diff --git a/source/src/clientgame.cpp b/source/src/clientgame.cpp
index 738b9f00..90063502 100644
--- a/source/src/clientgame.cpp
+++ b/source/src/clientgame.cpp
@@ -96,11 +96,7 @@ void changeteam(int team, bool respawn) // force team and respawn
     c2sinit = false;
     if(m_flags) tryflagdrop(false);
     filtertext(player1->team, team_string(team), 0, MAXTEAMLEN);
-    if(respawn)
-    {
-        addmsg(SV_CHANGETEAM, "r");
-        player1->lastteamchange = lastmillis;
-    }
+    if(respawn) addmsg(SV_CHANGETEAM, "r");
 }
 
 void newteam(char *name)
@@ -276,32 +272,48 @@ void moveotherplayers()
     }
 }
 
-void checkarenaintermission()
+
+bool showhudtimer(int maxsecs, int startmillis, const char *msg, bool flash)
 {
-    static int lastcnt = -1;
-    static string s, t;
-    if(!m_arena || intermission) arenaintermission = 0;
-    if(!arenaintermission) return;
-    int cnt = (lastmillis - arenaintermission) / 200;
-    if(cnt != lastcnt)
+    static string str = "";
+    static int tickstart = 0, curticks = -1, maxticks = -1;
+    int nextticks = (lastmillis - startmillis) / 200;
+    if(tickstart!=startmillis || maxticks != 5*maxsecs)
     {
-        switch(cnt)
+        tickstart = startmillis;
+        maxticks = 5*maxsecs;
+        curticks = -1;
+        s_strcpy(str, "\f3");
+    }
+    if(curticks >= maxticks) return false;
+    nextticks = min(nextticks, maxticks);
+    while(curticks < nextticks)
+    {
+        if(++curticks%5) s_strcat(str, ".");
+        else 
         {
-            case 0:
-                s_strcpy(s, "5");
-                hudonlyf(s);
-                break;
-            case 25:
-                hudeditf("fight!");
-                break;
-            default:
-                if(cnt % 5) strcpy(t, ".");
-                else s_sprintf(t)("%d", 5 - cnt / 5);
-                s_strcat(s, t);
-                hudeditf(s);
-                break;
+            s_sprintfd(sec)("%d", maxsecs - (curticks/5));
+            s_strcat(str, sec);
         }
-        lastcnt = cnt;
+    }
+    hudeditf(HUDMSG_TIMER, nextticks < maxticks ? (flash ? str : str+2) : msg);
+    return true;
+}
+
+int lastspawnattempt = 0;
+
+void showrespawntimer()
+{
+    if(intermission) return;
+    if(m_arena)
+    {
+        if(!arenaintermission) return;
+        showhudtimer(5, arenaintermission, "fight!", lastspawnattempt >= arenaintermission && lastmillis < lastspawnattempt+100);
+    }
+    else if(player1->state==CS_DEAD && (!player1->isspectating() || player1->spectatemode==SM_DEATHCAM))
+    {
+        int secs = m_flags ? 5 : 2;
+        showhudtimer(secs, player1->respawnoffset, "ready!", lastspawnattempt >= arenaintermission && lastmillis < lastspawnattempt+100);
     }
 }
 
@@ -345,7 +357,7 @@ void updateworld(int curtime, int lastmillis)        // main game update loop
     movebounceents();
     moveotherplayers();
     gets2c();
-    checkarenaintermission();
+    showrespawntimer();
 
     // Added by Rick: let bots think
     if(m_botmode) BotManager.Think();
@@ -455,14 +467,13 @@ bool tryrespawn()
         }
 
