diff --git a/engine/common/mod_local.h b/engine/common/mod_local.h
index c114300c..e1c32351 100644
--- a/engine/common/mod_local.h
+++ b/engine/common/mod_local.h
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@ void Mod_StudioGetAttachment( const edict_t *e, int iAttachment, float *org, flo
 void Mod_GetBonePosition( const edict_t *e, int iBone, float *org, float *ang );
 hull_t *Mod_HullForStudio( model_t *m, float frame, int seq, vec3_t ang, vec3_t org, vec3_t size, byte *pcnt, byte *pbl, int *hitboxes, edict_t *ed );
 void *R_StudioGetAnim( studiohdr_t *m_pStudioHeader, model_t *m_pSubModel, mstudioseqdesc_t *pseqdesc );
+void Mod_SwapStudioSeqGroupAnims( studiohdr_t *phdr, mstudioseqdesc_t *pseq, byte *buf );
 int Mod_HitgroupForStudioHull( int index );
 void Mod_ClearStudioCache( void );
 
diff --git a/engine/common/mod_studio.c b/engine/common/mod_studio.c
index 51b16164..3c3d9d3f 100644
--- a/engine/common/mod_studio.c
+++ b/engine/common/mod_studio.c
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ static void Mod_StudioCalcRotations( int boneused[], int numbones, const byte *p
 }
 
 
-static void Mod_SwapStudioSeqGroupAnims( studiohdr_t *phdr, mstudioseqdesc_t *pseq, byte *buf )
+void Mod_SwapStudioSeqGroupAnims( studiohdr_t *phdr, mstudioseqdesc_t *pseq, byte *buf )
 {
 	mstudioanim_t *panim = (mstudioanim_t *)( buf + pseq->animindex );
 	int numanims = pseq->numblends * phdr->numbones;
diff --git a/engine/common/model.c b/engine/common/model.c
index 7ef52838..6c557bee 100644
--- a/engine/common/model.c
+++ b/engine/common/model.c
@@ -608,6 +608,31 @@ void GAME_EXPORT Mod_LoadCacheFile( const char *filename, cache_user_t *cu )
 	cu->data = Mem_Malloc( com_studiocache, size );
 	memcpy( cu->data, buf, size );
 	Mem_Free( buf );
+
+	// this handles when studio model renderer tries to load sequence files on it's own
+	// which is what they always do in HLSDK
+#if XASH_BIG_ENDIAN
+	if( size >= sizeof( int ) && LittleLong( IDSEQGRPHEADER ) == *(uint *)cu->data )
+	{
+		studiohdr_t *phdr = (studiohdr_t *)(intptr_t)REF_GET_PARM( PARM_GET_STUDIO_HDR, 0 );
+		if( !phdr )
+			return;
+
+		mstudioseqdesc_t *pseq = (mstudioseqdesc_t *)((byte *)phdr + phdr->seqindex );
+
+		for( int i = 0; i < phdr->numseq; i++ )
+		{
+			if( pseq[i].seqgroup == 0 )
+				continue;
+
+			mstudioseqgroup_t *pgrp = (mstudioseqgroup_t *)((byte *)phdr + phdr->seqgroupindex ) + pseq[i].seqgroup;
+
+			// assuming filename passes seqgroup's name
+			if( !Q_stricmp( pgrp->name, filename ))
+				Mod_SwapStudioSeqGroupAnims( phdr, &pseq[i], (byte *)cu->data );
+		}
+	}
+#endif
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/engine/ref_api.h b/engine/ref_api.h
index 571946bf..d504faa9 100644
--- a/engine/ref_api.h
+++ b/engine/ref_api.h
@@ -342,6 +342,7 @@ typedef enum
 	PARM_GET_LIGHTSTYLES_PTR = -20,
 	PARM_GET_DLIGHTS_PTR = -21,
 	PARM_GET_ELIGHTS_PTR = -22,
+	PARM_GET_STUDIO_HDR = -23, // current m_pStudioHeader in renderer
 
