diff --git a/src/client/refresh/gl3/gl3_main.c b/src/client/refresh/gl3/gl3_main.c
index 323d2973..a96103d9 100644
--- a/src/client/refresh/gl3/gl3_main.c
+++ b/src/client/refresh/gl3/gl3_main.c
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ cvar_t *gl_drawbuffer;
 cvar_t *gl_clear;
 cvar_t *gl3_particle_size;
 cvar_t *gl3_particle_fade_factor;
+cvar_t *gl3_particle_square;
 
 cvar_t *gl_lefthand;
 cvar_t *gl_farsee;
@@ -208,6 +209,7 @@ GL3_Register(void)
 	gl_customheight = ri.Cvar_Get("gl_customheight", "768", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
 	gl3_particle_size = ri.Cvar_Get("gl3_particle_size", "40", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
 	gl3_particle_fade_factor = ri.Cvar_Get("gl3_particle_fade_factor", "1.2", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
+	gl3_particle_square = ri.Cvar_Get("gl3_particle_square", "0", CVAR_ARCHIVE);
 
 	gl_norefresh = ri.Cvar_Get("gl_norefresh", "0", 0);
 	gl_drawentities = ri.Cvar_Get("gl_drawentities", "1", 0);
@@ -1655,6 +1657,12 @@ GL3_BeginFrame(float camera_separation)
 		GL3_UpdateUBO3D();
 	}
 
+	if(gl3_particle_square->modified)
+	{
+		gl3_particle_square->modified = false;
+		GL3_RecreateShaders();
+	}
+
 
 	/* go into 2D mode */
 
diff --git a/src/client/refresh/gl3/gl3_shaders.c b/src/client/refresh/gl3/gl3_shaders.c
index 43466194..9e034426 100644
--- a/src/client/refresh/gl3/gl3_shaders.c
+++ b/src/client/refresh/gl3/gl3_shaders.c
@@ -689,6 +689,18 @@ static const char* fragmentSrcParticles = MULTILINE_STRING(
 		}
 );
 
+static const char* fragmentSrcParticlesSquare = MULTILINE_STRING(
+
+		// it gets attributes and uniforms from fragmentCommon3D
+
+		in vec4 passColor;
+
+		void main()
+		{
+			outColor = passColor;
+		}
+);
+
 
 #undef MULTILINE_STRING
 
@@ -977,10 +989,8 @@ static void initUBOs(void)
 	gl3state.currentUBO = gl3state.uniLightsUBO;
 }
 
-qboolean GL3_InitShaders(void)
+static qboolean createShaders(void)
 {
-	initUBOs();
-
 	if(!initShader2D(&gl3state.si2D, vertexSrc2D, fragmentSrc2D))
 	{
 		R_Printf(PRINT_ALL, "WARNING: Failed to create shader program for textured 2D rendering!\n");
@@ -1053,7 +1063,14 @@ qboolean GL3_InitShaders(void)
 		R_Printf(PRINT_ALL, "WARNING: Failed to create shader program for rendering flat-colored models!\n");
 		return false;
 	}
-	if(!initShader3D(&gl3state.siParticle, vertexSrcParticles, fragmentSrcParticles))
+
+	const char* particleFrag = fragmentSrcParticles;
+	if(gl3_particle_square->value != 0.0f)
+	{
+		particleFrag = fragmentSrcParticlesSquare;
+	}
+
+	if(!initShader3D(&gl3state.siParticle, vertexSrcParticles, particleFrag))
 	{
 		R_Printf(PRINT_ALL, "WARNING: Failed to create shader program for rendering particles!\n");
 		return false;
@@ -1064,7 +1081,14 @@ qboolean GL3_InitShaders(void)
 	return true;
 }
 
-void GL3_ShutdownShaders(void)
+qboolean GL3_InitShaders(void)
+{
+	initUBOs();
+
+	return createShaders();
+}
+
+static void deleteShaders(void)
 {
 	const gl3ShaderInfo_t siZero = {0};
 	for(gl3ShaderInfo_t* si = &gl3state.si2D; si <= &gl3state.siParticle; ++si)
@@ -1072,6 +1096,11 @@ void GL3_ShutdownShaders(void)
 		if(si->shaderProgram != 0)  glDeleteProgram(si->shaderProgram);
 		*si = siZero;
 	}
+}
+
+void GL3_ShutdownShaders(void)
+{
+	deleteShaders();
 
