diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 2f197aa3b..1268b8573 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -810,6 +810,7 @@ set (PCH_SOURCES
 	ct_chat.cpp
 	d_iwad.cpp
 	d_main.cpp
+	d_defcvars.cpp
 	d_anonstats.cpp
 	d_net.cpp
 	d_netinfo.cpp
diff --git a/src/d_defcvars.cpp b/src/d_defcvars.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0077fa29e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/d_defcvars.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Copyright 1993-1996 id Software
+// Copyright 1999-2016 Randy Heit
+// Copyright 2002-2016 Christoph Oelckers
+// Copyright 2019-2021 Rachael Alexanderson
+//
+// This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with this program.  If not, see http://www.gnu.org/licenses/
+//
+//
+// DESCRIPTION:
+//		defcvars loader split from d_main.cpp
+//
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+// HEADER FILES ------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#include "doomdef.h"
+#include "doomstat.h"
+#include "gstrings.h"
+#include "filesystem.h"
+#include "menu.h"
+#include "doommenu.h"
+#include "c_console.h"
+#include "d_main.h"
+#include "version.h"
+
+
+void D_GrabCVarDefaults()
+{
+	int lump, lastlump = 0;
+	int lumpversion, gamelastrunversion;
+	gamelastrunversion = atoi(LASTRUNVERSION);
+
+	while ((lump = fileSystem.FindLump("DEFCVARS", &lastlump)) != -1)
+	{
+		// don't parse from wads
+		if (lastlump > fileSystem.GetLastEntry(fileSystem.GetMaxIwadNum()))
+		{
+			// would rather put this in a modal of some sort, but this will have to do.
+			Printf(TEXTCOLOR_RED "Cannot load DEFCVARS from a wadfile!\n");
+			break;
+		}
+
+		FScanner sc(lump);
+
+		sc.MustGetString();
+		if (!sc.Compare("version"))
+			sc.ScriptError("Must declare version for defcvars! (currently: %i)", gamelastrunversion);
+		sc.MustGetNumber();
+		lumpversion = sc.Number;
+		if (lumpversion > gamelastrunversion)
+			sc.ScriptError("Unsupported version %i (%i supported)", lumpversion, gamelastrunversion);
+		if (lumpversion < 219)
+			sc.ScriptError("Version must be at least 219 (current version %i)", gamelastrunversion);
+
+		FBaseCVar* var;
+		FString CurrentFindCVar;
+
+		while (sc.GetString())
+		{
+			if (sc.Compare("set"))
+			{
+				sc.MustGetString();
+			}
+
+			CurrentFindCVar = sc.String;
+			if (lumpversion < 220)
+			{
+				CurrentFindCVar.ToLower();
+
+				// these two got renamed
+				if (strcmp(CurrentFindCVar, "gamma") == 0)
+				{
+					CurrentFindCVar = "vid_gamma";
+				}
+				if (strcmp(CurrentFindCVar, "fullscreen") == 0)
+				{
+					CurrentFindCVar = "vid_fullscreen";
+				}
+
+				// this was removed
+				if (strcmp(CurrentFindCVar, "cd_drive") == 0)
+					break;
+			}
+			if (lumpversion < 221)
+			{
+				// removed cvar
+				// this one doesn't matter as much, since it depended on platform-specific values,
+				// and is something the user should change anyhow, so, let's just throw this value
+				// out.
+				if (strcmp(CurrentFindCVar, "mouse_sensitivity") == 0)
+					break;
+				if (strcmp(CurrentFindCVar, "m_noprescale") == 0)
+					break;
+			}
+
+			var = FindCVar(CurrentFindCVar, NULL);
+			if (var != NULL)
+			{
+				if (var->GetFlags() & CVAR_ARCHIVE)
+				{
+					UCVarValue val;
+
+					sc.MustGetString();
+					val.String = const_cast<char*>(sc.String);
+					var->SetGenericRepDefault(val, CVAR_String);
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					sc.ScriptError("Cannot set cvar default for non-config cvar '%s'", sc.String);
+				}
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				sc.ScriptError("Unknown cvar '%s'", sc.String);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
diff --git a/src/d_main.cpp b/src/d_main.cpp
index 556664662..e1adfe025 100644
--- a/src/d_main.cpp
+++ b/src/d_main.cpp
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ void D_Cleanup();
 void FreeSBarInfoScript();
 void I_UpdateWindowTitle();
 void S_ParseMusInfo();
+void D_GrabCVarDefaults();
 
