diff --git a/engine/client/cl_game.c b/engine/client/cl_game.c
index a3873a9e..592b705c 100644
--- a/engine/client/cl_game.c
+++ b/engine/client/cl_game.c
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ static void CL_InitTitles( const char *filename )
 	pMemFile = FS_LoadFile( filename, &fileSize, false );
 	if( !pMemFile ) return;
 
-	clgame.titles = CL_TextMessageParse( clgame.mempool, pMemFile, fileSize, &clgame.numTitles );
+	clgame.titles = CL_TextMessageParse( clgame.mempool, (char *)pMemFile, fileSize, &clgame.numTitles );
 	Mem_Free( pMemFile );
 }
 
diff --git a/engine/client/client.h b/engine/client/client.h
index bf71bdd6..013edf37 100644
--- a/engine/client/client.h
+++ b/engine/client/client.h
@@ -854,7 +854,6 @@ void CL_ClearWorld( void );
 void CL_DrawCenterPrint( void );
 void CL_ClearSpriteTextures( void );
 void CL_CenterPrint( const char *text, float y );
-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 );
@@ -1257,6 +1256,11 @@ qboolean Cmd_GetKeysList( const char *s, char *completedname, int length, qboole
 void ID_Init( void );
 void ID_GetMD5ForAddress( char *key, netadr_t adr, size_t size );
 
+//
+// titles.c
+//
+client_textmessage_t *CL_TextMessageParse( poolhandle_t mempool, char *pMemFile, int fileSize, int *numTitles );
+
 extern rgba_t g_color_table[8];
 extern triangleapi_t gTriApi;
 extern net_api_t gNetApi;
diff --git a/engine/client/titles.c b/engine/client/titles.c
index a621a48f..8d1919eb 100644
--- a/engine/client/titles.c
+++ b/engine/client/titles.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-titles.c - implementation of titles.txt parser
+titles.c - titles.txt file parser
 Copyright (C) 2010 Uncle Mike
 
 This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
@@ -17,338 +17,200 @@ GNU General Public License for more details.
 #include "client.h"
 #include "tests.h"
 
-#define MAX_MESSAGES	2048
+client_textmessage_t gMessageParms;
 
-#define MSGFILE_NAME	0
-#define MSGFILE_TEXT	1
-
-client_textmessage_t	gMessageParms;
-
-// the string "pText" is assumed to have all whitespace from both ends cut out
-static int IsComment( const char *pText )
+static qboolean TitleParseDirective( const char *line )
 {
-	if( pText )
+	char directive[64];
+
+	char *p = COM_ParseFile((char *)line, directive, sizeof( directive ));
+	if( !p || directive[0] != '$' )
+		return false;
+
+	int nargs;
+	if( !Q_stricmp( directive, "$position" ))
+		nargs = 2;
+	else if( !Q_stricmp( directive, "$effect" ) || !Q_stricmp( directive, "$fadein" ) ||
+	         !Q_stricmp( directive, "$fadeout" ) || !Q_stricmp( directive, "$holdtime" ) ||
+	         !Q_stricmp( directive, "$fxtime" ))
+		nargs = 1;
+	else if( !Q_stricmp( directive, "$color" ) || !Q_stricmp( directive, "$color2" ))
+		nargs = 3;
+	else
 	{
-		int length = Q_strlen( pText );
-
-		if( length >= 2 && pText[0] == '/' && pText[1] == '/' )
-			return 1;
-
-		// no text?
-		if( length > 0 )
-			return 0;
+		Con_DPrintf( S_ERROR "unknown directive: %s\n", directive );
+		return true;
 	}
 
-	// no text is a comment too
-	return 1;
-}
-
-// the string "pText" is assumed to have all whitespace from both ends cut out
-static int IsStartOfText( const char *pText )
-{
-	if( pText )
+	float args[3] = { 0 };
+	for( int i = 0; i < nargs; i++ )
 	{
-		if( pText[0] == '{' )
-			return 1;
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
+		char numstr[32];
+		p = COM_ParseFile( p, numstr, sizeof( numstr ));
 
-// the string "pText" is assumed to have all whitespace from both ends cut out
-static int IsEndOfText( const char *pText )
-{
-	if( pText )
-	{
-		if( pText[0] == '}' )
-			return 1;
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
+		if( !p )
+			return true; // not enough arguments
 