 	// let's (ab)use the fact that all 4 UBO handles are consecutive fields
 	// of the gl3state struct
@@ -1079,6 +1108,13 @@ void GL3_ShutdownShaders(void)
 	gl3state.uniCommonUBO = gl3state.uni2DUBO = gl3state.uni3DUBO = gl3state.uniLightsUBO = 0;
 }
 
+qboolean GL3_RecreateShaders(void)
+{
+	// delete and recreate the existing shaders (but not the UBOs)
+	deleteShaders();
+	return createShaders();
+}
+
 static inline void
 updateUBO(GLuint ubo, GLsizeiptr size, void* data)
 {
diff --git a/src/client/refresh/gl3/header/local.h b/src/client/refresh/gl3/header/local.h
index 2e900b55..5b49be1d 100644
--- a/src/client/refresh/gl3/header/local.h
+++ b/src/client/refresh/gl3/header/local.h
@@ -468,6 +468,7 @@ extern void GL3_ShutdownMeshes(void);
 
 // gl3_shaders.c
 
+extern qboolean GL3_RecreateShaders(void);
 extern qboolean GL3_InitShaders(void);
 extern void GL3_ShutdownShaders(void);
 extern void GL3_UpdateUBOCommon(void);
@@ -507,6 +508,7 @@ extern cvar_t *gl_anisotropic;
 extern cvar_t *gl_lightlevel;
 extern cvar_t *gl3_overbrightbits;
 extern cvar_t *gl3_particle_fade_factor;
+extern cvar_t *gl3_particle_square;
 
 extern cvar_t *gl_modulate;
 extern cvar_t *gl_lightmap;
diff --git a/stuff/cvarlist.md b/stuff/cvarlist.md
index ef21d57b..06c4abde 100644
--- a/stuff/cvarlist.md
+++ b/stuff/cvarlist.md
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ General:
 
 * **basedir**: Directory from which the game data is loaded. Can be used
   in startup scripts, to test binaries, etc. If not set, the directory
-  containing the binaries is used.
+  containing the binaries is used.  
+  To use this cvar, set it at startup, like `./quake2 +set basedir /path/to/quake2`
 
 * **cl_async**: If set to `1` (the default) the client is asynchronous.
   The client framerate is fixed, the renderer framerate is variable.
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ Graphics (all renderers):
   with an aspect ratio of 4:3, regardless what the actual windows size
   or resolution is.
 
-* **cl_gun**: Decides weather the gun is drawn. If set to `0` the gun
+* **cl_gun**: Decides whether the gun is drawn. If set to `0` the gun
   is omitted. If set to `1` the gun is only drawn if the FOV is equal
   or smaller than 90. This was the default with Vanilla Quake II. If set
   to `2` the gun is drawn regardless of the FOV. This is the default
@@ -126,8 +127,8 @@ Graphics (all renderers):
 
 * **gl_msaa_samples**: Full scene anti aliasing samples. The number of
   samples depends on the GPU driver, most drivers support at least
-  `2`, `4` and `8` samples. If an invalid value is set the value is
-  reverted the highest number of samples supported. Especially on OpenGL
+  `2`, `4` and `8` samples. If an invalid value is set, the value is
+  reverted to the highest number of samples supported. Especially on OpenGL
   3.2 anti aliasing is expensive and can lead to a huge performance hit,
   so try setting it to a lower value if your framerate is too low.
 
@@ -192,3 +193,8 @@ Graphics (GL3 only):
 * **gl3_particle_fade_factor**: "softness" of particles: higher values
   look less soft. Defaults to `1.2`.  
   A value of `10` looks similar to the GL1 particles.
+
+* **gl3_particle_square**: If set to `1`, particles are rendered as squares,
+  like in the old software renderer or Quake1. Default is `0`.
+
+