diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/duke3d.h b/polymer/eduke32/source/duke3d.h
index 967898939..9b62ff8d9 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/duke3d.h
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/duke3d.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
 //-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 // this is checked against http://eduke32.com/VERSION
-#define BUILDDATE " 20080825"
+#define BUILDDATE " 20080826"
 #define APPNAME "EDuke32"
 #define VERSION " 1.5.0devel"
 #define HEAD2 APPNAME VERSION BUILDDATE
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c
index 9897f4580..7237d1355 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c
@@ -10178,6 +10178,8 @@ static void Startup(void)
 {
     int i;
 
+    inittimer(TICRATE);
+
     compilecons();
 
     CONFIG_ReadKeys(); // we re-read the keys after compiling the CONs
@@ -10306,8 +10308,6 @@ static void Startup(void)
     for (i=0;i<joynumaxes;i++)
         setjoydeadzone(i,ud.config.JoystickAnalogueDead[i],ud.config.JoystickAnalogueSaturate[i]);
 
-    inittimer(TICRATE);
-
     //initprintf("* Hold Esc to Abort. *\n");
 //    initprintf("Loading art header...\n");
 
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/gamedef.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/gamedef.c
index ee4e94b72..d725d0c2e 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/gamedef.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/gamedef.c
@@ -1006,18 +1006,6 @@ void freehash()
     HASH_free(&gamevarH);
     HASH_free(&arrayH);
     HASH_free(&labelH);
-    HASH_free(&keywH);
-    freehashnames();
-
-    HASH_free(&sectorH);
-    HASH_free(&wallH);
-    HASH_free(&userdefH);
-
-    HASH_free(&projectileH);
-    HASH_free(&playerH);
-    HASH_free(&inputH);
-    HASH_free(&actorH);
-    HASH_free(&tspriteH);
 }
 
 static int increasescriptsize(int size)
@@ -1469,7 +1457,7 @@ static void getlabel(void)
 
     i = 0;
     while (ispecial(*textptr) == 0 && *textptr!='['&& *textptr!=']' && *textptr!='\t' && *textptr!='\n' && *textptr!='\r')
-        label[(labelcnt<<6)+i++] = *(textptr++);
+        label[(labelcnt<<6)+(i++)] = *(textptr++);
 
     label[(labelcnt<<6)+i] = 0;
     if (!(error || warning) && g_ScriptDebug > 1)
@@ -1494,10 +1482,7 @@ static int keyword(void)
 
     i = 0;
     while (isaltok(*temptextptr))
-    {
-        tempbuf[i] = *(temptextptr++);
-        i++;
-    }
+        tempbuf[i++] = *(temptextptr++);
     tempbuf[i] = 0;
     return HASH_find(&keywH,tempbuf);
 }
@@ -1578,7 +1563,7 @@ static void transvartype(int type)
         getlabel();
         return;
     }
-    else if ((*textptr == '-') && !isdigit(*(textptr+1)))
+    else if ((*textptr == '-')/* && !isdigit(*(textptr+1))*/)
     {
         if (!type)
         {
@@ -2069,20 +2054,6 @@ static int parsecommand(void)
             ReportError(ERROR_ISAKEYWORD);
             return 0;
         }
-#if 0
-        for (i=0;i<iGameVarCount;i++)
-        {
-            if (aGameVars[i].szLabel != NULL)
-            {
-                if (Bstrcmp(label+(labelcnt<<6),aGameVars[i].szLabel) == 0)
-                {
-                    warning++;
-                    initprintf("  * WARNING.(L%d) duplicate Game definition `%s' ignored.\n",line_number,label+(labelcnt<<6));
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-        }
-#endif
 
         //printf("Translating number  '%.20s'\n",textptr);
         transnum(LABEL_DEFINE); // get initial value
@@ -5507,6 +5478,7 @@ void loadefs(const char *filenam)
     char *mptr;
     int i;
     int fs,fp;
+    int startcompiletime;
 
     clearbuf(apScriptGameEvent,MAXGAMEEVENTS,0L);
 
@@ -5551,6 +5523,8 @@ void loadefs(const char *filenam)
 
     initprintf("Compiling: %s (%d bytes)\n",filenam,fs);
 
+    startcompiletime = getticks();
+
     mptr = (char *)Bmalloc(fs+1);
     if (!mptr)
     {
@@ -5649,10 +5623,25 @@ void loadefs(const char *filenam)
     {
         int j=0, k=0;
 
+        HASH_free(&keywH);
+        freehashnames();
+
+        HASH_free(&sectorH);
+        HASH_free(&wallH);
+        HASH_free(&userdefH);
+
+        HASH_free(&projectileH);
+        HASH_free(&playerH);
+        HASH_free(&inputH);
+        HASH_free(&actorH);
+        HASH_free(&tspriteH);
+
         total_lines += line_number;
 
         increasescriptsize(scriptptr-script+1);
 