         int respawnmillis = player1->respawnoffset+(m_arena ? 0 : (m_flags ? 5000 : 2000));
-        if(player1->lastteamchange) respawnmillis = player1->lastteamchange + 1500;
         if(lastmillis>respawnmillis)
         {
             player1->attacking = false;
-            player1->lastteamchange = 0;
             if(m_arena)
             {
-                if(!arenaintermission) hudonlyf("waiting for new round to start...");
+                if(!arenaintermission) hudeditf(HUDMSG_TIMER, "waiting for new round to start...");
+                else lastspawnattempt = lastmillis;
                 return false;
             }
             respawnself();
@@ -470,7 +481,8 @@ bool tryrespawn()
             player1->lastaction -= weapon::weaponchangetime/2;
             return true;
         }
-        else hudonlyf("wait %3.1f seconds to respawn", (respawnmillis-lastmillis)/(float)1000);
+        else lastspawnattempt = lastmillis;
+        //else hudonlyf("wait %3.1f seconds to respawn", (respawnmillis-lastmillis)/(float)1000);
     }
     return false;
 }
diff --git a/source/src/console.cpp b/source/src/console.cpp
index 99f0af0a..5e23f918 100644
--- a/source/src/console.cpp
+++ b/source/src/console.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ VARP(fullconsize, 0, 40, 100);
 VARP(consize, 0, 6, 100);
 VARP(confade, 0, 20, 60);
 
-struct console : consolebuffer
+struct console : consolebuffer<cline>
 {
     int conskip;
     void setconskip(int n)
@@ -28,9 +28,7 @@ struct console : consolebuffer
         else fullconsole = ++fullconsole % 3; 
     }
 
-    void addline(const char *sf) { consolebuffer::addline(sf, totalmillis); }
-
-    vector<char *> visible;
+    void addline(const char *sf) { consolebuffer<cline>::addline(sf, totalmillis); }
 
     void render()
     {
@@ -74,7 +72,7 @@ struct console : consolebuffer
         }
     }
 
-    console() : fullconsole(false) {}
+    console() : consolebuffer<cline>(200), fullconsole(false) {}
 };
 
 console con;
@@ -82,6 +80,8 @@ textinputbuffer cmdline;
 char *cmdaction = NULL, *cmdprompt = NULL;
 bool saycommandon = false;
 
+VARFP(maxcon, 10, 200, 1000, con.setmaxlines(maxcon));
+
 void setconskip(int n) { con.setconskip(n); }
 COMMANDN(conskip, setconskip, ARG_1INT);
 
diff --git a/source/src/console.h b/source/src/console.h
index c688f98d..c05dd000 100644
--- a/source/src/console.h
+++ b/source/src/console.h
@@ -1,19 +1,31 @@
 struct cline { char *line; int millis; };
 
-struct consolebuffer
+template<class LINE> struct consolebuffer
 {
-    vector<cline> conlines;
+    int maxlines;
+    vector<LINE> conlines;
 
-    void addline(const char *sf, int millis)        // add a line to the console buffer
+    consolebuffer(int maxlines = 100) : maxlines(maxlines) {}
+
+    LINE &addline(const char *sf, int millis)        // add a line to the console buffer
     {
-        cline cl;
-        cl.line = conlines.length()>100 ? conlines.pop().line : newstringbuf("");   // constrain the buffer size
+        LINE cl;
+        cl.line = conlines.length()>maxlines ? conlines.pop().line : newstringbuf("");   // constrain the buffer size
         cl.millis = millis;                        // for how long to keep line on screen
-        conlines.insert(0,cl);
         s_strcpy(cl.line, sf);
+        return conlines.insert(0, cl);
     }
 
-    virtual ~consolebuffer() {}
+    void setmaxlines(int numlines)
+    {
+        maxlines = numlines;
+        while(conlines.length() > maxlines) delete[] conlines.pop().line;
+    }
+        
+    virtual ~consolebuffer() 
+    {
+        while(conlines.length()) delete[] conlines.pop().line;
+    }
 
     virtual void render() = 0;
 };
diff --git a/source/src/entity.h b/source/src/entity.h
index c15e1db8..31759bee 100644
--- a/source/src/entity.h
+++ b/source/src/entity.h
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ struct playerent : dynent, playerstate
     int skin, nextskin; // skin after respawning
     int spectatemode, followplayercn;
     int eardamagemillis;
-    int respawnoffset, lastteamchange;
+    int respawnoffset;
     //virtual float eyeheight const { return (state==CS_DEAD || state==CS_SPECTATE) && spectatemode==SM_FLY ? 1.0f : physent::eyeheight; }
     bool allowmove() { return state!=CS_DEAD || spectatemode==SM_FLY; }
 
