diff --git a/src/gl/renderer/gl_renderstate.cpp b/src/gl/renderer/gl_renderstate.cpp
index bee49cd96..24492c495 100644
--- a/src/gl/renderer/gl_renderstate.cpp
+++ b/src/gl/renderer/gl_renderstate.cpp
@@ -138,29 +138,7 @@ bool FRenderState::ApplyShader()
 	activeShader->muClipHeightTop.Set(mClipHeightTop);
 	activeShader->muClipHeightBottom.Set(mClipHeightBottom);
 	activeShader->muTimer.Set(gl_frameMS * mShaderTimer / 1000.f);
-
-#ifndef CORE_PROFILE
-	if (!(gl.flags & RFL_COREPROFILE))
-	{
-		if (mAlphaThreshold != stAlphaThreshold)
-		{
-			stAlphaThreshold = mAlphaThreshold;
-			if (mAlphaThreshold < 0.f)
-			{
-				glDisable(GL_ALPHA_TEST);
-			}
-			else
-			{
-				glEnable(GL_ALPHA_TEST);
-				glAlphaFunc(GL_GREATER, mAlphaThreshold * mColor.vec[3]);
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	else
-#endif
-	{
-		activeShader->muAlphaThreshold.Set(mAlphaThreshold);
-	}
+	activeShader->muAlphaThreshold.Set(mAlphaThreshold);
 
 	if (mGlowEnabled)
 	{
diff --git a/src/gl/system/gl_interface.cpp b/src/gl/system/gl_interface.cpp
index ca40bc60e..404c068d7 100644
--- a/src/gl/system/gl_interface.cpp
+++ b/src/gl/system/gl_interface.cpp
@@ -175,6 +175,9 @@ void gl_PrintStartupLog()
 	gl.maxuniforms = v;
 	glGetIntegerv(GL_MAX_VERTEX_UNIFORM_COMPONENTS, &v);
 	Printf ("Max. vertex uniforms: %d\n", v);
+	glGetIntegerv(GL_MAX_UNIFORM_BLOCK_SIZE, &v);
+	Printf ("Max. uniform block size: %d\n", v);
+	gl.maxuniformblock = v;
 	glGetIntegerv(GL_MAX_VARYING_FLOATS, &v);
 	Printf ("Max. varying: %d\n", v);
 	glGetIntegerv(GL_MAX_COMBINED_SHADER_STORAGE_BLOCKS, &v);
@@ -182,5 +185,6 @@ void gl_PrintStartupLog()
 	glGetIntegerv(GL_MAX_VERTEX_SHADER_STORAGE_BLOCKS, &v);
 	Printf("Max. vertex shader storage blocks: %d\n", v);
 
+
 }
 
diff --git a/src/gl/system/gl_interface.h b/src/gl/system/gl_interface.h
index d33ce77fc..a88133929 100644
--- a/src/gl/system/gl_interface.h
+++ b/src/gl/system/gl_interface.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ struct RenderContext
 {
 	unsigned int flags;
 	unsigned int maxuniforms;
+	unsigned int maxuniformblock;
 	float version;
 	float glslversion;
 	int max_texturesize;
diff --git a/src/gl/textures/gl_hwtexture.cpp b/src/gl/textures/gl_hwtexture.cpp
index 516b5aaf5..98229a1ca 100644
--- a/src/gl/textures/gl_hwtexture.cpp
+++ b/src/gl/textures/gl_hwtexture.cpp
@@ -192,6 +192,8 @@ void FHardwareTexture::LoadImage(unsigned char * buffer,int w, int h, unsigned i
 	if (alphatexture)
 	{
 		// thanks to deprecation and delayed introduction of a suitable replacement feature this has become a bit messy...
+		// Of all the targeted hardware, the Intel GMA 2000 and 3000 are the only ones not supporting texture swizzle, and they
+		// are also the only ones not supoorting GL 3.3. On those we are forced to use a full RGBA texture here.
 		if (gl.version >= 3.3f)
 		{
 			texformat = GL_R8;
diff --git a/src/win32/win32gliface.cpp b/src/win32/win32gliface.cpp
index 3b630177a..a0e55d673 100644
--- a/src/win32/win32gliface.cpp
+++ b/src/win32/win32gliface.cpp
@@ -745,37 +745,22 @@ bool Win32GLVideo::InitHardware (HWND Window, int multisample)
 #else
 		bool core = true;
 #endif
-		if (core)
-		{
-			// let's try to get the best version possible.
-			static int versions[] = { 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 33, 32, -1 };
+		// let's try to get the best version possible. Some drivers only give us the version we request
+		// which breaks all version checks for feature support. The highest used features we use are from version 4.4, and 3.0 is a requirement.
+		static int versions[] = { 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 33, 32, 30, -1 };
 
