
                 }
 
-                md3postload_polymer((md3model_t *)models[i]);
+                if (!md3postload_polymer((md3model_t *)models[i]))
+                    OSD_Printf("INTERNAL ERROR: mdmodel %d failed postprocessing!\n", i);
+
+                if (((md3model_t *)models[i])->head.surfs[0].geometry == NULL)
+                    OSD_Printf("INTERNAL ERROR: wtf?\n");
             }
+//            else
+//                OSD_Printf("mdmodel %d already postprocessed.\n", i);
+        }
+
+        if (!polymer_init())
+            renderer = 3;
     }
 # else
     else renderer = 3;
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/build/src/mdsprite.c b/polymer/eduke32/build/src/mdsprite.c
index 8362ea521..fbd066817 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/build/src/mdsprite.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/build/src/mdsprite.c
@@ -1337,6 +1337,7 @@ static md3model_t *md3load(int32_t fil)
 
     klseek(fil,m->head.ofssurfs,SEEK_SET); i = m->head.numsurfs*sizeof(md3surf_t);
     m->head.surfs = (md3surf_t *)Bmalloc(i); if (!m->head.surfs) { if (m->head.tags) Bfree(m->head.tags); Bfree(m->head.frames); Bfree(m); return(0); }
+    m->head.surfs[0].geometry = NULL;  // for deferred polymer model postprocessing (else: crashes)
 
 #if B_BIG_ENDIAN != 0
     {
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/astub.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/astub.c
index 57c223ac0..acf7968b6 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/astub.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/astub.c
@@ -3092,28 +3092,38 @@ static int32_t m32gettile(int32_t idInitialTile)
         //
         iTile = clamp(iTile, 0, min(MAXTILES-1, localartlookupnum+nDisplayedTiles-1));
 
-
         // 'S' KEYPRESS: search for named tile
         if (PRESSED_KEYSC(S))
         {
-            static char laststr[MAXTILES] = "";
+            static char laststr[25] = "";
             const char *searchstr = getstring_simple("Search for tile name: ", laststr, MAXTILES-1);
+            static char buf[2][25];
 
             if (searchstr && searchstr[0])
             {
                 int32_t i, i0, slen=Bstrlen(searchstr)-1;
 
-                Bstrcpy(laststr, searchstr);
+                Bstrncpy(laststr, searchstr, 25);
+                laststr[24] = 0;
                 i0 = localartlookup[iTile];
 
+                Bmemcpy(buf[0], laststr, 25);
+                Bstrupr(buf[0]);
+
                 for (i=(i0+1)%MAXTILES; i!=i0; i=(i+1)%MAXTILES)
-                    if ((searchstr[0]=='^' && !Bstrncmp(names[i], searchstr+1, slen)) ||
-                        (searchstr[0]!='^' && strstr(names[i], searchstr)))
+                {
+                    Bmemcpy(buf[1], names[i], 25);
+                    buf[1][24]=0;
+                    Bstrupr(buf[1]);
+
+                    if ((searchstr[0]=='^' && !Bstrncmp(buf[1], buf[0]+1, slen)) ||
+                        (searchstr[0]!='^' && strstr(buf[1], buf[0])))
                     {
                         SelectAllTiles(i);
                         iTile = i;
                         break;
                     }
+                }
             }
         }