diff --git a/source/core/gamecontrol.cpp b/source/core/gamecontrol.cpp
index 6a169fc68..5c8e7335b 100644
--- a/source/core/gamecontrol.cpp
+++ b/source/core/gamecontrol.cpp
@@ -983,11 +983,13 @@ int RunGame()
 	GameTicRate = 30;
 	CheckUserMap();
 	GPalette.Init(MAXPALOOKUPS + 2);    // one slot for each translation, plus a separate one for the base palettes and the internal one
+	gi->loadPalette();
 	StartScreen->Progress();
 	TexMan.Init([]() {}, [](BuildInfo &) {});
 	StartScreen->Progress();
 	TileFiles.Init();
 	TileFiles.LoadArtSet("tiles%03d.art"); // it's the same for all games.
+
 	InitFont();
 	StartScreen->Progress();
 	I_InitSound();
@@ -1008,8 +1010,6 @@ int RunGame()
 	gameinfo.mBackButton = "engine/graphics/m_back.png";
 	StartScreen->Progress();
 
-	GPalette.Init(MAXPALOOKUPS + 1);    // one slot for each translation, plus a separate one for the base palettes.
-	gi->loadPalette();
 	voxInit();
 	engineInit();
 	gi->app_init();
@@ -1023,10 +1023,11 @@ int RunGame()
 	if (!(paletteloaded & PALETTE_MAIN))
 		I_FatalError("No palette found.");
 
-	V_LoadTranslations();   // loading the translations must be delayed until the palettes have been fully set up.
 	lookups.postLoadTables();
 	PostLoadSetup();
 	lookups.postLoadLookups();
+	V_LoadTranslations();   // loading the translations must be delayed until the palettes have been fully set up.
+
 	FMaterial::SetLayerCallback(setpalettelayer);
 	if (GameStartupInfo.Name.IsNotEmpty()) I_SetWindowTitle(GameStartupInfo.Name);
 	DeleteStartupScreen();
diff --git a/source/core/palette.cpp b/source/core/palette.cpp
index 8d9b74179..b75354b86 100644
--- a/source/core/palette.cpp
+++ b/source/core/palette.cpp
@@ -303,6 +303,7 @@ void LookupTableInfo::postLoadLookups()
     }
     colorswap(&GPalette.GlobalBrightmap);
     std::swap(GPalette.BaseColors[0], GPalette.BaseColors[255]);
+    GPalette.Remap[0] = 255;
 }
 
 //==========================================================================
diff --git a/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt b/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt
index 0e2adadd1..6e628a327 100644
--- a/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt
+++ b/wadsrc/static/menudef.txt
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ LISTMENU "MainMenu"
 	ifgame(ShadowWarrior)
 	{
 		Position 55, 32
-		Linespacing 17
+		Linespacing 21
 		SWLogo
 		SWTextItem "$MNU_NEWGAME", "n", "EpisodeMenu"
 		SWTextItem "$MNU_LOADGAME", "l", "LoadGameMenu"
diff --git a/wadsrc/static/zscript/games/blood/ui/sbar.zs b/wadsrc/static/zscript/games/blood/ui/sbar.zs
index eb3744727..6ade42da0 100644
--- a/wadsrc/static/zscript/games/blood/ui/sbar.zs
+++ b/wadsrc/static/zscript/games/blood/ui/sbar.zs
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ class BloodStatusBar : RazeStatusBar
 		StatsPrintInfo stats;
 
 		stats.fontscale = 1.;
-		stats.spacing = SmallFont.GetHeight() + 1;
+		stats.spacing = SmallFont.GetHeight() + 2;
 		stats.screenbottomspace = bottomy;
 		stats.statfont = SmallFont;
 		stats.letterColor = TEXTCOLOR_DARKRED;
diff --git a/wadsrc/static/zscript/games/duke/ui/sbar.zs b/wadsrc/static/zscript/games/duke/ui/sbar.zs
index c8434bf50..2d81ff5bd 100644
--- a/wadsrc/static/zscript/games/duke/ui/sbar.zs
+++ b/wadsrc/static/zscript/games/duke/ui/sbar.zs
@@ -187,7 +187,12 @@ class DukeCommonStatusBar : RazeStatusBar
 				stats.statfont = SmallFont2;
 				stats.spacing = 6;
 			}
-			else stats.spacing = stats.statfont.GetHeight() + 1;
+			else 
+			{
+				if (Raze.isNamWW2GI()) stats.spacing = 12;
+				else if (!Raze.isRR()) stats.spacing = 11;
+				else stats.spacing = 14;
+			}
 			stats.standardColor = (Raze.isNamWW2GI() && am_textfont)? Font.TEXTCOLOR_ORANGE : Font.TEXTCOLOR_UNTRANSLATED;
 			stats.letterColor = Font.TEXTCOLOR_GOLD;
 			PrintAutomapInfo(stats, textfont);
diff --git a/wadsrc/static/zscript/statusbar.zs b/wadsrc/static/zscript/statusbar.zs
index 84cb5d1db..5a23dab13 100644
--- a/wadsrc/static/zscript/statusbar.zs
+++ b/wadsrc/static/zscript/statusbar.zs
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ class RazeStatusBar : StatusBarCore
 		y3 = y;
 
 		String text;
+		
+		Console.Printf("Stat: scale = %f, spacing = %f", scale, spacing);
 
 		text = String.Format("%sT: %s%d:%02d", info.letterColor, info.standardColor, stats.time / 60000, (stats.time % 60000) / 1000);
 		drawStatText(info.statFont, 2 * hud_statscale, y3, text, scale);
@@ -129,17 +131,19 @@ class RazeStatusBar : StatusBarCore
 		}
 		else if (info.screenbottomspace < 0)
 		{
-			y = 200 - RelTop - spacing;
+			y = (200 - RelTop) * hud_scalefactor - spacing;
 		}
 		else
 		{
-			y = 200 - info.screenbottomspace - spacing;
+			y = 200 - info.screenbottomspace * hud_scalefactor - spacing;
 		}
 		let cluster = lev.GetCluster();
 		String volname;
 		if (cluster) volname = cluster.name;
 		if (volname.length() == 0 && am_nameontop) y = 1;
 
+		Console.Printf("AM: scale = %f, spacing = %f", scale, spacing);
+
 		Screen.DrawText(info.statfont, Font.CR_UNTRANSLATED, 2 * hud_statscale, y, mapname, DTA_FullscreenScale, FSMode_ScaleToHeight, DTA_VirtualWidth, 320, DTA_VirtualHeight, 200,
 			DTA_ScaleX, scale, DTA_ScaleY, scale, DTA_KeepRatio, true);
 		y -= spacing;