diff --git a/engine/client/cl_game.c b/engine/client/cl_game.c
index 2bc817ab..45a5d54e 100644
--- a/engine/client/cl_game.c
+++ b/engine/client/cl_game.c
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ static void CL_InitTitles( const char *filename )
 	pMemFile = FS_LoadFile( filename, &fileSize, false );
 	if( !pMemFile ) return;
 
-	CL_TextMessageParse( pMemFile, fileSize );
+	clgame.titles = CL_TextMessageParse( clgame.mempool, pMemFile, fileSize, &clgame.numTitles );
 	Mem_Free( pMemFile );
 }
 
diff --git a/engine/client/client.h b/engine/client/client.h
index 53585a80..e4682363 100644
--- a/engine/client/client.h
+++ b/engine/client/client.h
@@ -851,7 +851,7 @@ void CL_ClearWorld( void );
 void CL_DrawCenterPrint( void );
 void CL_ClearSpriteTextures( void );
 void CL_CenterPrint( const char *text, float y );
-void CL_TextMessageParse( byte *pMemFile, int fileSize );
+client_textmessage_t *CL_TextMessageParse( poolhandle_t mempool, byte *pMemFile, int fileSize, int *numTitles );
 client_textmessage_t *CL_TextMessageGet( const char *pName );
 void NetAPI_CancelAllRequests( void );
 model_t *CL_LoadClientSprite( const char *filename );
diff --git a/engine/client/titles.c b/engine/client/titles.c
index 1a0746dd..68727411 100644
--- a/engine/client/titles.c
+++ b/engine/client/titles.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ GNU General Public License for more details.
 
 #include "common.h"
 #include "client.h"
+#include "tests.h"
 
 #define MAX_MESSAGES	2048
 
@@ -208,7 +209,7 @@ static int ParseDirective( const char *pText )
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void CL_TextMessageParse( byte *pMemFile, int fileSize )
+client_textmessage_t *CL_TextMessageParse( poolhandle_t mempool, byte *pMemFile, int fileSize, int *numTitles )
 {
 	char			buf[512], trim[512], currentName[512];
 	char			*pCurrentText = NULL, *pNameHeap;
@@ -251,7 +252,7 @@ void CL_TextMessageParse( byte *pMemFile, int fileSize )
 			if( IsEndOfText( trim ))
 			{
 				Con_Reportf( "%s: unexpected '}' found, line %d\n", __func__, lineNumber );
-				return;
+				return NULL;
 			}
 			Q_strncpy( currentName, trim, sizeof( currentName ));
 			break;
@@ -264,7 +265,7 @@ void CL_TextMessageParse( byte *pMemFile, int fileSize )
 				if( lastNamePos + length > 32768 )
 				{
 					Con_Reportf( "%s: error while parsing!\n", __func__ );
-					return;
+					return NULL;
 				}
 
 				Q_strncpy( nameHeap + lastNamePos, currentName, sizeof( nameHeap ) - lastNamePos );
@@ -287,7 +288,7 @@ void CL_TextMessageParse( byte *pMemFile, int fileSize )
 			if( IsStartOfText( trim ))
 			{
 				Con_Reportf( "%s: unexpected '{' found, line %d\n", __func__, lineNumber );
-				return;
+				return NULL;
 			}
 			break;
 		}
@@ -312,22 +313,19 @@ void CL_TextMessageParse( byte *pMemFile, int fileSize )
 
 	if(( textHeapSize + nameHeapSize + messageSize ) <= 0 )
 	{
-		clgame.titles = NULL;
-		clgame.numTitles = 0;
-		return;
+		*numTitles = 0;
+		return NULL;
 	}
 
 	// must malloc because we need to be able to clear it after initialization
-	clgame.titles = (client_textmessage_t *)Mem_Calloc( cls.mempool, textHeapSize + nameHeapSize + messageSize );
+	client_textmessage_t *out = Mem_Calloc( mempool, textHeapSize + nameHeapSize + messageSize );
 
 	// copy table over
-	memcpy( clgame.titles, textMessages, messageSize );
+	memcpy( out, textMessages, messageSize );
 
