diff --git a/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyGraphicsStateGuardian.cxx b/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyGraphicsStateGuardian.cxx
index 394e3dd2ab..d920d05495 100644
--- a/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyGraphicsStateGuardian.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyGraphicsStateGuardian.cxx
@@ -1272,11 +1272,9 @@ release_texture(TextureContext *tc) {
   GLTexture *gltex = &gtc->_gltex;
   for (int i = 0; i < gltex->num_levels; ++i) {
     gl_free(gltex->levels[i].pixmap);
+    gltex->levels[i].pixmap = NULL;
   }
-  if (gltex->levels != NULL) {
-    gl_free(gltex->levels);
-    gltex->levels = NULL;
-  }
+  gltex->num_levels = 0;
 
   gtc->dequeue_lru();
 
@@ -1867,21 +1865,32 @@ setup_gltex(GLTexture *gltex, int x_size, int y_size, int num_levels) {
 
   for (int i = 0; i < gltex->num_levels; ++i) {
     gl_free(gltex->levels[i].pixmap);
-  }
-  if (gltex->levels != NULL) {
-    gl_free(gltex->levels);
-    gltex->levels = NULL;
+    gltex->levels[i].pixmap = NULL;
   }
 
-  gltex->levels = (ZTextureLevel *)gl_malloc(sizeof(ZTextureLevel) * MAX_MIPMAP_LEVELS);
   gltex->num_levels = num_levels;
+  
+  // We allocate one big buffer, large enough to include all the
+  // mipmap levels, and index into that buffer for each level.  This
+  // cuts down on the number of individual alloc calls we have to make
+  // for each texture.
+  gltex->total_bytecount = (x_size * y_size * 4);
+  if (num_levels > 1) {
+    gltex->total_bytecount = (gltex->total_bytecount * 4 + 3) / 3;
+  }
+
+  gltex->allocated_buffer = (void *)gl_malloc(gltex->total_bytecount);
+  char *next_buffer = (char *)gltex->allocated_buffer;
+  char *end_of_buffer = next_buffer + gltex->total_bytecount;
 
   int level = 0;
   ZTextureLevel *dest = NULL;
   while (level < num_levels) {
     dest = &gltex->levels[level];
     int bytecount = x_size * y_size * 4;
-    dest->pixmap = (PIXEL *)gl_malloc(bytecount);
+    dest->pixmap = (PIXEL *)next_buffer;
+    next_buffer += bytecount;
+    nassertr(next_buffer <= end_of_buffer, false);
 
     dest->s_mask = (1 << (s_bits + ZB_POINT_ST_FRAC_BITS)) - (1 << ZB_POINT_ST_FRAC_BITS);
     dest->t_mask = (1 << (t_bits + ZB_POINT_ST_FRAC_BITS)) - (1 << ZB_POINT_ST_FRAC_BITS);
diff --git a/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyTextureContext.I b/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyTextureContext.I
index 296ffcb414..ae01c4601e 100644
--- a/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyTextureContext.I
+++ b/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyTextureContext.I
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ INLINE TinyTextureContext::
 TinyTextureContext(PreparedGraphicsObjects *pgo, Texture *tex) :
   TextureContext(pgo, tex), SimpleLruPage(0)
 {
+  _gltex.num_levels = 0;
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ TinyTextureContext(PreparedGraphicsObjects *pgo, Texture *tex) :
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 INLINE TinyTextureContext::
 ~TinyTextureContext() {
-  nassertv(_gltex.levels == NULL);
+  nassertv(_gltex.num_levels == 0);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyTextureContext.cxx b/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyTextureContext.cxx
index c2e74d4245..dcef76470d 100644
--- a/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyTextureContext.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyTextureContext.cxx
@@ -38,10 +38,7 @@ evict_lru() {
 
   for (int i = 0; i < _gltex.num_levels; ++i) {
     gl_free(_gltex.levels[i].pixmap);
-  }
-  if (_gltex.levels != NULL) {
-    gl_free(_gltex.levels);
-    _gltex.levels = NULL;
+    _gltex.levels[i].pixmap = NULL;
   }
   _gltex.num_levels = 0;
 
diff --git a/panda/src/tinydisplay/zgl.h b/panda/src/tinydisplay/zgl.h
index db674b662a..2dcc629f4f 100644
--- a/panda/src/tinydisplay/zgl.h
+++ b/panda/src/tinydisplay/zgl.h
@@ -115,10 +115,13 @@ typedef struct GLVertex {
 
 /* The combination of all mipmap levels: one complete texture. */
 typedef struct GLTexture {
-  ZTextureLevel *levels;
+  ZTextureLevel levels[MAX_MIPMAP_LEVELS];
   int num_levels;
   int xsize, ysize;
   int s_max, t_max;
+
+  void *allocated_buffer;
+  int total_bytecount;
 } GLTexture;
 
 struct GLContext;