diff --git a/platform/base_scripts.pk3dir/scripts/hlmaterials.txt b/platform/base_scripts.pk3dir/scripts/hlmaterials.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 0419cb85..00000000
--- a/platform/base_scripts.pk3dir/scripts/hlmaterials.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-// define which surface properties (right) are used for
-// which material ids (letters on the left side)
-B,gs_material_flesh
-C,gs_material_concrete
-D,gs_material_dirt
-F,gs_material_flesh
-G,gs_material_grate
-H,gs_material_alien
-K,gs_material_snow
-M,gs_material_metal
-N,gs_material_sand
-O,gs_material_foliage
-P,gs_material_computer
-S,gs_material_slosh
-T,gs_material_tile
-V,gs_material_vent
-W,gs_material_wood
-Y,gs_material_glass
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/platform/base_scripts.pk3dir/scripts/surfaceproperties.txt b/platform/base_scripts.pk3dir/scripts/surfaceproperties.txt
index fb97d81c..b0ac5a1a 100644
--- a/platform/base_scripts.pk3dir/scripts/surfaceproperties.txt
+++ b/platform/base_scripts.pk3dir/scripts/surfaceproperties.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ default
 
 gs_material_glass
 {
+	gamematerial Y
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.glass"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.glass"
 	stepleft "step_glass.left"
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ gs_material_glass
 
 gs_material_wood
 {
+	gamematerial W
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.wood"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.wood"
 	stepleft "step_wood.left"
@@ -24,6 +26,7 @@ gs_material_wood
 
 gs_material_metal
 {
+	gamematerial M
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.metal"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.metal"
 	stepleft "step_metal.left"
@@ -32,6 +35,7 @@ gs_material_metal
 
 gs_material_flesh
 {
+	gamematerial F
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.flesh"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.flesh"
 	stepleft "step_flesh.left"
@@ -48,6 +52,7 @@ gs_material_cinderblock
 
 gs_material_tile
 {
+	gamematerial T
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.tile"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.tile"
 	stepleft "step_tile.left"
@@ -56,6 +61,7 @@ gs_material_tile
 
 gs_material_computer
 {
+	gamematerial P
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.computer"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.computer"
 	stepleft "step_computer.left"
@@ -80,6 +86,7 @@ gs_material_rock
 
 gs_material_flesh
 {
+	gamematerial F
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.flesh"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.flesh"
 	stepleft "step_flesh.left"
@@ -88,6 +95,7 @@ gs_material_flesh
 
 gs_material_concrete
 {
+	gamematerial C
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.concrete"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.concrete"
 	stepleft "step_concrete.left"
@@ -96,6 +104,7 @@ gs_material_concrete
 
 gs_material_dirt
 {
+	gamematerial D
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.dirt"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.dirt"
 	stepleft "step_dirt.left"
@@ -104,6 +113,7 @@ gs_material_dirt
 
 gs_material_grate
 {
+	gamematerial G
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.grate"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.grate"
 	stepleft "step_grate.left"
@@ -112,6 +122,7 @@ gs_material_grate
 
 gs_material_alien
 {
+	gamematerial H
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.alien"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.alien"
 	stepleft "step_alien.left"
@@ -120,6 +131,7 @@ gs_material_alien
 
 gs_material_snow
 {
+	gamematerial K
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.snow"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.snow"
 	stepleft "step_snow.left"
@@ -128,6 +140,7 @@ gs_material_snow
 
 gs_material_sand
 {
+	gamematerial N
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.sand"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.sand"
 	stepleft "step_sand.left"
@@ -136,6 +149,7 @@ gs_material_sand
 
 gs_material_foliage
 {
+	gamematerial O
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.foliage"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.foliage"
 	stepleft "step_slosh.left"
@@ -144,6 +158,7 @@ gs_material_foliage
 
 gs_material_slosh
 {
+	gamematerial S
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.slosh"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.slosh"
 	stepleft "step_slosh.left"
@@ -152,6 +167,7 @@ gs_material_slosh
 
 gs_material_vent
 {
+	gamematerial V
 	fx_bulletimpact "fx_impact.snow"
 	bulletimpact "sfx_impact.snow"
 	stepleft "step_vent.left"
diff --git a/src/shared/NSMaterial.qc b/src/shared/NSMaterial.qc
index 601fd3fb..29c55d87 100644
--- a/src/shared/NSMaterial.qc
+++ b/src/shared/NSMaterial.qc
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ Materials_LoadFromMat(string filename)
 	}
 }
 
+/** FIXME: all this should be done exclusively in surfaceproperties.qc, however that
+is currently server-side only. Make it shared and then we can get rid of this
+whole file! */
+
 /** loads a temporary mapper so we can map letters to class names. */
 static void
 Materials_Mapper_Init(void)
@@ -84,15 +88,18 @@ Materials_Mapper_Init(void)
 	string sTemp;
 	int c = 0;
 	filestream fileLUT;
+	string spname;
+	bool inbrace = false;
 
-	fileLUT = fopen("scripts/hlmaterials.txt", FILE_READ);
+	fileLUT = fopen("scripts/surfaceproperties.txt", FILE_READ);
 	g_hlmlut_count = 0;
 
 	/* count valid entries. */
 	if (fileLUT >= 0) {
 		while ((sTemp = fgets(fileLUT))) {
-			if (tokenizebyseparator(sTemp, ",") == 2) {
-				g_hlmlut_count++;
+			if (tokenize_console(sTemp) == 2) {
+				if (argv(0) == "gamematerial")
+					g_hlmlut_count++;
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -105,11 +112,20 @@ Materials_Mapper_Init(void)
 	if (fileLUT >= 0) {
 		while ((sTemp = fgets(fileLUT))) {
 			/* tokenize and just parse this stuff in */
-			if (tokenizebyseparator(sTemp, ",") == 2) {
-				g_hlmlut[c].id = argv(0);
-				g_hlmlut[c].matclass = argv(1);
-				c++;
+			if (tokenize_console(sTemp) == 2) {
+				if (argv(0) == "gamematerial") {
+					g_hlmlut[c].id = argv(1);
+					g_hlmlut[c].matclass = spname;
+					c++;
+				}
 			}
+			
+			if (argv(0) == "{")
+				inbrace = true;
+			else if (argv(0) == "}")
+				inbrace = false;
+			else if (inbrace == false)
+				spname = argv(0);
 		}
 	}
 }