diff --git a/src/r_draw_rgba.cpp b/src/r_draw_rgba.cpp
index 528c3c986f..fa632cb5d3 100644
--- a/src/r_draw_rgba.cpp
+++ b/src/r_draw_rgba.cpp
@@ -1511,8 +1511,6 @@ public:
 		{
 			// 64x64 is the most common case by far, so special case it.
 
-			uint32_t *palette = (uint32_t*)GPalette.BaseColors;
-
 			int sse_count = count / 4;
 			count -= sse_count * 4;
 
@@ -1545,7 +1543,7 @@ public:
 
 					// Lookup pixel from flat texture tile,
 					//  re-index using light/colormap.
-					__m128i fg = _mm_set_epi32(palette[p3], palette[p2], palette[p1], palette[p0]);
+					__m128i fg = _mm_set_epi32(p3, p2, p1, p0);
 					SSE_SHADE_SIMPLE(fg);
 					_mm_storeu_si128((__m128i*)dest, fg);
 
@@ -1582,7 +1580,7 @@ public:
 
 					// Lookup pixel from flat texture tile,
 					//  re-index using light/colormap.
-					__m128i fg = _mm_set_epi32(palette[p3], palette[p2], palette[p1], palette[p0]);
+					__m128i fg = _mm_set_epi32(p3, p2, p1, p0);
 					SSE_SHADE(fg, shade_constants);
 					_mm_storeu_si128((__m128i*)dest, fg);
 
diff --git a/src/r_main.h b/src/r_main.h
index 6d0e2a21f2..d71d44fe1f 100644
--- a/src/r_main.h
+++ b/src/r_main.h
@@ -217,6 +217,27 @@ FORCEINLINE uint32_t shade_bgra(uint32_t color, uint32_t light, const ShadeConst
 	return 0xff000000 | (red << 16) | (green << 8) | blue;
 }
 
+FORCEINLINE uint32_t alpha_blend(uint32_t fg, uint32_t bg)
+{
+	uint32_t fg_alpha = (fg >> 24) & 0xff;
+	uint32_t fg_red = (fg >> 16) & 0xff;
+	uint32_t fg_green = (fg >> 8) & 0xff;
+	uint32_t fg_blue = fg & 0xff;
+
+	uint32_t alpha = fg_alpha + (fg_alpha >> 7); // 255 -> 256
+	uint32_t inv_alpha = 256 - alpha;
+
+	uint32_t bg_red = (bg >> 16) & 0xff;
+	uint32_t bg_green = (bg >> 8) & 0xff;
+	uint32_t bg_blue = bg & 0xff;
+
+	uint32_t red = ((fg_red * alpha) + (bg_red * inv_alpha)) / 256;
+	uint32_t green = ((fg_green * alpha) + (bg_green * inv_alpha)) / 256;
+	uint32_t blue = ((fg_blue * alpha) + (bg_blue * inv_alpha)) / 256;
+
+	return 0xff000000 | (red << 16) | (green << 8) | blue;
+}
+
 // Calculate constants for a simple shade
 #define SSE_SHADE_SIMPLE_INIT(light) \
 	__m128i mlight_hi = _mm_set_epi16(256, light, light, light, 256, light, light, light); \