+        initprintf("Compile completed in %dms\n",getticks()-startcompiletime);
+
         initprintf("Compiled code size: %ld*%d bytes, version %s\n",(unsigned)(scriptptr-script),sizeof(intptr_t),(g_ScriptVersion == 14?"1.4+":"1.3D"));
         initprintf("%ld/%ld labels, %d/%d variables\n",labelcnt,min((MAXSECTORS * sizeof(sectortype)/sizeof(int)),(MAXSPRITES * sizeof(spritetype)/(1<<6))),iGameVarCount,MAXGAMEVARS);
 
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/gamevars.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/gamevars.c
index 2f28c7e3b..aa27d39ce 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/gamevars.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/gamevars.c
@@ -462,39 +462,30 @@ int AddGameVar(const char *pszLabel, int lValue, unsigned int dwFlags)
         initprintf("%s:%d: error: variable name `%s' exceeds limit of %d characters.\n",compilefile,line_number,pszLabel, MAXVARLABEL);
         return 0;
     }
-    for (i=0;i<iGameVarCount;i++)
+    i = HASH_find(&gamevarH,pszLabel);
+
+    if (i >= 0 && !aGameVars[i].bReset)
     {
-        if (aGameVars[i].szLabel != NULL && !aGameVars[i].bReset)
+        // found it...
+        if (aGameVars[i].dwFlags & (GAMEVAR_FLAG_INTPTR|GAMEVAR_FLAG_SHORTPTR|GAMEVAR_FLAG_CHARPTR))
         {
-            if (Bstrcmp(pszLabel,aGameVars[i].szLabel) == 0)
-            {
-                // found it...
-                if (aGameVars[i].dwFlags & (GAMEVAR_FLAG_INTPTR|GAMEVAR_FLAG_SHORTPTR|GAMEVAR_FLAG_CHARPTR))
-                {
-                    //  			   warning++;
-                    //  			   initprintf("%s:%d: warning: Internal gamevar '%s' cannot be redefined.\n",compilefile,line_number,label+(labelcnt<<6));
-                    ReportError(-1);
-                    initprintf("%s:%d: warning: cannot redefine internal gamevar `%s'.\n",compilefile,line_number,label+(labelcnt<<6));
-                    return 0;
-                }
-                else if ((aGameVars[i].dwFlags & GAMEVAR_FLAG_DEFAULT) || (aGameVars[i].dwFlags & GAMEVAR_FLAG_SYSTEM))
-                {
-                    //Bsprintf(g_szBuf,"Replacing %s at %d",pszLabel,i);
-                    //AddLog(g_szBuf);
-                    //b=1;
-                    // it's OK to replace
-                    break;
-                }
-                else
-                {
-                    // it's a duplicate in error
-                    warning++;
-                    ReportError(WARNING_DUPLICATEDEFINITION);
-                    return 0;
-                }
-            }
+            //  			   warning++;
+            //  			   initprintf("%s:%d: warning: Internal gamevar '%s' cannot be redefined.\n",compilefile,line_number,label+(labelcnt<<6));
+            ReportError(-1);
+            initprintf("%s:%d: warning: cannot redefine internal gamevar `%s'.\n",compilefile,line_number,label+(labelcnt<<6));
+            return 0;
+        }
+        else if (!(aGameVars[i].dwFlags & GAMEVAR_FLAG_DEFAULT) && !(aGameVars[i].dwFlags & GAMEVAR_FLAG_SYSTEM))
+        {
+            // it's a duplicate in error
+            warning++;
+            ReportError(WARNING_DUPLICATEDEFINITION);
+            return 0;
         }
     }
+    if (i == -1)
+        i = iGameVarCount;
+
     if (i < MAXGAMEVARS)
     {
         // Set values
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/menus.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/menus.c
index 97bc094b2..d93779021 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/menus.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/menus.c
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ static void modval(int min, int max,int *p,int dainc,int damodify)
 
 #define UNSELMENUSHADE 10
 #define DISABLEDMENUSHADE 20
-#define MENUHIGHLIGHT(x) probey==x?-(sintable[(totalclock<<4)&2047]>>12):UNSELMENUSHADE
+#define MENUHIGHLIGHT(x) probey==x?(sintable[(totalclock<<5)&2047]>>12):UNSELMENUSHADE
 // #define MENUHIGHLIGHT(x) probey==x?-(sintable[(totalclock<<4)&2047]>>12):probey-x>=0?(probey-x)<<2:-((probey-x)<<2)
 
 #define SHX(X) 0