diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/build/include/m32script.h b/polymer/eduke32/build/include/m32script.h
index eb1b4385e..73afd2116 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/build/include/m32script.h
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/build/include/m32script.h
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ enum GamearrayFlags_t {
     MAXARRAYLABEL      = MAXVARLABEL,
 
     GAMEARRAY_READONLY = 0x00001000,
+    GAMEARRAY_WARN = 0x00002000,
 
     GAMEARRAY_NORMAL   = 0,
     GAMEARRAY_OFCHAR   = 0x00000001,
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/samples/a.m32 b/polymer/eduke32/samples/a.m32
index 231f6558d..ef6f8fa9f 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/samples/a.m32
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/samples/a.m32
@@ -452,7 +452,85 @@ defstate rotselspr
     }
 ends
 
+
+gamevar do_batch_extension 0 0
+gamevar batch_ohl_i -1 0
+gamevar batch_tmp 0 0
+
+////// sector collecting stuff
+gamearray collectedsectors MAXSECTORS  // shared with 'old-highlighted sectors'
+gamevar ohlsecs 0 0
+
+// save or restore highlighted sectors
+defstate save_restore_hlsectors
+    "Save/restore hl. sectors"
+
+    ifge highlightsectorcnt 0
+    {
+        // save
+        for i range highlightsectorcnt
+            set collectedsectors[i] highlightsector[i]
+        set ohlsecs highlightsectorcnt
+        quote "Highlighted sectors saved"
+    }
+    else ifl highlightcnt 0
+    {
+        for i range ohlsecs
+            sethighlightsector collectedsectors[i] 1
+        quote "Highlighted sectors restored"
+    }
+ends
+
+defstate extendhlsectors
+    "Extend all hl. sectors"
+
+    ifvarle highlightsectorcnt 0 return
+
+    state save_restore_hlsectors  // will save them
+    for i range highlightsectorcnt
+        sethighlightsector highlightsector[i] 0
+
+    set do_batch_extension 1
+    set batch_ohl_i 0
+ends
+
+
 onevent EVENT_PREKEYS2D
+    ifvare do_batch_extension 1
+        set do_batch_extension 2
+    else ifvare do_batch_extension 2
+    {
+        ifge batch_ohl_i ohlsecs
+        {
+            // done!
+            set do_batch_extension 0
+            set batch_ohl_i -1
+
+            set keystatus[0x1d] 0
+            set keystatus[0x12] 0
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            ifvare batch_tmp 0
+            {
+                // highlight that sector
+                sethighlightsector collectedsectors[batch_ohl_i] 1
+                set batch_tmp 1
+            }
+            else  // ... skip a mainloop iteration so that a frame can be displayed
+            {
+                set batch_tmp 0
+                add batch_ohl_i 1
+
+                // fake a Ctrl-E
+                set keystatus[0x1d] 1
+                set keystatus[0x12] 1
+            }
+        }
+
+        break
+    }
+
 //    state testkeyavail
 
     set j 0
@@ -488,9 +566,6 @@ onevent EVENT_ENTER3DMODE
         state setas
 endevent
 
-////// sector collecting stuff
-gamevar ohlsecs 0 0
-gamearray collectedsectors MAXSECTORS  // shared with 'old-highlighted sectors'
 
 defstate try_nextsector_teleporting
     var nexts
@@ -514,26 +589,6 @@ defstate try_nextsector_ceilingsky
         set RETURN 0
 ends
 
-// save or restore highlighted sectors
-defstate save_restore_hlsectors
-    "Save/restore hl. sectors"
-
-    ifge highlightsectorcnt 0
-    {
-        // save
-        for i range highlightsectorcnt
-            set collectedsectors[i] highlightsector[i]
-        set ohlsecs highlightsectorcnt
-        quote "Highlighted sectors saved"
-    }
-    else ifl highlightcnt 0
-    {
-        for i range ohlsecs
-            sethighlightsector collectedsectors[i] 1
-        quote "Highlighted sectors restored"
-    }
-ends
-
 defstate collect_teleporting_sectors // (sec)
     "Collect telep. sectors"
     var numsects
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/m32def.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/m32def.c
index d8e1b7831..57dad22eb 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/m32def.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/m32def.c
@@ -1149,10 +1149,19 @@ static void C_GetNextVarType(int32_t type)
         }
         else if (id<MAXGAMEARRAYS)  // simple (non-local) gamearrays
         {
-            if (!m32_script_expertmode && (aGameArrays[id].dwFlags & GAMEARRAY_READONLY) && (type&GV_WRITABLE))
+            if (!m32_script_expertmode && (type&GV_WRITABLE))
             {
-                C_ReportError(ERROR_ARRAYREADONLY);
-                g_numCompilerErrors++;
+                int32_t flags = aGameArrays[id].dwFlags;
+
+                if (flags & GAMEARRAY_READONLY)
+                {
+                    C_ReportError(ERROR_ARRAYREADONLY);
+                    g_numCompilerErrors++;
+                }
+                else if (flags & GAMEARRAY_WARN)
+                {
+                    C_CUSTOMWARNING("writing to expert-mode array. Be sure to know what you're doing!");
+                }
             }
         }
         else  // local array
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/m32vars.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/m32vars.c
index 11a8a6f30..ec18f9e0f 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/m32vars.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/m32vars.c
@@ -681,7 +681,7 @@ static void Gv_AddSystemVars(void)
     Gv_NewArray("show2dwall", (void *)show2dwall, (MAXWALLS+7)>>3, GAMEARRAY_READONLY|GAMEARRAY_OFCHAR);
     Gv_NewArray("show2dsprite", (void *)show2dsprite, (MAXSPRITES+7)>>3, GAMEARRAY_READONLY|GAMEARRAY_OFCHAR);
 
-    Gv_NewArray("keystatus", (void *)keystatus, 256, GAMEARRAY_READONLY|GAMEARRAY_OFCHAR);
+    Gv_NewArray("keystatus", (void *)keystatus, 256, GAMEARRAY_WARN|GAMEARRAY_OFCHAR);
     Gv_NewArray("alphakeys", (void *)alphakeys, sizeof(alphakeys), GAMEARRAY_READONLY|GAMEARRAY_OFCHAR);
     Gv_NewArray("numberkeys", (void *)numberkeys, sizeof(numberkeys), GAMEARRAY_READONLY|GAMEARRAY_OFCHAR);