diff --git a/ref/gl/gl_sprite.c b/ref/gl/gl_sprite.c
index fd7fa7e1..c8dff220 100644
--- a/ref/gl/gl_sprite.c
+++ b/ref/gl/gl_sprite.c
@@ -152,11 +152,11 @@ load sprite model
 */
 void Mod_LoadSpriteModel( model_t *mod, const void *buffer, qboolean *loaded, uint texFlags )
 {
-	const dsprite_t		*pin;
-	const short		*numi = NULL;
-	const byte	*pframetype;
-	msprite_t		*psprite;
-	int		i;
+	const dsprite_t *pin;
+	const short     *numi = NULL;
+	const byte      *pframetype;
+	msprite_t       *psprite;
+	int i;
 
 	pin = buffer;
 	psprite = mod->cache.data;
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ void Mod_LoadSpriteModel( model_t *mod, const void *buffer, qboolean *loaded, ui
 	if( pin->version == SPRITE_VERSION_Q1 || pin->version == SPRITE_VERSION_32 )
 		numi = NULL;
 	else if( pin->version == SPRITE_VERSION_HL )
-		numi = (const short *)((const byte*)buffer + sizeof( dsprite_hl_t ));
+		numi = (const short *)((const byte *)buffer + sizeof( dsprite_hl_t ));
 
 	r_texFlags = texFlags;
 	sprite_version = pin->version;
@@ -179,31 +179,32 @@ void Mod_LoadSpriteModel( model_t *mod, const void *buffer, qboolean *loaded, ui
 		pframetype = ((const byte*)buffer + sizeof( dsprite_q1_t )); // pinq1 + 1
 		gEngfuncs.FS_FreeImage( pal ); // palette installed, no reason to keep this data
 	}
-	else if( *numi == 256 )
+	else if( *numi <= 256 )
 	{
 		const byte	*src = (const byte *)(numi+1);
 		rgbdata_t	*pal;
+		size_t pal_bytes = *numi * 3;
 
 		// install palette
 		switch( psprite->texFormat )
 		{
 		case SPR_INDEXALPHA:
-			pal = gEngfuncs.FS_LoadImage( "#gradient.pal", src, 768 );
+			pal = gEngfuncs.FS_LoadImage( "#gradient.pal", src, pal_bytes );
 			break;
 		case SPR_ALPHTEST:
-			pal = gEngfuncs.FS_LoadImage( "#masked.pal", src, 768 );
+			pal = gEngfuncs.FS_LoadImage( "#masked.pal", src, pal_bytes );
 			break;
 		default:
-			pal = gEngfuncs.FS_LoadImage( "#normal.pal", src, 768 );
+			pal = gEngfuncs.FS_LoadImage( "#normal.pal", src, pal_bytes );
 			break;
 		}
 
-		pframetype = (const byte *)(src + 768);
+		pframetype = (const byte *)(src + pal_bytes);
 		gEngfuncs.FS_FreeImage( pal ); // palette installed, no reason to keep this data
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		gEngfuncs.Con_DPrintf( S_ERROR "%s has wrong number of palette colors %i (should be 256)\n", mod->name, *numi );
+		gEngfuncs.Con_DPrintf( S_ERROR "%s has wrong number of palette colors %i (should be less or equal than 256)\n", mod->name, *numi );
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/ref/soft/r_sprite.c b/ref/soft/r_sprite.c
index 3546fd3c..0ba9e0c0 100644
--- a/ref/soft/r_sprite.c
+++ b/ref/soft/r_sprite.c
@@ -165,31 +165,32 @@ void Mod_LoadSpriteModel( model_t *mod, const void *buffer, qboolean *loaded, ui
 		pframetype = ((const byte *)buffer + sizeof( dsprite_q1_t )); // pinq1 + 1
 		gEngfuncs.FS_FreeImage( pal );                                // palette installed, no reason to keep this data
 	}
-	else if( *numi == 256 )
+	else if( *numi <= 256 )
 	{
-		const byte *src = (const byte *)( numi + 1 );
-		rgbdata_t  *pal;
+		const byte	*src = (const byte *)(numi+1);
+		rgbdata_t	*pal;
+		size_t pal_bytes = *numi * 3;
 
 		// install palette
 		switch( psprite->texFormat )
 		{
 		case SPR_INDEXALPHA:
-			pal = gEngfuncs.FS_LoadImage( "#gradient.pal", src, 768 );
+			pal = gEngfuncs.FS_LoadImage( "#gradient.pal", src, pal_bytes );
 			break;
 		case SPR_ALPHTEST:
-			pal = gEngfuncs.FS_LoadImage( "#masked.pal", src, 768 );
+			pal = gEngfuncs.FS_LoadImage( "#masked.pal", src, pal_bytes );
 			break;
 		default:
-			pal = gEngfuncs.FS_LoadImage( "#normal.pal", src, 768 );
+			pal = gEngfuncs.FS_LoadImage( "#normal.pal", src, pal_bytes );
 			break;
 		}
 
-		pframetype = (const byte *)( src + 768 );
+		pframetype = (const byte *)(src + pal_bytes);
 		gEngfuncs.FS_FreeImage( pal ); // palette installed, no reason to keep this data
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		gEngfuncs.Con_DPrintf( S_ERROR "%s has wrong number of palette colors %i (should be 256)\n", mod->name, *numi );
+		gEngfuncs.Con_DPrintf( S_ERROR "%s has wrong number of palette colors %i (should be less or equal than 256)\n", mod->name, *numi );
 		return;
 	}