 	// copy Name heap
-	pNameHeap = ((char *)clgame.titles) + messageSize;
+	pNameHeap = ((char *)out) + messageSize;
 	memcpy( pNameHeap, nameHeap, nameHeapSize );
-	//nameOffset = pNameHeap - clgame.titles[0].pName; //undefined on amd64
-
 
 	// copy text & fixup pointers
 	textHeapSizeRemaining = textHeapSize;
@@ -335,19 +333,112 @@ void CL_TextMessageParse( byte *pMemFile, int fileSize )
 
 	for( i = 0; i < messageCount; i++ )
 	{
-		size_t currentTextSize = Q_strlen( clgame.titles[i].pMessage ) + 1;
+		size_t currentTextSize = Q_strlen( out[i].pMessage ) + 1;
 
-		clgame.titles[i].pName = pNameHeap;			// adjust name pointer (parallel buffer)
-		Q_strncpy( pCurrentText, clgame.titles[i].pMessage, textHeapSizeRemaining );	// copy text over
-		clgame.titles[i].pMessage = pCurrentText;
+		out[i].pName = pNameHeap;			// adjust name pointer (parallel buffer)
+		Q_strncpy( pCurrentText, out[i].pMessage, textHeapSizeRemaining );	// copy text over
+		out[i].pMessage = pCurrentText;
 
 		pNameHeap += Q_strlen( pNameHeap ) + 1;
 		pCurrentText += currentTextSize;
 		textHeapSizeRemaining -= currentTextSize;
 	}
 
-	if(( pCurrentText - (char *)clgame.titles ) != ( textHeapSize + nameHeapSize + messageSize ))
+	if(( pCurrentText - (char *)out ) != ( textHeapSize + nameHeapSize + messageSize ))
 		Con_DPrintf( S_ERROR "%s: overflow text message buffer!\n", __func__ );
 
