diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/game.cpp b/source/games/duke/src/game.cpp
index 688e67cb5..5f8402919 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/game.cpp
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/game.cpp
@@ -383,6 +383,7 @@ void GameInterface::app_init()
 	ud.cameraactor = nullptr;
 	moves.Push({});		// make sure the first entry in 'moves' is a null move.
 	actions.Push({});	// make sure the first entry in 'actions' is a null action.
+	ais.Push({});	// make sure the first entry in 'actions' is a null action.
 
 	if (fileSystem.FileExists("DUKESW.BIN"))
 		g_gameType |= GAMEFLAG_SHAREWARE;
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/gamedef.cpp b/source/games/duke/src/gamedef.cpp
index 0bb8a4f38..45928b5c0 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/gamedef.cpp
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/gamedef.cpp
@@ -1118,28 +1118,25 @@ int ConCompiler::parsecommand()
 				warningcount++;
 				Printf(TEXTCOLOR_RED "  * WARNING.(%s, line %d) Duplicate ai '%s' ignored.\n", fn, line_number, parselabel.GetChars());
 			}
-			else appendlabeladdress(LABEL_AI);
+			else appendlabelvalue(LABEL_AI, ais.Size());
 
-			for (j = 0; j < 3; j++)
+			ActorAI& ai = ais[ais.Reserve(1)];
+			ai.name = parselabel.GetChars();
+			ai.move = ai.action = ai.moveflags = 0;
+			if (keyword() >= 0) break;
+			transnum(LABEL_ACTION);
+			ai.action = popscriptvalue();
+			if (keyword() >= 0) return 0;
+			transnum(LABEL_MOVE);
+			ai.move = popscriptvalue();
+			if (keyword() >= 0) return 0;
+			k = 0;
+			while (keyword() == -1)
 			{
-				if (keyword() >= 0) break;
-				if (j == 2)
-				{
-					k = 0;
-					while (keyword() == -1)
-					{
-						transnum(LABEL_DEFINE);
-						k |= popscriptvalue();
-					}
-					appendscriptvalue(k);
-					return 0;
-				}
-				else transnum(j==0? LABEL_ACTION : LABEL_MOVE);
-			}
-			for (k = j; k < 3; k++)
-			{
-				appendscriptvalue(0);
+				transnum(LABEL_DEFINE);
+				k |= popscriptvalue();
 			}
+			ai.moveflags = k;
 		}
 		return 0;
 
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/gameexec.cpp b/source/games/duke/src/gameexec.cpp
index 8a833bd38..072890e31 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/gameexec.cpp
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/gameexec.cpp
@@ -1552,16 +1552,19 @@ int ParseState::parse(void)
 	}
 	break;
 	case concmd_ai:
+	{
 		insptr++;
-		g_t[5] = *insptr;
-		g_ac->curAction = &actions[ScriptCode[g_t[5]]];		  // Action
-		g_ac->curMove = &moves[ScriptCode[g_t[5] + 1]];		// move
-		g_ac->spr.hitag = ScriptCode[g_t[5] + 2];	  // Ai
+		auto ai = &ais[*insptr];
+		g_ac->curAI = ai->name;
+		g_ac->curAction = &actions[ai->action];
+		g_ac->curMove = &moves[ai->move];
+		g_ac->spr.hitag = ai->moveflags;
 		g_t[0] = g_t[2] = g_t[3] = 0;
 		if (g_ac->spr.hitag & random_angle)
 			g_ac->spr.Angles.Yaw = randomAngle();
 		insptr++;
 		break;
+	}
 	case concmd_action:
 		insptr++;
 		g_t[2] = 0;
@@ -1908,7 +1911,7 @@ int ParseState::parse(void)
 		break;
 	case concmd_ifai:
 		insptr++;
-		parseifelse(g_t[5] == *insptr);
+		parseifelse(g_ac->curAI == ais[*insptr].name);
 		break;
 	case concmd_ifaction:
 		insptr++;
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/savegame.cpp b/source/games/duke/src/savegame.cpp
index 99a8fe4ac..a63bf525e 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/savegame.cpp
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/savegame.cpp
@@ -319,7 +319,8 @@ void DDukeActor::Serialize(FSerializer& arc)
 		("flags2", flags2)
 		("flags3", flags3)
 		("curmove", curMove)
-		("curaction", curAction);
+		("curaction", curAction)
+		("curai", curAI);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/types.h b/source/games/duke/src/types.h
index 98dba5bc1..0c6890b5c 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/types.h
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/types.h
@@ -40,8 +40,17 @@ struct ActorAction
 	int16_t delay;
 };
 
+struct ActorAI
+{
+	FName name;
+	uint32_t move;
+	uint32_t action;
+	int moveflags;
+};
+
 inline TArray<ActorMove> moves;
 inline TArray<ActorAction> actions;
+inline TArray<ActorAI> ais;
 
 struct ActorInfo
 {
@@ -91,6 +100,7 @@ public:
 	DVector3 temp_pos, temp_pos2;
 	ActorMove* curMove;
 	ActorAction* curAction;
+	FName curAI;	// no need to store the pointer here.
 
 	TObjPtr<DDukeActor*> temp_actor, seek_actor;