diff --git a/engine/server/sv_init.c b/engine/server/sv_init.c
index 781d5793..e7045df3 100644
--- a/engine/server/sv_init.c
+++ b/engine/server/sv_init.c
@@ -545,7 +545,7 @@ void SV_FreeOldEntities( void )
 	}
 
 	// decrement svgame.numEntities if the highest number entities died
-	for( ; EDICT_NUM( svgame.numEntities - 1 )->free; svgame.numEntities-- );
+	for( ; ( ent = EDICT_NUM( svgame.numEntities - 1 )) && ent->free; svgame.numEntities-- );
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/engine/server/sv_phys.c b/engine/server/sv_phys.c
index 9e49fd42..52b04ae7 100644
--- a/engine/server/sv_phys.c
+++ b/engine/server/sv_phys.c
@@ -1842,8 +1842,10 @@ void SV_Physics( void )
 	// increase framecount
 	sv.framecount++;
 
+#if 0 // figure out why this causes memory corruption
 	// decrement svgame.numEntities if the highest number entities died
-	for( ; EDICT_NUM( svgame.numEntities - 1 )->free; svgame.numEntities-- );
+	for( ; ( ent = EDICT_NUM( svgame.numEntities - 1 )) && ent->free; svgame.numEntities-- );
+#endif
 }
 
 /*