diff --git a/engine/client/cl_parse.c b/engine/client/cl_parse.c
index c4b092ae..80c12ff2 100644
--- a/engine/client/cl_parse.c
+++ b/engine/client/cl_parse.c
@@ -1409,14 +1409,14 @@ CL_RegisterUserMessage
 register new user message or update existing
 ================
 */
-void CL_RegisterUserMessage( sizebuf_t *msg )
+void CL_RegisterUserMessage( sizebuf_t *msg, connprotocol_t proto )
 {
-	char	*pszName;
+	char *pszName;
 	int	svc_num, size, bits;
 
 	svc_num = MSG_ReadByte( msg );
 
-	if( cls.legacymode )
+	if( proto == PROTO_LEGACY || proto == PROTO_GOLDSRC )
 	{
 		size = MSG_ReadByte( msg );
 		bits = 8;
@@ -1427,7 +1427,16 @@ void CL_RegisterUserMessage( sizebuf_t *msg )
 		bits = 16;
 	}
 
-	pszName = MSG_ReadString( msg );
+	if( proto == PROTO_GOLDSRC )
+	{
+		static char szName[17];
+
+		MSG_ReadBytes( msg, szName, sizeof( szName ) - 1 );
+		szName[16] = 0;
+
+		pszName = szName;
+	}
+	else pszName = MSG_ReadString( msg );
 
 	// important stuff
 	if( size == ( BIT( bits ) - 1 ) )
@@ -2298,7 +2307,7 @@ CL_ParseUserMessage
 handles all user messages
 ==============
 */
-void CL_ParseUserMessage( sizebuf_t *msg, int svc_num )
+void CL_ParseUserMessage( sizebuf_t *msg, int svc_num, connprotocol_t proto )
 {
 	byte	pbuf[MAX_USERMSG_LENGTH];
 	int	i, iSize;
@@ -2338,7 +2347,7 @@ void CL_ParseUserMessage( sizebuf_t *msg, int svc_num )
 	// message with variable sizes receive an actual size as first byte
 	if( iSize == -1 )
 	{
-		if( cls.legacymode )
+		if( proto == PROTO_GOLDSRC || proto == PROTO_LEGACY )
 			iSize = MSG_ReadByte( msg );
 		else iSize = MSG_ReadWord( msg );
 	}
@@ -2624,7 +2633,7 @@ void CL_ParseServerMessage( sizebuf_t *msg )
 			CL_ParseAddAngle( msg );
 			break;
 		case svc_usermessage:
-			CL_RegisterUserMessage( msg );
+			CL_RegisterUserMessage( msg, PROTO_CURRENT );
 			break;
 		case svc_packetentities:
 			playerbytes = CL_ParsePacketEntities( msg, false, PROTO_CURRENT );
@@ -2684,7 +2693,7 @@ void CL_ParseServerMessage( sizebuf_t *msg )
 			CL_ParseExec( msg );
 			break;
 		default:
-			CL_ParseUserMessage( msg, cmd );
+			CL_ParseUserMessage( msg, cmd, PROTO_CURRENT );
 			cl.frames[cl.parsecountmod].graphdata.usr += MSG_GetNumBytesRead( msg ) - bufStart;
 			break;
 		}
diff --git a/engine/client/cl_parse_48.c b/engine/client/cl_parse_48.c
index fd4f5de5..8916fc89 100644
--- a/engine/client/cl_parse_48.c
+++ b/engine/client/cl_parse_48.c
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ void CL_ParseLegacyServerMessage( sizebuf_t *msg )
 			CL_ParseAddAngle( msg );
 			break;
 		case svc_usermessage:
-			CL_RegisterUserMessage( msg );
+			CL_RegisterUserMessage( msg, PROTO_LEGACY );
 			break;
 		case svc_packetentities:
 			playerbytes = CL_ParsePacketEntities( msg, false, PROTO_LEGACY );
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ void CL_ParseLegacyServerMessage( sizebuf_t *msg )
 			CL_ParseCvarValue( msg, true, PROTO_LEGACY );
 			break;
 		default:
-			CL_ParseUserMessage( msg, cmd );
+			CL_ParseUserMessage( msg, cmd, PROTO_LEGACY );
 			cl.frames[cl.parsecountmod].graphdata.usr += MSG_GetNumBytesRead( msg ) - bufStart;
 			break;
 		}
diff --git a/engine/client/cl_parse_gs.c b/engine/client/cl_parse_gs.c
index 980d7926..a8db793c 100644
--- a/engine/client/cl_parse_gs.c
+++ b/engine/client/cl_parse_gs.c
@@ -89,22 +89,6 @@ static void CL_ParseNewMovevars( sizebuf_t *msg )
 	clgame.oldmovevars.features = clgame.movevars.features = host.features;
 }
 