 // PRIVATE FUNCTION PROTOTYPES ---------------------------------------------
 
@@ -331,99 +332,6 @@ static int pagetic;
 
 // CODE --------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-void D_GrabCVarDefaults()
-{
-	int lump, lastlump = 0;
-	int lumpversion, gamelastrunversion;
-	gamelastrunversion = atoi(LASTRUNVERSION);
-
-	while ((lump = fileSystem.FindLump("DEFCVARS", &lastlump)) != -1)
-	{
-		// don't parse from wads
-		if (lastlump > fileSystem.GetLastEntry(fileSystem.GetMaxIwadNum()))
-		{
-			// would rather put this in a modal of some sort, but this will have to do.
-			Printf(TEXTCOLOR_RED "Cannot load DEFCVARS from a wadfile!\n");
-			break;
-		}
-
-		FScanner sc(lump);
-
-		sc.MustGetString();
-		if (!sc.Compare("version"))
-			sc.ScriptError("Must declare version for defcvars! (currently: %i)", gamelastrunversion);
-		sc.MustGetNumber();
-		lumpversion = sc.Number;
-		if (lumpversion > gamelastrunversion)
-			sc.ScriptError("Unsupported version %i (%i supported)", lumpversion, gamelastrunversion);
-		if (lumpversion < 219)
-			sc.ScriptError("Version must be at least 219 (current version %i)", gamelastrunversion);
-
-		FBaseCVar* var;
-		FString CurrentFindCVar;
-
-		while (sc.GetString())
-		{
-			if (sc.Compare("set"))
-			{
-				sc.MustGetString();
-			}
-
-			CurrentFindCVar = sc.String;
-			if (lumpversion < 220)
-			{
-				CurrentFindCVar.ToLower();
-
-				// these two got renamed
-				if (strcmp(CurrentFindCVar, "gamma") == 0)
-				{
-					CurrentFindCVar = "vid_gamma";
-				}
-				if (strcmp(CurrentFindCVar, "fullscreen") == 0)
-				{
-					CurrentFindCVar = "vid_fullscreen";
-				}
-
-				// this was removed
-				if (strcmp(CurrentFindCVar, "cd_drive") == 0)
-					break;
-			}
-			if (lumpversion < 221)
-			{
-				// removed cvar
-				// this one doesn't matter as much, since it depended on platform-specific values,
-				// and is something the user should change anyhow, so, let's just throw this value
-				// out.
-				if (strcmp(CurrentFindCVar, "mouse_sensitivity") == 0)
-					break;
-				if (strcmp(CurrentFindCVar, "m_noprescale") == 0)
-					break;
-			}
-
-			var = FindCVar(CurrentFindCVar, NULL);
-			if (var != NULL)
-			{
-				if (var->GetFlags() & CVAR_ARCHIVE)
-				{
-					UCVarValue val;
-
-					sc.MustGetString();
-					val.String = const_cast<char*>(sc.String);
-					var->SetGenericRepDefault(val, CVAR_String);
-				}
-				else
-				{
-					sc.ScriptError("Cannot set cvar default for non-config cvar '%s'", sc.String);
-				}
-			}
-			else
-			{
-				sc.ScriptError("Unknown cvar '%s'", sc.String);
-			}
-		}
-	}
-}
-
 //==========================================================================
 //
 // D_ToggleHud