diff --git a/src/scripting/vm/vm.h b/src/scripting/vm/vm.h
index 060fa0a76..1a5c10b4e 100644
--- a/src/scripting/vm/vm.h
+++ b/src/scripting/vm/vm.h
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ enum
 
 enum EVMAbortException
 {
+	X_OTHER,
 	X_READ_NIL,
 	X_WRITE_NIL,
 	X_TOO_MANY_TRIES,
diff --git a/src/scripting/vm/vmframe.cpp b/src/scripting/vm/vmframe.cpp
index 7615a4f0f..c44fbb2ea 100644
--- a/src/scripting/vm/vmframe.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/vm/vmframe.cpp
@@ -554,6 +554,10 @@ CVMAbortException::CVMAbortException(EVMAbortException reason, const char *morei
 		AppendMessage("string format failed.");
 		break;
 
+	case X_OTHER:
+		// no prepended message.
+		break;
+
 	default:
 	{
 		size_t len = strlen(m_Message);
diff --git a/src/v_draw.cpp b/src/v_draw.cpp
index a12b27bfc..c678e8282 100644
--- a/src/v_draw.cpp
+++ b/src/v_draw.cpp
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ static int PalFromRGB(uint32 rgb)
 	return LastPal;
 }
 
+
 void DCanvas::DrawTexture (FTexture *img, double x, double y, int tags_first, ...)
 {
 	va_list tags;
@@ -141,6 +142,31 @@ void DCanvas::DrawTexture (FTexture *img, double x, double y, int tags_first, ..
 	DrawTextureParms(img, parms);
 }
 
+static int ListGetInt(VMVa_List &tags);
+
+void DCanvas::DrawTexture(FTexture *img, double x, double y, VMVa_List &args)
+{
+	DrawParms parms;
+	uint32_t tag = ListGetInt(args);
+	bool res = ParseDrawTextureTags(img, x, y, tag, args, &parms, false);
+	if (!res) return;
+	DrawTextureParms(img, parms);
+}
+
+DEFINE_ACTION_FUNCTION(_Screen, DrawTexture)
+{
+	PARAM_PROLOGUE;
+	PARAM_INT(texid);
+	PARAM_BOOL(animate);
+	PARAM_FLOAT(x);
+	PARAM_FLOAT(y);
+
+	FTexture *tex = animate ? TexMan(FSetTextureID(texid)) : TexMan[FSetTextureID(texid)];
+	VMVa_List args = { param + 4, 0, numparam - 4 };
+	screen->DrawTexture(tex, x, y, args);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 DEFINE_ACTION_FUNCTION(_Screen, DrawHUDTexture)
 {
 	PARAM_PROLOGUE;
@@ -462,7 +488,50 @@ static inline FColormapStyle * ListGetColormapStyle(va_list &tags)
 	return va_arg(tags, FColormapStyle *);
 }
 