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ struct playerent : dynent, playerstate
     int smoothmillis;
 
     playerent() : clientnum(-1), lastupdate(0), plag(0), ping(0), lifesequence(0), frags(0), flagscore(0), deaths(0), lastpain(0), lastvoicecom(0), clientrole(CR_DEFAULT),
-                  skin(0), nextskin(0), spectatemode(SM_NONE), followplayercn(-1), eardamagemillis(0), respawnoffset(0), lastteamchange(0),
+                  skin(0), nextskin(0), spectatemode(SM_NONE), followplayercn(-1), eardamagemillis(0), respawnoffset(0),
                   prevweaponsel(NULL), weaponsel(NULL), nextweaponsel(NULL), primweap(NULL), nextprimweap(NULL), lastattackweapon(NULL),
                   smoothmillis(-1)
     {
diff --git a/source/src/protos.h b/source/src/protos.h
index 274080a3..9df7cba6 100644
--- a/source/src/protos.h
+++ b/source/src/protos.h
@@ -472,11 +472,16 @@ extern bool noteditmode();
 extern void pruneundos(int maxremain = 0);
 
 // renderhud
+enum
+{
+    HUDMSG_INFO = 0,
+    HUDMSG_TIMER
+};
 extern void gl_drawhud(int w, int h, int curfps, int nquads, int curvert, bool underwater);
 extern void loadingscreen(const char *fmt = NULL, ...);
 extern void hudoutf(const char *s, ...);
 extern void hudonlyf(const char *s, ...);
-extern void hudeditf(const char *s, ...);
+extern void hudeditf(int type, const char *s, ...);
 extern void show_out_of_renderloop_progress(float bar1, const char *text1, float bar2 = 0, const char *text2 = NULL);
 extern void updatedmgindicator(vec &attack);
 
diff --git a/source/src/renderhud.cpp b/source/src/renderhud.cpp
index 4167619d..6d41f1cf 100644
--- a/source/src/renderhud.cpp
+++ b/source/src/renderhud.cpp
@@ -260,14 +260,30 @@ void drawradarent(float x, float y, float yaw, int col, int row, float iconsize,
     }
 }
 
-struct hudmessages : consolebuffer
+struct hudline : cline
 {
-    void addline(const char *sf) { consolebuffer::addline(sf, totalmillis); }
-    void editlastline(const char *sf)
+    int type;
+
+    hudline() : type(HUDMSG_INFO) {}
+};
+
+struct hudmessages : consolebuffer<hudline>
+{
+    hudmessages() : consolebuffer<hudline>(20) {}
+
+    void addline(const char *sf) 
+    { 
+        consolebuffer<hudline>::addline(sf, totalmillis); 
+    }
+    void editline(int type, const char *sf)
     {
         if(!conlines.length()) return;
-        conlines[0].millis = totalmillis;
-        s_strcpy(conlines[0].line, sf);
+        if(conlines.length() && conlines[0].type==type)
+        {
+            conlines[0].millis = totalmillis;
+            s_strcpy(conlines[0].line, sf);
+        }
+        else consolebuffer<hudline>::addline(sf, totalmillis).type = type;
     }
     void render()
     {
@@ -290,7 +306,7 @@ void hudoutf(const char *s, ...)
 {
     s_sprintfdv(sf, s);
     hudmsgs.addline(sf);
-    conoutf(sf);
+    conoutf("%s", sf);
 }
 
 void hudonlyf(const char *s, ...)
@@ -299,10 +315,10 @@ void hudonlyf(const char *s, ...)
     hudmsgs.addline(sf);
 }
 
-void hudeditf(const char *s, ...)
+void hudeditf(int type, const char *s, ...)
 {
     s_sprintfdv(sf, s);
-    hudmsgs.editlastline(sf);
+    hudmsgs.editline(type, sf);
 }
 
 bool insideradar(const vec &centerpos, float radius, const vec &o)