diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c b/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c
index 88fd0d0e4..1a2ccdd9a 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c
@@ -8051,7 +8051,7 @@ static int32_t loadpalette(void)
     kread(fil,palette,768);
     kread(fil,&numshades,2); numshades = B_LITTLE16(numshades);
 
-    if (numshades <= 0)
+    if (numshades <= 1)
         return loadpalette_err("Invalid number of shades in \"palette.dat\"!");
 
     alloc_palookup(0);
@@ -8254,18 +8254,11 @@ int32_t loadlookups(int32_t fp, uint8_t **basepaltabptr)
     for (j=1; j<=255-3; j++)
         if (!palookup[j] && !palookup[j+1] && !palookup[j+2] && !palookup[j+3])
         {
-            int32_t i, k;
-
             makepalookup(j, NULL, 15, 15, 15, 1);
             makepalookup(j+1, NULL, 15, 0, 0, 1);
             makepalookup(j+2, NULL, 0, 15, 0, 1);
             makepalookup(j+3, NULL, 0, 0, 15, 1);
 
-            // Make last shade value always map to the same color index.
-            for (k=0; k<3; k++)
-                for (i=1; i<255; i++)
-                    palookup[j+k][((numshades-1)<<8) + i] = palookup[j+k][((numshades-1)<<8)];
-
             firstfogpal = j;
             break;
         }
@@ -14985,7 +14978,7 @@ void makepalookup(int32_t palnum, const char *remapbuf, int8_t r, int8_t g, int8
 
         for (i=0; i<numshades; i++)
         {
-            int32_t palscale = divscale16(i,numshades);
+            int32_t palscale = divscale16(i,numshades-1);
 
             for (j=0; j<256; j++)
             {