diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/build/include/build.h b/polymer/eduke32/build/include/build.h
index b9961f4e2..0a077c5da 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/build/include/build.h
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/build/include/build.h
@@ -1051,6 +1051,7 @@ int32_t    preinitengine(void);	// a partial setup of the engine used for launch
 int32_t    initengine(void);
 void   uninitengine(void);
 void   initspritelists(void);
+int32_t loadlookups(int32_t fp, uint8_t **basepaltabptr);
 int32_t   loadboard(const char *filename, char flags, vec3_t *dapos, int16_t *daang, int16_t *dacursectnum);
 int32_t   loadmaphack(const char *filename);
 void delete_maphack_lights();
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c b/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c
index 6155edefa..a535bccea 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c
@@ -8140,6 +8140,59 @@ static int32_t loadpalette(void)
     return 0;
 }
 
+// Load LOOKUP.DAT, which contains lookup tables and additional base palettes.
+//
+// <fp>: kopen4load file handle
+//
+// basepaltabptr[j], for 1 <= j <= 5 must point to 768 addressable
+//   bytes each: the additional base palettes (water, slime, ...) will be
+//   written there.
+//
+// Returns:
+//  - if generated fog shade tables, their first palnum P (fog pals are [P .. P+3])
+//  - on error, -1
+int32_t loadlookups(int32_t fp, uint8_t **basepaltabptr)
+{
+    uint8_t numlookups;
+    char remapbuf[256];
+    int32_t j;
+
+    if (kread(fp, &numlookups, 1) != 1)
+        return -1;
+
+    for (j=numlookups+1; j<MAXPALOOKUPS; j++)
+        makepalookup(j, NULL, 0,0,0, 1);
+
+    for (j=0; j<numlookups; j++)
+    {
+        uint8_t palnum;
+
+        if (kread(fp, &palnum, 1) != 1)
+            return -1;
+        if (kread(fp, remapbuf, 256) != 256)
+            return -1;
+
+        makepalookup(palnum, remapbuf, 0,0,0, 1);
+    }
+
+    numlookups++;
+    makepalookup(numlookups, NULL, 15, 15, 15, 1);
+    makepalookup(numlookups + 1, NULL, 15, 0, 0, 1);
+    makepalookup(numlookups + 2, NULL, 0, 15, 0, 1);
+    makepalookup(numlookups + 3, NULL, 0, 0, 15, 1);
+
+    for (j=1; j<=5; j++)
+    {
+        // Account for TITLE and REALMS swap between basepal number and on-disk order.
+        // XXX: this reordering is better off as an argument to us.
+        int32_t basepalnum = (j == 3 || j == 4) ? 4+3-j : j;
+
+        if (kread(fp, basepaltabptr[basepalnum], 768) != 768)
+            return -1;
+    }
+
+    return numlookups;
+}
 
 // Finds a color index in [0 .. lastokcol] closest to (r, g, b).
 // <lastokcol> must be in [0 .. 255].
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/astub.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/astub.c
index e86bd6335..d545751d5 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/astub.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/astub.c
@@ -2842,47 +2842,31 @@ static inline void SpriteName(int16_t spritenum, char *lo2)
     Bstrcpy(lo2, names[sprite[spritenum].picnum]);
 }// end SpriteName
 
-static void ReadPaletteTable(void)
+// Returns: did error?
+static int32_t ReadPaletteTable(void)
 {
-    int32_t i,j,fp;
-    char lookup_num;
-
-    for (i=1; i<MAXPALOOKUPS; i++)
-        makepalookup(i,NULL,0,0,0,1);
+    int32_t fp;
 
     if ((fp=kopen4load("lookup.dat",0)) == -1)
     {
         if ((fp=kopen4load("lookup.dat",1)) == -1)
         {
             initprintf("LOOKUP.DAT not found\n");
-            return;
+            return 1;
         }
     }
-    //    initprintf("Loading palette lookups... ");
-    kread(fp,&num_tables,1);
-    for (j=0; j<num_tables; j++)
-    {
-        kread(fp,&lookup_num,1);
-        kread(fp,tempbuf,256);
-        makepalookup(lookup_num,tempbuf,0,0,0,1);
-    }
-    for (j = 0; j < 256; j++)
-        tempbuf[j] = j;
 
-    num_tables++;
-    makepalookup(num_tables, NULL, 15, 15, 15, 1);
-    makepalookup(num_tables + 1, NULL, 15, 0, 0, 1);
-    makepalookup(num_tables + 2, NULL, 0, 15, 0, 1);
-    makepalookup(num_tables + 3, NULL, 0, 0, 15, 1);
-
-    kread(fp,WATERpalette,768);
-    kread(fp,SLIMEpalette,768);
-    kread(fp,TITLEpalette,768);
-    kread(fp,REALMSpalette,768);
-    kread(fp,BOSS1palette,768);
+    num_tables = loadlookups(fp, basepaltable);
     kclose(fp);
-    //    initprintf("success.\n");
-}// end ReadPaletteTable
+
+    if (num_tables < 0)
+    {
+        initprintf("ERROR loading PALOOKUP.DAT: failed reading enough data\n");
+        return 1;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
 
 
 static void m32_showmouse(void)
@@ -10500,7 +10484,8 @@ int32_t ExtInit(void)
 
     showinvisibility = 1;
 