-	clgame.numTitles = messageCount;
+	*numTitles = messageCount;
+
+	return out;
 }
+
+#if XASH_ENGINE_TESTS
+
+void Test_RunTitles( void )
+{
+	poolhandle_t mempool = Mem_AllocPool( __func__ );
+	client_textmessage_t *tmessages;
+	client_textmessage_t *null;
+	int num_titles = 0, num_null_titles = 0;
+	char titles[] =
+	"// this is a comment\n"
+	"$effect 2\n"
+	"$color 1 2 3\n"
+	"$color2 4 5 6\n"
+	"$position 7 8\n"
+	"$fadein 0.1\n"
+	"$fadeout 0.5\n"
+	"$holdtime 321\n"
+	"$fxtime 123\n"
+	"TITLE\n"
+	"{\n"
+	"Hello to anybody reading test data\n"
+	"Hope you have a good time\n"
+	"}\n"
+	"\n"
+	"TITLE2\n"
+	"{\n"
+	"Still reading that nonsense huh?\n"
+	"}\n"
+	"// let's override some things\n"
+	"$cats are\n"
+	"$cute\n"
+	"$color 10 10 10\n"
+	"$position -1 -1\n"
+	"UwU\n"
+	"{\n"
+	"OwO\n"
+	"}\n"
+	"Technically titles can have spaces\n"
+	"{\n"
+	"Oh yeah!\n"
+	"}\n";
+	char broken_titles[] = "}\n";
+	char broken_titles2[] = "{\n{\n";
+
+	null = CL_TextMessageParse( mempool, broken_titles, Q_strlen( broken_titles ), &num_null_titles );
+	TASSERT_EQi( num_null_titles, 0 );
+	TASSERT_EQp( null, NULL );
+
+	null = CL_TextMessageParse( mempool, broken_titles2, Q_strlen( broken_titles2 ), &num_null_titles );
+	TASSERT_EQi( num_null_titles, 0 );
+	TASSERT_EQp( null, NULL );
+
+	tmessages = CL_TextMessageParse( mempool, titles, Q_strlen( titles ), &num_titles );
+	TASSERT_EQi( num_titles, 4 );
+	TASSERT_NEQp( tmessages, NULL );
+
+	for( int i = 0; i < 4; i++ )
+	{
+		TASSERT_EQi( tmessages[i].effect, 2 );
+		TASSERT_EQi( tmessages[i].r1, i >= 2 ? 10 : 1 );
+		TASSERT_EQi( tmessages[i].g1, i >= 2 ? 10 : 2 );
+		TASSERT_EQi( tmessages[i].b1, i >= 2 ? 10 : 3 );
+		TASSERT_EQi( tmessages[i].a1, 0 );
+		TASSERT_EQi( tmessages[i].r2, 4 );
+		TASSERT_EQi( tmessages[i].g2, 5 );
+		TASSERT_EQi( tmessages[i].b2, 6 );
+		TASSERT_EQi( tmessages[i].a2, 0 );
+		TASSERT_EQi( tmessages[i].x, i >= 2 ? -1 : 7 );
+		TASSERT_EQi( tmessages[i].y, i >= 2 ? -1 : 8 );
+		TASSERT_EQi( tmessages[i].fadein, 0.1f );
+		TASSERT_EQi( tmessages[i].fadeout, 0.5f );
+		TASSERT_EQi( tmessages[i].holdtime, 321.f );
+		TASSERT_EQi( tmessages[i].fxtime, 123.f );
+	}
+
+	TASSERT_STR( tmessages[0].pName, "TITLE" );
+	TASSERT_STR( tmessages[1].pName, "TITLE2" );
+	TASSERT_STR( tmessages[2].pName, "UwU" );
+	TASSERT_STR( tmessages[3].pName, "Technically titles can have spaces" );
+
+	TASSERT_STR( tmessages[0].pMessage, "Hello to anybody reading test data\nHope you have a good time" );
+	TASSERT_STR( tmessages[1].pMessage, "Still reading that nonsense huh?" );
+	TASSERT_STR( tmessages[2].pMessage, "OwO" );
+	TASSERT_STR( tmessages[3].pMessage, "Oh yeah!" );
+
+	Mem_Free( tmessages );
+	Mem_FreePool( &mempool );
+}
+
+#endif // XASH_ENGINE_TESTS
diff --git a/engine/common/tests.h b/engine/common/tests.h
index 69ebcff7..7e4ffc25 100644
--- a/engine/common/tests.h
+++ b/engine/common/tests.h
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ extern struct tests_stats_s tests_stats;
 	_TASSERT( ( val1 ) != ( val2 ), Msg( S_ERROR "assert failed at %s:%i, \"%d\" != \"%d\"\n", __FILE__, __LINE__, (int)val1, (int)val2 ))
 #define TASSERT_EQp( val1, val2 ) \
 	_TASSERT( ( val1 ) != ( val2 ), Msg( S_ERROR "assert failed at %s:%i, \"%p\" != \"%p\"\n", __FILE__, __LINE__, val1, val2 ))
+#define TASSERT_NEQp( val1, val2 ) \
+	_TASSERT( ( val1 ) == ( val2 ), Msg( S_ERROR "assert failed at %s:%i, \"%p\" == \"%p\"\n", __FILE__, __LINE__, val1, val2 ))
 #define TASSERT_STR( str1, str2 ) \
 	_TASSERT( Q_strcmp(( str1 ), ( str2 )), Msg( S_ERROR "assert failed at %s:%i, \"%s\" != \"%s\"\n", __FILE__, __LINE__, ( str1 ), ( str2 )))
 
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@ void Test_RunGamma( void );
 void Test_RunDelta( void );
 void Test_RunBuffer( void );
 void Test_RunMunge( void );
+void Test_RunTitles( void );
 
 #define TEST_LIST_0 \
 	Test_RunLibCommon(); \
@@ -63,7 +66,8 @@ void Test_RunMunge( void );
 	Test_RunImagelib();
 
 #define TEST_LIST_1_CLIENT \
-	Test_RunVOX();
+	Test_RunVOX(); \
+	Test_RunTitles();
 
 #endif