-static void CL_ParseNewUserMsg( sizebuf_t *msg )
-{
-	int svc_num, size;
-	char s[16];
-
-	svc_num = MSG_ReadByte( msg );
-	size = MSG_ReadByte( msg );
-	MSG_ReadBytes( msg, s, sizeof( s ));
-
-	s[15] = 0;
-	if( size == 255 )
-		size = -1;
-
-	CL_LinkUserMessage( s, svc_num, size );
-}
-
 typedef struct delta_header_t
 {
 	qboolean remove : 1;
@@ -676,7 +660,7 @@ void CL_ParseGoldSrcServerMessage( sizebuf_t *msg )
 			CL_ParseAddAngle( msg );
 			break;
 		case svc_goldsrc_newusermsg:
-			CL_ParseNewUserMsg( msg );
+			CL_RegisterUserMessage( msg, PROTO_GOLDSRC );
 			break;
 		case svc_packetentities:
 			playerbytes = CL_ParsePacketEntitiesGS( msg, false );
@@ -741,7 +725,7 @@ void CL_ParseGoldSrcServerMessage( sizebuf_t *msg )
 			CL_ParseExec( msg );
 			break;
 		default:
-			CL_ParseUserMessage( msg, cmd );
+			CL_ParseUserMessage( msg, cmd, PROTO_LEGACY );
 			cl.frames[cl.parsecountmod].graphdata.usr += MSG_GetNumBytesRead( msg ) - bufStart;
 			break;
 		}
diff --git a/engine/client/client.h b/engine/client/client.h
index cda42d96..6ed47778 100644
--- a/engine/client/client.h
+++ b/engine/client/client.h
@@ -875,7 +875,7 @@ void CL_ParseSignon( sizebuf_t *msg, connprotocol_t proto );
 void CL_ParseRestore( sizebuf_t *msg );
 void CL_ParseStaticDecal( sizebuf_t *msg );
 void CL_ParseAddAngle( sizebuf_t *msg );
-void CL_RegisterUserMessage( sizebuf_t *msg );
+void CL_RegisterUserMessage( sizebuf_t *msg, connprotocol_t proto );
 void CL_ParseResourceList( sizebuf_t *msg, connprotocol_t proto );
 void CL_ParseMovevars( sizebuf_t *msg );
 void CL_ParseResourceRequest( sizebuf_t *msg );
@@ -897,7 +897,7 @@ qboolean CL_RequestMissingResources( void );
 void CL_RegisterResources( sizebuf_t *msg, connprotocol_t proto );
 void CL_ParseViewEntity( sizebuf_t *msg );
 void CL_ParseServerTime( sizebuf_t *msg );
-void CL_ParseUserMessage( sizebuf_t *msg, int svc_num );
+void CL_ParseUserMessage( sizebuf_t *msg, int svc_num, connprotocol_t proto );
 void CL_ParseFinaleCutscene( sizebuf_t *msg, int level );
 void CL_ParseTextMessage( sizebuf_t *msg );
 void CL_ParseExec( sizebuf_t *msg );