-    ReadPaletteTable();
+    if (ReadPaletteTable())
+        return -1;
 
     InitCustomColors();
 
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c
index 5426759f4..546673e38 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c
@@ -117,9 +117,13 @@ static char g_rootDir[BMAX_PATH];
 char g_modDir[BMAX_PATH] = "/";
 
 
-uint8_t water_pal[768],slime_pal[768],title_pal[768],dre_alms[768],ending_pal[768];
+static uint8_t water_pal[768], slime_pal[768], title_pal[768], dre_alms[768], ending_pal[768];
 
-uint8_t *basepaltable[BASEPALCOUNT] = { palette, water_pal, slime_pal, dre_alms, title_pal, ending_pal, NULL /*anim_pal*/ };
+uint8_t *basepaltable[BASEPALCOUNT] = {
+    palette, water_pal, slime_pal,
+    dre_alms, title_pal, ending_pal,
+    NULL /*anim_pal*/
+};
 
 int8_t g_noFloorPal[MAXPALOOKUPS];  // 1 if sprite pal should not be taken over from floor pal
 
@@ -10627,46 +10631,22 @@ static inline void G_CheckGametype(void)
 
 static void G_LoadExtraPalettes(void)
 {
-    int32_t j, fp;
-    uint8_t tmpbyte;
+    int32_t fp;
 
     fp = kopen4loadfrommod("lookup.dat", 0);
-    if (fp != -1)
-        kread(fp, &tmpbyte, 1);
-    else
+    if (fp == -1)
         G_GameExit("\nERROR: File 'lookup.dat' not found.");
 
-    g_numRealPalettes = tmpbyte;
-
-    for (j=g_numRealPalettes+1; j<MAXPALOOKUPS; j++)
-        makepalookup(j, NULL ,0,0,0, 1);
-
-    for (j=g_numRealPalettes-1; j>=0; j--)
-    {
-        uint8_t look_pos;
-
-        kread(fp, &look_pos, 1);
-        kread(fp, tempbuf, 256);
-        makepalookup(look_pos, tempbuf, 0,0,0, 1);
-    }
-
-    g_numRealPalettes++;
-    makepalookup(g_numRealPalettes, NULL, 15, 15, 15, 1);
-    makepalookup(g_numRealPalettes + 1, NULL, 15, 0, 0, 1);
-    makepalookup(g_numRealPalettes + 2, NULL, 0, 15, 0, 1);
-    makepalookup(g_numRealPalettes + 3, NULL, 0, 0, 15, 1);
-
-    kread(fp,&water_pal[0],768);
-    kread(fp,&slime_pal[0],768);
-    kread(fp,&title_pal[0],768);
-    kread(fp,&dre_alms[0],768);
-    kread(fp,&ending_pal[0],768);
-
-    palette[765] = palette[766] = palette[767] = 0;
-    slime_pal[765] = slime_pal[766] = slime_pal[767] = 0;
-    water_pal[765] = water_pal[766] = water_pal[767] = 0;
-
+    g_numRealPalettes = loadlookups(fp, basepaltable);
     kclose(fp);
+
+    if (g_numRealPalettes < 0)
+        G_GameExit("\nERROR loading 'lookup.dat': failed reading enough data.");
+
+    // Make color index 255 of default/water/slime palette black.
+    Bmemset(&palette[255*3], 0, 3);
+    Bmemset(&water_pal[255*3], 0, 3);
+    Bmemset(&slime_pal[255*3], 0, 3);
 }
 
 #define SETBGFLAG(Tilenum) g_tile[Tilenum].flags |= SPRITE_HARDCODED_BADGUY
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/game.h b/polymer/eduke32/source/game.h
index b12a80dba..8aa78351d 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/game.h
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/game.h
@@ -299,7 +299,6 @@ extern palette_t DefaultCrosshairColors;
 
 extern uint32_t g_frameDelay;
 
-extern uint8_t water_pal[768],slime_pal[768],title_pal[768],dre_alms[768],ending_pal[768];
 extern uint8_t *basepaltable[BASEPALCOUNT];
 extern int8_t g_noFloorPal[MAXPALOOKUPS];
 
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/mapster32.h b/polymer/eduke32/source/mapster32.h
index b182ef178..e6491894f 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/mapster32.h
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/mapster32.h
@@ -78,10 +78,13 @@ static void FuncMenu(void);
 static uint8_t WATERpalette[768], SLIMEpalette[768], TITLEpalette[768];
 static uint8_t REALMSpalette[768], BOSS1palette[768];
 
-static uint8_t *basepaltable[BASEPALCOUNT] = { palette, WATERpalette, SLIMEpalette, TITLEpalette, REALMSpalette, BOSS1palette };
+static uint8_t *basepaltable[BASEPALCOUNT] = {
+    palette, WATERpalette, SLIMEpalette,
+    REALMSpalette, TITLEpalette, BOSS1palette,
+};
 
 
-static char num_tables;
+static int32_t num_tables;
 
 static int32_t updownunits=1024;