 	// implemented by ref_dll
 
diff --git a/ref/gl/gl_context.c b/ref/gl/gl_context.c
index 96f6bc70..f436b0e7 100644
--- a/ref/gl/gl_context.c
+++ b/ref/gl/gl_context.c
@@ -230,6 +230,8 @@ static int GL_RefGetParm( int parm, int arg )
 			return gl_texture_nearest.value == 0.0f;
 
 		return GL_TextureFilteringEnabled( R_GetTexture( arg ));
+	case PARM_GET_STUDIO_HDR:
+		return (intptr_t)R_StudioGetHeader();
 	default:
 		return ENGINE_GET_PARM_( parm, arg );
 	}
diff --git a/ref/gl/gl_local.h b/ref/gl/gl_local.h
index 744bac86..f99a105b 100644
--- a/ref/gl/gl_local.h
+++ b/ref/gl/gl_local.h
@@ -403,6 +403,7 @@ void R_DrawSpriteModel( cl_entity_t *e );
 // gl_studio.c
 //
 void R_StudioInit( void );
+studiohdr_t *R_StudioGetHeader( void );
 void R_StudioLerpMovement( cl_entity_t *e, double time, vec3_t origin, vec3_t angles );
 struct mstudiotex_s *R_StudioGetTexture( cl_entity_t *e );
 int R_GetEntityRenderMode( cl_entity_t *ent );
diff --git a/ref/gl/gl_studio.c b/ref/gl/gl_studio.c
index aa223470..1bed6a0e 100644
--- a/ref/gl/gl_studio.c
+++ b/ref/gl/gl_studio.c
@@ -2602,6 +2602,11 @@ static void R_StudioSetHeader( studiohdr_t *pheader )
 	m_fDoRemap = false;
 }
 
+studiohdr_t *R_StudioGetHeader( void )
+{
+	return m_pStudioHeader;
+}
+
 /*
 ===============
 R_StudioSetRenderModel
diff --git a/ref/soft/r_context.c b/ref/soft/r_context.c
index 5ee0c558..c9113d00 100644
--- a/ref/soft/r_context.c
+++ b/ref/soft/r_context.c
@@ -188,6 +188,8 @@ static int GL_RefGetParm( int parm, int arg )
 		return 0; // ref_soft doesn't support sky sphere
 	case PARM_TEX_FILTERING:
 		return 0; // ref_soft doesn't do filtering in general
+	case PARM_GET_STUDIO_HDR:
+		return (intptr_t)R_StudioGetHeader();
 	default:
 		return ENGINE_GET_PARM_( parm, arg );
 	}
diff --git a/ref/soft/r_local.h b/ref/soft/r_local.h
index 3eab6695..a3a3f3ae 100644
--- a/ref/soft/r_local.h
+++ b/ref/soft/r_local.h
@@ -392,6 +392,7 @@ void R_DrawSpriteModel( cl_entity_t *e );
 // gl_studio.c
 //
 void R_StudioInit( void );
+studiohdr_t *R_StudioGetHeader( void );
 void Mod_LoadStudioModel( model_t *mod, const void *buffer, qboolean *loaded );
 void R_StudioLerpMovement( cl_entity_t *e, double time, vec3_t origin, vec3_t angles );
 struct mstudiotex_s *R_StudioGetTexture( cl_entity_t *e );
diff --git a/ref/soft/r_studio.c b/ref/soft/r_studio.c
index 87279ef7..a75b0a63 100644
--- a/ref/soft/r_studio.c
+++ b/ref/soft/r_studio.c
@@ -2267,6 +2267,11 @@ static void R_StudioSetHeader( studiohdr_t *pheader )
 	m_fDoRemap = false;
 }
 
+studiohdr_t *R_StudioGetHeader( void )
+{
+	return m_pStudioHeader;
+}
+
 /*
 ===============
 R_StudioSetRenderModel