diff --git a/source/src/main.cpp b/source/src/main.cpp
index 2566b1f2..56cb36f0 100644
--- a/source/src/main.cpp
+++ b/source/src/main.cpp
@@ -658,9 +658,10 @@ void resetgl()
 
     extern void reloadfonts();
     extern void reloadtextures();
+    extern Texture *startscreen;
     c2skeepalive();
     if(!reloadtexture(*notexture) ||
-       !reloadtexture("packages/misc/startscreen.png"))
+       !reloadtexture(*startscreen))
         fatal("failed to reload core texture");
     loadingscreen();
     c2skeepalive();
diff --git a/source/src/protos.h b/source/src/protos.h
index be6936bf..66bf146d 100644
--- a/source/src/protos.h
+++ b/source/src/protos.h
@@ -303,9 +303,7 @@ extern Texture *textureload(const char *name, int clamp = 0, bool mipmap = true,
 extern Texture *lookuptexture(int tex, Texture *failtex = notexture, bool trydl = false);
 extern const char *gettextureslot(int i);
 extern bool reloadtexture(Texture &t);
-extern bool reloadtexture(const char *name);
 extern void reloadtextures();
-Texture *createtexturefromsurface(const char *name, SDL_Surface *s);
 extern void blitsurface(SDL_Surface *dst, SDL_Surface *src, int x, int y);
 void loadskymap(bool reload);
 
diff --git a/source/src/renderhud.cpp b/source/src/renderhud.cpp
index 10472ccb..2159022d 100644
--- a/source/src/renderhud.cpp
+++ b/source/src/renderhud.cpp
@@ -1138,10 +1138,12 @@ void gl_drawhud(int w, int h, int curfps, int nquads, int curvert, bool underwat
     glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
 }
 
+
+Texture *startscreen = NULL;
+
 void loadingscreen(const char *fmt, ...)
 {
-    static Texture *logo = NULL;
-    if(!logo) logo = textureload("packages/misc/startscreen.png", 3);
+    if(!startscreen) startscreen = textureload("packages/misc/startscreen.png", 3);
 
     glEnable(GL_TEXTURE_2D);
     glDisable(GL_DEPTH_TEST);
@@ -1159,7 +1161,7 @@ void loadingscreen(const char *fmt, ...)
     loopi(fmt ? 1 : 2)
     {
         glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);
-        quad(logo->id, (VIRTW-VIRTH)/2, 0, VIRTH, 0, 0, 1);
+        quad(startscreen->id, (VIRTW-VIRTH)/2, 0, VIRTH, 0, 0, 1);
         if(fmt)
         {
             glEnable(GL_BLEND);
diff --git a/source/src/texture.cpp b/source/src/texture.cpp
index 84700fdc..9d7c9216 100644
--- a/source/src/texture.cpp
+++ b/source/src/texture.cpp
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ void scaletexture(uchar *src, uint sw, uint sh, uint bpp, uchar *dst, uint dw, u
 
 Texture *notexture = NULL, *noworldtexture = NULL;
 
+#define TEXSCALEPREFIXSIZE 8
 hashtable<char *, Texture> textures;
 
 VAR(hwtexsize, 1, 0, 0);
@@ -428,17 +429,17 @@ GLuint loadsurface(const char *texname, int &xs, int &ys, int &bpp, int clamp =
 
 Texture *textureload(const char *name, int clamp, bool mipmap, bool canreduce, float scale, bool trydl)
 {
-    string pname;
-    copystring(pname, name);
-    path(pname);
+    defformatstring(pname)("%.7g        ", scale);
+    copystring(pname + TEXSCALEPREFIXSIZE, name, MAXSTRLEN - TEXSCALEPREFIXSIZE);
+    path(pname + TEXSCALEPREFIXSIZE);
     Texture *t = textures.access(pname);
     if(t) return t;
     int xs, ys, bpp;
-    GLuint id = loadsurface(pname, xs, ys, bpp, clamp, mipmap, canreduce, scale, trydl);
+    GLuint id = loadsurface(pname + TEXSCALEPREFIXSIZE, xs, ys, bpp, clamp, mipmap, canreduce, scale, trydl);
     if(!id) return notexture;
     char *key = newstring(pname);
     t = &textures[key];
-    t->name = key;
+    t->name = key + TEXSCALEPREFIXSIZE;
     t->xs = xs;
     t->ys = ys;
     t->bpp = bpp;
@@ -450,34 +451,6 @@ Texture *textureload(const char *name, int clamp, bool mipmap, bool canreduce, f
     return t;
 }
 
-Texture *createtexturefromsurface(const char *name, SDL_Surface *s)
-{
-    string pname;
-    copystring(pname, name);
-    path(pname);
-    Texture *t = textures.access(pname);
-    if(!t)
-    {
-        char *key = newstring(pname);
-        t = &textures[key];
-        t->name = key;
-    }
-
-    GLuint tnum;
-    glGenTextures(1, &tnum);
-    GLenum format = texformat(s->format->BitsPerPixel);
-    createtexture(tnum, s->w, s->h, s->pixels, 0, true, false, format);
-
-    t->xs = s->w;
-    t->ys = s->h;
-    t->bpp = s->format->BitsPerPixel;
-    t->clamp = 0;
-    t->mipmap = true;
-    t->canreduce = false;
-    t->id = tnum;
-    return t;
-}
-
 struct Slot
 {
     string name;
@@ -525,6 +498,7 @@ COMMANDF(texture, "fs", (float *scale, char *name)
     intret(slots.length());
     Slot &s = slots.add();
     _texture(s, scale, name);
+    if(*scale < 0.0f || *scale > 2.0f) conoutf("\f3texture slot #%d \"%s\" error: scale factor %.7g out of range 0..2", slots.length() - 1, name, *scale);
     flagmapconfigchange();
 });
 
@@ -580,13 +554,6 @@ bool reloadtexture(Texture &t)
     return t.id!=0;
 }
 
-bool reloadtexture(const char *name)
-{
-    Texture *t = textures.access(path(name, true));
-    if(t) return reloadtexture(*t);
-    return false;
-}
-
 void reloadtextures()
 {
     enumerate(textures, Texture, t, reloadtexture(t));