-bool DCanvas::ParseDrawTextureTags (FTexture *img, double x, double y, DWORD tag, va_list& tags, DrawParms *parms, bool fortext) const
+static void ListEnd(VMVa_List &tags)
+{
+}
+
+static int ListGetInt(VMVa_List &tags)
+{
+	if (tags.curindex < tags.numargs && tags.args[tags.curindex].Type == REGT_INT)
+	{
+		return tags.args[tags.curindex++].i;
+	}
+	ThrowAbortException(X_OTHER, "Invalid parameter in draw function, int expected");
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static inline double ListGetDouble(VMVa_List &tags)
+{
+	if (tags.curindex < tags.numargs && tags.args[tags.curindex].Type == REGT_FLOAT)
+	{
+		return tags.args[tags.curindex++].f;
+	}
+	ThrowAbortException(X_OTHER, "Invalid parameter in draw function, float expected");
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static inline FRemapTable* ListGetTranslation(VMVa_List &tags)
+{
+	ThrowAbortException(X_OTHER, "Invalid tag in draw function");
+	return nullptr;
+}
+
+static inline FSpecialColormap * ListGetSpecialColormap(VMVa_List &tags)
+{
+	ThrowAbortException(X_OTHER, "Invalid tag in draw function");
+	return nullptr;
+}
+
+static inline FColormapStyle * ListGetColormapStyle(VMVa_List &tags)
+{
+	ThrowAbortException(X_OTHER, "Invalid tag in draw function");
+	return nullptr;
+}
+
+template<class T>
+bool DCanvas::ParseDrawTextureTags(FTexture *img, double x, double y, DWORD tag, T& tags, DrawParms *parms, bool fortext) const
 {
 	INTBOOL boolval;
 	int intval;
@@ -626,7 +695,7 @@ bool DCanvas::ParseDrawTextureTags (FTexture *img, double x, double y, DWORD tag
 			parms->cleanmode = DTA_Base;
 			parms->virtWidth = ListGetDouble(tags);
 			break;
-			
+
 		case DTA_VirtualHeight:
 			parms->cleanmode = DTA_Base;
 			parms->virtHeight = ListGetInt(tags);
@@ -840,7 +909,7 @@ bool DCanvas::ParseDrawTextureTags (FTexture *img, double x, double y, DWORD tag
 		}
 		tag = ListGetInt(tags);
 	}
-	va_end (tags);
+	ListEnd(tags);
 
 	if (parms->uclip >= parms->dclip || parms->lclip >= parms->rclip)
 	{
@@ -885,6 +954,10 @@ bool DCanvas::ParseDrawTextureTags (FTexture *img, double x, double y, DWORD tag
 	}
 	return true;
 }
+// explicitly instantiate both versions for v_text.cpp.
+
+template bool DCanvas::ParseDrawTextureTags<va_list>(FTexture *img, double x, double y, DWORD tag, va_list& tags, DrawParms *parms, bool fortext) const;
+template bool DCanvas::ParseDrawTextureTags<VMVa_List>(FTexture *img, double x, double y, DWORD tag, VMVa_List& tags, DrawParms *parms, bool fortext) const;
 
 void DCanvas::VirtualToRealCoords(double &x, double &y, double &w, double &h,
 	double vwidth, double vheight, bool vbottom, bool handleaspect) const
diff --git a/src/v_video.h b/src/v_video.h
index 968408b62..2f42b9807 100644
--- a/src/v_video.h
+++ b/src/v_video.h
@@ -177,6 +177,12 @@ struct DrawParms
 	bool virtBottom;
 };
 
+struct VMVa_List
+{
+	VMValue *args;
+	int curindex;
+	int numargs;
+};
 //
 // VIDEO
 //
@@ -251,6 +257,7 @@ public:
 	// 2D Texture drawing
 	bool SetTextureParms(DrawParms *parms, FTexture *img, double x, double y) const;
 	void DrawTexture (FTexture *img, double x, double y, int tags, ...);
+	void DrawTexture(FTexture *img, double x, double y, VMVa_List &);
 	void FillBorder (FTexture *img);	// Fills the border around a 4:3 part of the screen on non-4:3 displays
 	void VirtualToRealCoords(double &x, double &y, double &w, double &h, double vwidth, double vheight, bool vbottom=false, bool handleaspect=true) const;
 
@@ -275,7 +282,9 @@ protected:
 	bool ClipBox (int &left, int &top, int &width, int &height, const BYTE *&src, const int srcpitch) const;
 	void DrawTextureV(FTexture *img, double x, double y, uint32 tag, va_list tags) = delete;
 	virtual void DrawTextureParms(FTexture *img, DrawParms &parms);
-	bool ParseDrawTextureTags (FTexture *img, double x, double y, uint32 tag, va_list& tags, DrawParms *parms, bool fortext) const;
+
+	template<class T>
+	bool ParseDrawTextureTags(FTexture *img, double x, double y, DWORD tag, T& tags, DrawParms *parms, bool fortext) const;
 
 	DCanvas() {}