-			for (int i = 0; versions[i] > 0; i++)
-			{
-				int ctxAttribs[] = {
-					WGL_CONTEXT_MAJOR_VERSION_ARB, versions[i] / 10,
-					WGL_CONTEXT_MINOR_VERSION_ARB, versions[i] % 10,
-					WGL_CONTEXT_FLAGS_ARB, gl_debug ? WGL_CONTEXT_DEBUG_BIT_ARB : 0,
-					WGL_CONTEXT_PROFILE_MASK_ARB, WGL_CONTEXT_CORE_PROFILE_BIT_ARB,
-					0
-				};
-
-				m_hRC = myWglCreateContextAttribsARB(m_hDC, 0, ctxAttribs);
-				if (m_hRC != NULL) break;
-			}
-		}
-		else
+		for (int i = 0; versions[i] > 0; i++)
 		{
 			int ctxAttribs[] = {
-				WGL_CONTEXT_MAJOR_VERSION_ARB, 3,
-				WGL_CONTEXT_MINOR_VERSION_ARB, 0,
+				WGL_CONTEXT_MAJOR_VERSION_ARB, versions[i] / 10,
+				WGL_CONTEXT_MINOR_VERSION_ARB, versions[i] % 10,
 				WGL_CONTEXT_FLAGS_ARB, gl_debug ? WGL_CONTEXT_DEBUG_BIT_ARB : 0,
-				WGL_CONTEXT_PROFILE_MASK_ARB, WGL_CONTEXT_COMPATIBILITY_PROFILE_BIT_ARB,
+				WGL_CONTEXT_PROFILE_MASK_ARB, core? WGL_CONTEXT_CORE_PROFILE_BIT_ARB : WGL_CONTEXT_COMPATIBILITY_PROFILE_BIT_ARB,
 				0
 			};
 
 			m_hRC = myWglCreateContextAttribsARB(m_hDC, 0, ctxAttribs);
-
+			if (m_hRC != NULL) break;
 		}
 	}
 	if (m_hRC == 0)
diff --git a/wadsrc/static/shaders/glsl/main.fp b/wadsrc/static/shaders/glsl/main.fp
index a4e4d782b..482afc0ca 100644
--- a/wadsrc/static/shaders/glsl/main.fp
+++ b/wadsrc/static/shaders/glsl/main.fp
@@ -222,12 +222,10 @@ void main()
 {
 	vec4 frag = ProcessTexel();
 	
-#ifdef CORE_PROFILE
-	// alpha testing - only for the core profile, in compatibility mode we use the alpha test.
+#ifndef NO_ALPHATEST
 	if (frag.a <= uAlphaThreshold) discard;
 #endif
 
-
 	switch (uFixedColormap)
 	{
 		case 0:
diff --git a/wadsrc/static/shaders/glsl/shaderdefs.i b/wadsrc/static/shaders/glsl/shaderdefs.i
index 242b7244b..d310126ab 100644
--- a/wadsrc/static/shaders/glsl/shaderdefs.i
+++ b/wadsrc/static/shaders/glsl/shaderdefs.i
@@ -8,9 +8,7 @@ uniform vec4 uCameraPos;
 uniform int uTextureMode;
 uniform float uClipHeightTop, uClipHeightBottom;
 
-#ifdef CORE_PROFILE
 uniform float uAlphaThreshold;
-#endif
 
 
 // colors