-static int IsWhiteSpace( char space )
-{
-	if( space == ' ' || space == '\t' || space == '\r' || space == '\n' )
-		return 1;
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static const char *SkipSpace( const char *pText )
-{
-	if( pText )
-	{
-		int pos = 0;
-		while( pText[pos] && IsWhiteSpace( pText[pos] ))
-			pos++;
-		return pText + pos;
-	}
-	return NULL;
-}
-
-static const char *SkipText( const char *pText )
-{
-	if( pText )
-	{
-		int pos = 0;
-		while( pText[pos] && !IsWhiteSpace( pText[pos] ))
-			pos++;
-		return pText + pos;
-	}
-	return NULL;
-}
-
-static int ParseFloats( const char *pText, float *pFloat, int count )
-{
-	const char *pTemp = pText;
-	int index = 0;
-
-	while( pTemp && count > 0 )
-	{
-		// skip current token / float
-		pTemp = SkipText( pTemp );
-		// skip any whitespace in between
-		pTemp = SkipSpace( pTemp );
-
-		if( pTemp )
-		{
-			// parse a float
-			pFloat[index] = Q_atof( pTemp );
-			count--;
-			index++;
-		}
+		args[i] = Q_atof( numstr );
 	}
 
-	if( count == 0 )
-		return 1;
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static int IsToken( const char *pText, const char *pTokenName )
-{
-	if( !pText || !pTokenName )
-		return 0;
-
-	if( !Q_strnicmp( pText+1, pTokenName, Q_strlen( pTokenName )))
-		return 1;
-
-	return 0;
-}
-
-static int ParseDirective( const char *pText )
-{
-	if( pText && pText[0] == '$' )
+	if( !Q_stricmp( directive, "$position" ))
 	{
-		float	tempFloat[8];
-
-		if( IsToken( pText, "position" ))
-		{
-			if( ParseFloats( pText, tempFloat, 2 ))
-			{
-				gMessageParms.x = tempFloat[0];
-				gMessageParms.y = tempFloat[1];
-			}
-		}
-		else if( IsToken( pText, "effect" ))
-		{
-			if( ParseFloats( pText, tempFloat, 1 ))
-			{
-				gMessageParms.effect = (int)tempFloat[0];
-			}
-		}
-		else if( IsToken( pText, "fxtime" ))
-		{
-			if( ParseFloats( pText, tempFloat, 1 ))
-			{
-				gMessageParms.fxtime = tempFloat[0];
-			}
-		}
-		else if( IsToken( pText, "color2" ))
-		{
-			if( ParseFloats( pText, tempFloat, 3 ))
-			{
-				gMessageParms.r2 = (int)tempFloat[0];
-				gMessageParms.g2 = (int)tempFloat[1];
-				gMessageParms.b2 = (int)tempFloat[2];
-			}
-		}
-		else if( IsToken( pText, "color" ))
-		{
-			if( ParseFloats( pText, tempFloat, 3 ))
-			{
-				gMessageParms.r1 = (int)tempFloat[0];
-				gMessageParms.g1 = (int)tempFloat[1];
-				gMessageParms.b1 = (int)tempFloat[2];
-			}
-		}
-		else if( IsToken( pText, "fadein" ))
-		{
-			if( ParseFloats( pText, tempFloat, 1 ))
-			{
-				gMessageParms.fadein = tempFloat[0];
-			}
-		}
-		else if( IsToken( pText, "fadeout" ))
-		{
-			if( ParseFloats( pText, tempFloat, 3 ))
-			{
-				gMessageParms.fadeout = tempFloat[0];
-			}
-		}
-		else if( IsToken( pText, "holdtime" ))
-		{
-			if( ParseFloats( pText, tempFloat, 3 ))
-			{
-				gMessageParms.holdtime = tempFloat[0];
-			}
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			Con_DPrintf( S_ERROR "unknown token: %s\n", pText );
-		}
-		return 1;
+		gMessageParms.x = args[0];
+		gMessageParms.y = args[1];
 	}
-	return 0;
+	else if( !Q_stricmp( directive, "$color" ))
+	{
+		gMessageParms.r1 = args[0];
+		gMessageParms.g1 = args[1];
+		gMessageParms.b1 = args[2];
+	}
+	else if( !Q_stricmp( directive, "$color2" ))
+	{
+		gMessageParms.r2 = args[0];
+		gMessageParms.g2 = args[1];
+		gMessageParms.b2 = args[2];
+	}
+	else if( !Q_stricmp( directive, "$effect" ))
+		gMessageParms.effect = args[0];
+	else if( !Q_stricmp( directive, "$fadein" ))
+		gMessageParms.fadein = args[0];
+	else if( !Q_stricmp( directive, "$fadeout" ))
+		gMessageParms.fadeout = args[0];
+	else if( !Q_stricmp( directive, "$holdtime" ))
+		gMessageParms.holdtime = args[0];
+	else if( !Q_stricmp( directive, "$fxtime" ))
+		gMessageParms.fxtime = args[0];
+
+	return true;
 }
 
