diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/build/include/build.h b/polymer/eduke32/build/include/build.h
index 3317dffba..7d4888886 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/build/include/build.h
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/build/include/build.h
@@ -1064,7 +1064,9 @@ 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 loadlookups(int32_t fp);
+int32_t generatefogpals(void);
+void fillemptylookups(void);
 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 1d4bc7404..958a1267b 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/build/src/engine.c
@@ -8160,20 +8160,15 @@ static int32_t loadpalette(void)
 //
 // <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])
-//  - if didn't (no room), 0
+//  - on success, 0
 //  - on error, -1 (didn't read enough data)
 //  - -2: error, we already wrote an error message ourselves
-int32_t loadlookups(int32_t fp, uint8_t **basepaltabptr)
+int32_t loadlookups(int32_t fp)
 {
     uint8_t numlookups;
     char remapbuf[256];
-    int32_t j, firstfogpal=0;
+    int32_t j;
 
     if (kread(fp, &numlookups, 1) != 1)
         return -1;
@@ -8197,15 +8192,15 @@ int32_t loadlookups(int32_t fp, uint8_t **basepaltabptr)
         makepalookup(palnum, remapbuf, 0,0,0, 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;
+    return 0;
+}
 
-        if (kread(fp, basepaltabptr[basepalnum], 768) != 768)
-            return -1;
-    }
+// Returns:
+//  - if generated fog shade tables, their first palnum P (fog pals are [P .. P+3])
+//  - if didn't (no room), 0
+int32_t generatefogpals(void)
+{
+    int32_t j, firstfogpal=0;
 
     // Find a gap of four consecutive unused pal numbers to generate fog shade tables.
     for (j=1; j<=255-3; j++)
@@ -8220,12 +8215,17 @@ int32_t loadlookups(int32_t fp, uint8_t **basepaltabptr)
             break;
         }
 
+    return firstfogpal;
+}
+
+void fillemptylookups(void)
+{
+    int32_t j;
+
     // Alias remaining unused pal numbers to the base shade table.
     for (j=1; j<MAXPALOOKUPS; j++)
         if (!palookup[j])
             makepalookup(j, NULL, 0,0,0, 1);
-
-    return firstfogpal;
 }
 
 // Finds a color index in [0 .. lastokcol] closest to (r, g, b).
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/astub.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/astub.c
index 0e6604472..f7cd50103 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/astub.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/astub.c
@@ -2343,33 +2343,12 @@ static inline void SpriteName(int16_t spritenum, char *lo2)
 // Returns: did error?
 static int32_t ReadPaletteTable(void)
 {
-    int32_t fp;
-
     // Make base shade table at shade 0 into the identity map.
     // (In the shade table of Duke3D's PALETTE.DAT, palookup[0][239]==143.)
     // This makes it possible to sensibly use Lunatic's engine.saveLookupDat().
     palookup[0][239] = 239;
 
-    if ((fp=kopen4load("lookup.dat",0)) == -1)
-    {
-        if ((fp=kopen4load("lookup.dat",1)) == -1)
-        {
-            initprintf("LOOKUP.DAT not found\n");
-            return 1;
-        }
-    }
-
-    g_firstFogPal = loadlookups(fp, basepaltable);
-    kclose(fp);
-
-    if (g_firstFogPal < 0)
-    {
-        if (g_firstFogPal == -1)
-            initprintf("ERROR loading PALOOKUP.DAT: failed reading enough data\n");
-        return 1;
-    }
-
-    return 0;
+    return G_LoadLookups();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/common.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/common.c
index 244a76c1e..15e7a9616 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/common.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/common.c
@@ -739,3 +739,56 @@ void G_DoAutoload(const char *dirname)
     Bsnprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "autoload/%s", dirname);
     G_LoadGroupsInDir(buf);
 }
+
+//////////
+
+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*/
+};
+
+int32_t g_firstFogPal;
+
+int32_t G_LoadLookups(void)
+{
+    int32_t fp, j;
+
+    if ((fp=kopen4loadfrommod("lookup.dat",0)) == -1)
+    {
+        if ((fp=kopen4loadfrommod("lookup.dat",1)) == -1)
+        {
+            initprintf("ERROR: File \"lookup.dat\" not found.\n");
+            return 1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    j = loadlookups(fp);
+
+    if (j < 0)
+    {
+        if (j == -1)
+            initprintf("ERROR loading \"lookup.dat\": failed reading enough data.\n");
+        return 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, basepaltable[basepalnum], 768) != 768)
+            return -1;
+    }
+
+    kclose(fp);
+
+    g_firstFogPal = generatefogpals();
+
+    fillemptylookups();
+
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/common_game.h b/polymer/eduke32/source/common_game.h
index 7c6b50627..1b2e064e3 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/common_game.h
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/common_game.h
@@ -106,4 +106,11 @@ extern const char * G_GetInstallPath(int32_t insttype);
 void G_LoadGroupsInDir(const char *dirname);
 void G_DoAutoload(const char *dirname);
 
