diff --git a/src/common/textures/texturemanager.cpp b/src/common/textures/texturemanager.cpp
index 32d66d1b0..410a2c9a4 100644
--- a/src/common/textures/texturemanager.cpp
+++ b/src/common/textures/texturemanager.cpp
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ FTextureID FTextureManager::AddGameTexture (FGameTexture *texture)
 		hash = -1;
 	}
 
-	TextureHash hasher = { texture, hash };
+	TextureHash hasher = { texture, -1, hash };
 	int trans = Textures.Push (hasher);
 	Translation.Push (trans);
 	if (bucket >= 0) HashFirst[bucket] = trans;
@@ -1166,14 +1166,11 @@ void FTextureManager::InitPalettedVersions()
 			FTextureID pic2 = CheckForTexture(sc.String, ETextureType::Any);
 			if (!pic2.isValid())
 			{
-				sc.ScriptMessage("Unknown texture %s to use as replacement", sc.String);
+				sc.ScriptMessage("Unknown texture %s to use as paletted replacement", sc.String);
 			}
 			if (pic1.isValid() && pic2.isValid())
 			{
-				auto owner = GetGameTexture(pic1);
-				auto owned = GetGameTexture(pic2);
-
-				if (owner && owned) owner->GetTexture()->PalVersion = owned;
+				Textures[pic1.GetIndex()].Paletted = pic2.GetIndex();
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/common/textures/texturemanager.h b/src/common/textures/texturemanager.h
index 641b97c47..9fdb22a8d 100644
--- a/src/common/textures/texturemanager.h
+++ b/src/common/textures/texturemanager.h
@@ -24,14 +24,27 @@ public:
 private:
 	int ResolveLocalizedTexture(int texnum);
 
-	FGameTexture *InternalGetTexture(int texnum, bool animate, bool localize)
+	int ResolveTextureIndex(int texnum, bool animate, bool localize)
 	{
-		if ((unsigned)texnum >= Textures.Size()) return nullptr;
+		if ((unsigned)texnum >= Textures.Size()) return -1;
 		if (animate) texnum = Translation[texnum];
 		if (localize && Textures[texnum].HasLocalization) texnum = ResolveLocalizedTexture(texnum);
+		return texnum;
+	}
+
+	FGameTexture *InternalGetTexture(int texnum, bool animate, bool localize)
+	{
+		texnum = ResolveTextureIndex(texnum, animate, localize);
+		if (texnum == -1) return nullptr;
 		return Textures[texnum].Texture;
 	}
+
 public:
+	FTextureID ResolveTextureIndex(FTextureID texid, bool animate, bool localize)
+	{
+		return FSetTextureID(ResolveTextureIndex(texid.GetIndex(), animate, localize));
+	}
+
 	// This only gets used in UI code so we do not need PALVERS handling.
 	FGameTexture* GetGameTextureByName(const char *name, bool animate = false)
 	{
@@ -44,6 +57,14 @@ public:
 		return InternalGetTexture(texnum.GetIndex(), animate, true);
 	}
 	
+	FGameTexture* GetPalettedTexture(FTextureID texnum, bool animate = false, bool allowsubstitute = true)
+	{
+		auto texid = ResolveTextureIndex(texnum.GetIndex(), animate, true);
+		if (texid == -1) return nullptr;
+		if (allowsubstitute && Textures[texid].Paletted > 0) texid = Textures[texid].Paletted;
+		return Textures[texid].Texture;
+	}
+
 	FGameTexture* GameByIndex(int i, bool animate = false)
 	{
 		return InternalGetTexture(i, animate, true);
@@ -148,7 +169,8 @@ private:
 
 	struct TextureHash
 	{
-		FGameTexture *Texture;
+		FGameTexture* Texture;
+		int Paletted;	// redirection to paletted variant
 		int HashNext;
 		bool HasLocalization;
 	};
@@ -182,4 +204,4 @@ extern FTextureManager TexMan;
 inline FGameTexture* MakeGameTexture(FTexture* tex)
 {
 	return reinterpret_cast<FGameTexture*>(tex);
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/common/textures/textures.h b/src/common/textures/textures.h
index 6753d8ed1..abfabd386 100644
--- a/src/common/textures/textures.h
+++ b/src/common/textures/textures.h
@@ -382,8 +382,6 @@ protected:
 	// Front sky layer variant where color 0 is transparent
 	FGameTexture* FrontSkyLayer = nullptr;
 	public:
-	// Paletted variant
-	FGameTexture *PalVersion = nullptr;
 	// Material layers
 	FTexture *Brightmap = nullptr;
 	FTexture* Detailmap = nullptr;
@@ -483,10 +481,6 @@ public:
 	{
 		return Material[num];
 	}
-	FGameTexture* GetPalVersion()
-	{
-		return PalVersion;
-	}
 
 private:
 	int CheckDDPK3();
@@ -724,7 +718,6 @@ public:
 	}
 
 	// These substitutions must be done on the material level because their sizes can differ. Substitution must happen before any coordinate calculations take place.
-	FGameTexture* GetPalVersion() { return wrapped.GetPalVersion(); }
 	FGameTexture* GetRawTexture();
 	FGameTexture* GetFrontSkyLayer();
 
diff --git a/src/rendering/swrenderer/textures/r_swtexture.cpp b/src/rendering/swrenderer/textures/r_swtexture.cpp
index c501f4df0..ef7d3decb 100644
--- a/src/rendering/swrenderer/textures/r_swtexture.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/swrenderer/textures/r_swtexture.cpp
@@ -612,18 +612,10 @@ CUSTOM_CVAR(Bool, vid_nopalsubstitutions, false, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_NOINITCALL)
 	R_InitSkyMap();
 }
 
-static FGameTexture* PalCheck(FGameTexture* tex)
-{
-	// In any true color mode this shouldn't do anything.
-	if (vid_nopalsubstitutions || V_IsTrueColor() || tex == nullptr) return tex;
-	auto palvers = tex->GetPalVersion();
-	if (palvers) return palvers;
-	return tex;
-}
-
 FSoftwareTexture* GetPalettedSWTexture(FTextureID texid, bool animate, FLevelLocals *checkcompat, bool allownull, bool frontsky)
 {
-	auto tex = PalCheck(TexMan.GetGameTexture(texid, true));
+	bool needpal = !vid_nopalsubstitutions && !V_IsTrueColor();
+	auto tex = TexMan.GetPalettedTexture(texid, true, needpal);
 	if (tex == nullptr || (!allownull && !tex->isValid())) return nullptr;
 	if (frontsky)
 	{