-client_textmessage_t *CL_TextMessageParse( poolhandle_t mempool, byte *pMemFile, int fileSize, int *numTitles )
+// fast first pass: count the number of complete name { text } blocks
+static int TitleCountMessages( char *pfile, int fileSize )
 {
-	char			buf[512], trim[512], currentName[512];
-	char			*pCurrentText = NULL, *pNameHeap;
-	char			nameHeap[32768]; // g-cont. i will scale up heap to handle all TFC messages
-	int			mode = MSGFILE_NAME; // searching for a message name
-	int			lineNumber, filePos, lastLinePos;
-	client_textmessage_t	textMessages[MAX_MESSAGES];
-	int			i, nameHeapSize, textHeapSize, messageSize, nameOffset;
-	int			messageCount, lastNamePos;
-	size_t		textHeapSizeRemaining;
+	char line[512];
+	int filepos = 0, count = 0;
+	qboolean in_text = false;
 
-	lastNamePos = 0;
-	lineNumber = 0;
-	filePos = 0;
-	lastLinePos = 0;
-	messageCount = 0;
-
-	while( Q_memfgets( pMemFile, fileSize, &filePos, buf, 512 ) != NULL )
+	while( Q_memfgets( pfile, fileSize, &filepos, line, sizeof( line )) != NULL )
 	{
-		COM_TrimSpace( trim, buf, sizeof( trim ));
+		char trim[512];
+		COM_TrimSpace( trim, line, sizeof( trim ));
 
-		switch( mode )
+		if( !in_text )
 		{
-		case MSGFILE_NAME:
-			// skip comment lines
-			if( IsComment( trim ))
-				break;
-
-			// Is this a directive "$command"?, if so parse it and break
-			if( ParseDirective( trim ))
-				break;
-
-			if( IsStartOfText( trim ))
-			{
-				mode = MSGFILE_TEXT;
-				pCurrentText = (char*)(pMemFile + filePos);
-				break;
-			}
-
-			if( IsEndOfText( trim ))
-			{
-				Con_Reportf( "%s: unexpected '}' found, line %d\n", __func__, lineNumber );
-				return NULL;
-			}
-			Q_strncpy( currentName, trim, sizeof( currentName ));
-			break;
-		case MSGFILE_TEXT:
-			if( IsEndOfText( trim ))
-			{
-				int length = Q_strlen( currentName );
-
-				// save name on name heap
-				if( lastNamePos + length > 32768 )
-				{
-					Con_Reportf( "%s: error while parsing!\n", __func__ );
-					return NULL;
-				}
-
-				Q_strncpy( nameHeap + lastNamePos, currentName, sizeof( nameHeap ) - lastNamePos );
-
-				// terminate text in-place in the memory file
-				// (it's temporary memory that will be deleted)
-				pMemFile[lastLinePos-1] = 0;
-
-				// Save name/text on heap
-				textMessages[messageCount] = gMessageParms;
-				textMessages[messageCount].pName = nameHeap + lastNamePos;
-				lastNamePos += length + 1;
-				textMessages[messageCount].pMessage = pCurrentText;
-				messageCount++;
-
-				// reset parser to search for names
-				mode = MSGFILE_NAME;
-				break;
-			}
-			if( IsStartOfText( trim ))
-			{
-				Con_Reportf( "%s: unexpected '{' found, line %d\n", __func__, lineNumber );
-				return NULL;
-			}
-			break;
+			if( trim[0] == '{' )
+				in_text = true;
 		}
-
-		lineNumber++;
-		lastLinePos = filePos;
-
-		if( messageCount >= MAX_MESSAGES )
+		else if( trim[0] == '}' )
 		{
-			Con_Printf( S_WARN "Too many messages in titles.txt, max is %d\n", MAX_MESSAGES );
-			break;
+			count++;
+			in_text = false;
 		}
 	}
+	return count;
+}
 
-	Con_Reportf( "%s: parsed %d text messages\n", __func__, messageCount );
-	nameHeapSize = lastNamePos;
-	textHeapSize = 0;
+client_textmessage_t *CL_TextMessageParse( poolhandle_t mempool, char *pfile, int fileSize, int *numTitles )
+{
+	int total = TitleCountMessages( pfile, fileSize );
 