+//////////
+
+extern uint8_t *basepaltable[BASEPALCOUNT];
+
+extern int32_t g_firstFogPal;
+extern int32_t G_LoadLookups(void);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c
index e6c2b16d8..40b5ed45b 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c
@@ -115,15 +115,6 @@ double g_moveActorsTime = 0;  // in ms, smoothed
 
 char boardfilename[BMAX_PATH] = {0}, currentboardfilename[BMAX_PATH] = {0};
 
-
-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*/
-};
-
 int8_t g_noFloorPal[MAXPALOOKUPS];  // 1 if sprite pal should not be taken over from floor pal
 
 int32_t voting = -1;
@@ -7041,8 +7032,6 @@ SPAWN_END:
     return i;
 }
 
-static int32_t g_firstFogPal;
-
 static int32_t G_MaybeTakeOnFloorPal(spritetype *datspr, int32_t sect)
 {
     int32_t dapal = sector[sect].floorpal;
@@ -10680,27 +10669,12 @@ static inline void G_CheckGametype(void)
 
 static void G_LoadExtraPalettes(void)
 {
-    int32_t fp;
-
-    fp = kopen4loadfrommod("lookup.dat", 0);
-    if (fp == -1)
-        G_GameExit("\nERROR: File 'lookup.dat' not found.");
-
-    g_firstFogPal = loadlookups(fp, basepaltable);
-    kclose(fp);
-
-    if (g_firstFogPal < 0)
-    {
-        if (g_firstFogPal == -1)
-            G_GameExit("\nERROR loading 'lookup.dat': failed reading enough data.");
-        else
-            G_GameExit("\nERROR loading 'lookup.dat'.");
-    }
+    G_LoadLookups();
 
     // 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);
+    Bmemset(&basepaltable[BASEPAL][255*3], 0, 3);
+    Bmemset(&basepaltable[WATERPAL][255*3], 0, 3);
+    Bmemset(&basepaltable[SLIMEPAL][255*3], 0, 3);
 }
 
 #define SETFLAG(Tilenum, Flag) g_tile[Tilenum].flags |= Flag
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/game.h b/polymer/eduke32/source/game.h
index 64afe2851..5c81b08d2 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/game.h
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/game.h
@@ -298,7 +298,6 @@ extern palette_t DefaultCrosshairColors;
 
 extern uint32_t g_frameDelay;
 
-extern uint8_t *basepaltable[BASEPALCOUNT];
 extern int8_t g_noFloorPal[MAXPALOOKUPS];
 
 extern user_defs ud;
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/mapster32.h b/polymer/eduke32/source/mapster32.h
index da0435619..ee0272404 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/mapster32.h
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/mapster32.h
@@ -72,18 +72,6 @@ static void EditSpriteData(int16_t spritenum);
 static void EditWallData(int16_t wallnum);
 static void EditSectorData(int16_t sectnum);
 
-#define BASEPALCOUNT 6
-
-static uint8_t WATERpalette[768], SLIMEpalette[768], TITLEpalette[768];
-static uint8_t REALMSpalette[768], BOSS1palette[768];
-
-uint8_t *basepaltable[BASEPALCOUNT] = {
-    palette, WATERpalette, SLIMEpalette,
-    REALMSpalette, TITLEpalette, BOSS1palette,
-};
-
-
-static int32_t g_firstFogPal;
 
 static int32_t updownunits=1024;
 
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/testgame/src/bstub.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/testgame/src/bstub.c
index 2cf2cca1b..4e1338ef9 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/testgame/src/bstub.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/testgame/src/bstub.c
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ int32_t ExtPostStartupWindow(void)
     }
 
     setbasepaltable(basepaltable, 1);
+    fillemptylookups();
 
     Ken_InitMultiPsky();
 
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/testgame/src/game.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/testgame/src/game.c
index 0fde87e4c..36a020c9b 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/testgame/src/game.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/testgame/src/game.c
@@ -528,6 +528,7 @@ int32_t app_main(int32_t argc, const char **argv)
 	}
 
     setbasepaltable(basepaltable, 1);
+    fillemptylookups();
 
     Ken_InitMultiPsky();