-	for( i = 0; i < messageCount; i++ )
-		textHeapSize += Q_strlen( textMessages[i].pMessage ) + 1;
-	messageSize = ( messageCount * sizeof( client_textmessage_t ));
-
-	if(( textHeapSize + nameHeapSize + messageSize ) <= 0 )
+	if( !total )
 	{
 		*numTitles = 0;
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	// must malloc because we need to be able to clear it after initialization
-	client_textmessage_t *out = Mem_Calloc( mempool, textHeapSize + nameHeapSize + messageSize );
+	size_t bufsize = total * sizeof( client_textmessage_t );
+	client_textmessage_t *out = Mem_Calloc( mempool, bufsize );
 
-	// copy table over
-	memcpy( out, textMessages, messageSize );
+	char line[512], curname[512];
+	int filepos = 0, linenum = 0, count = 0, textsegstart = 0;
+	qboolean in_text = false;
 
-	// copy Name heap
-	pNameHeap = ((char *)out) + messageSize;
-	memcpy( pNameHeap, nameHeap, nameHeapSize );
-
-	// copy text & fixup pointers
-	textHeapSizeRemaining = textHeapSize;
-	pCurrentText = pNameHeap + nameHeapSize;
-
-	for( i = 0; i < messageCount; i++ )
+	while( 1 )
 	{
-		size_t currentTextSize = Q_strlen( out[i].pMessage ) + 1;
+		int curlinestart = filepos;
 
-		out[i].pName = pNameHeap;			// adjust name pointer (parallel buffer)
-		Q_strncpy( pCurrentText, out[i].pMessage, textHeapSizeRemaining );	// copy text over
-		out[i].pMessage = pCurrentText;
+		if( Q_memfgets( pfile, fileSize, &filepos, line, sizeof( line )) == NULL )
+			break;
 
-		pNameHeap += Q_strlen( pNameHeap ) + 1;
-		pCurrentText += currentTextSize;
-		textHeapSizeRemaining -= currentTextSize;
+		linenum++;
+
+		char trim[512];
+		COM_TrimSpace( trim, line, sizeof( trim ));
+
+		if( !in_text )
+		{
+			if( COM_StringEmpty( trim ) || ( trim[0] == '/' && trim[1] == '/' ))
+				continue;
+
+			if( TitleParseDirective( trim ))
+				continue;
+
+			if( trim[0] == '{' )
+			{
+				in_text = true;
+				textsegstart = filepos;
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			if( trim[0] == '}' )
+			{
+				Con_Reportf( "%s: unexpected '}' at line %d\n", __func__, linenum );
+				Mem_Free( out );
+				return NULL;
+			}
+
+			Q_strncpy( curname, trim, sizeof( curname ));
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			if( trim[0] == '{' )
+			{
+				Con_Reportf( "%s: unexpected '{' at line %d\n", __func__, linenum );
+				Mem_Free( out );
+				return NULL;
+			}
+
+			if( trim[0] == '}' )
+			{
+				size_t textlen = Q_max( curlinestart - 1 - textsegstart, 0 );
+				size_t namelen = Q_strlen( curname );
+				size_t nameoffset = bufsize;
+				size_t textoffset = nameoffset + namelen + 1;
+
+				bufsize = textoffset + textlen + 1;
+				out = Mem_Realloc( mempool, out, bufsize );
+
+				char *p = (char *)out;
+
+				memcpy( &p[nameoffset], curname, namelen + 1 );
+				memcpy( &p[textoffset], &pfile[textsegstart], textlen );
+				p[textoffset + textlen] = '\0';
+
+				// store offsets as pointers temporarily
+				out[count] = gMessageParms;
+				out[count].pName = (char *)nameoffset;
+				out[count].pMessage = (char *)textoffset;
+				count++;
+				in_text = false;
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
-	if(( pCurrentText - (char *)out ) != ( textHeapSize + nameHeapSize + messageSize ))
-		Con_DPrintf( S_ERROR "%s: overflow text message buffer!\n", __func__ );
+	if( unlikely( count != total ))
+		Con_DPrintf( S_ERROR "%s: expected %d messages, parsed %d\n", __func__, total, count );
 
-	*numTitles = messageCount;
+	// fix up offsets
+	for( int i = 0; i < count; i++ )
+	{
+		out[i].pName = (char *)out + (uintptr_t)out[i].pName;
+		out[i].pMessage = (char *)out + (uintptr_t)out[i].pMessage;
+	}
 
+	Con_Reportf( "%s: parsed %d text messages\n", __func__, count );
+	*numTitles = count;
 	return out;
 }