diff --git a/panda/src/dxgsg9/dxGraphicsStateGuardian9.cxx b/panda/src/dxgsg9/dxGraphicsStateGuardian9.cxx
index 35f86ae3d0..371a73f47e 100644
--- a/panda/src/dxgsg9/dxGraphicsStateGuardian9.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/dxgsg9/dxGraphicsStateGuardian9.cxx
@@ -357,10 +357,7 @@ upload_texture(DXTextureContext9 *dtc, bool force) {
       async_reload_texture(dtc);
       has_image = _supports_compressed_texture ? tex->has_ram_image() : tex->has_uncompressed_ram_image();
       if (!has_image) {
-        if (dtc->was_simple_image_modified()) {
-          return dtc->create_simple_texture(*_screen);
-        }
-        return true;
+        return dtc->create_simple_texture(*_screen);
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/panda/src/dxgsg9/dxTextureContext9.cxx b/panda/src/dxgsg9/dxTextureContext9.cxx
index 2c90a56910..19a094fc45 100644
--- a/panda/src/dxgsg9/dxTextureContext9.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/dxgsg9/dxTextureContext9.cxx
@@ -1157,7 +1157,7 @@ create_simple_texture(DXScreenData &scrn) {
     goto error_exit;
   }
 
-  mark_simple_loaded();
+  mark_loaded();
   return true;
 
  error_exit:
diff --git a/panda/src/glstuff/glGraphicsStateGuardian_src.cxx b/panda/src/glstuff/glGraphicsStateGuardian_src.cxx
index 30541e4a0a..61480ec021 100644
--- a/panda/src/glstuff/glGraphicsStateGuardian_src.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/glstuff/glGraphicsStateGuardian_src.cxx
@@ -7420,6 +7420,7 @@ framebuffer_copy_to_texture(Texture *tex, int view, int z,
   }
 
   gtc->_has_storage = true;
+  gtc->_simple_loaded = false;
   gtc->_uses_mipmaps = uses_mipmaps;
   gtc->_internal_format = internal_format;
   gtc->_width = width;
@@ -13135,7 +13136,7 @@ apply_sampler(GLuint unit, const SamplerState &sampler, CLP(TextureContext) *gtc
     }
   }
 
-  if (sampler.uses_mipmaps() && !gtc->_uses_mipmaps && !gl_ignore_mipmaps) {
+  if (sampler.uses_mipmaps() && !gtc->_uses_mipmaps && !gtc->_simple_loaded && !gl_ignore_mipmaps) {
     // The texture wasn't created with mipmaps, but we are trying to sample it
     // with mipmaps.  We will need to reload it.
     GLCAT.info()
@@ -13178,10 +13179,7 @@ upload_texture(CLP(TextureContext) *gtc, bool force, bool uses_mipmaps) {
       async_reload_texture(gtc);
       has_image = _supports_compressed_texture ? tex->has_ram_image() : tex->has_uncompressed_ram_image();
       if (!has_image) {
-        if (gtc->was_simple_image_modified()) {
-          return upload_simple_texture(gtc);
-        }
-        return true;
+        return upload_simple_texture(gtc);
       }
     }
   }
@@ -13551,6 +13549,7 @@ upload_texture(CLP(TextureContext) *gtc, bool force, bool uses_mipmaps) {
       }
 
       gtc->_has_storage = true;
+      gtc->_simple_loaded = false;
       gtc->_immutable = true;
       gtc->_uses_mipmaps = uses_mipmaps;
       gtc->_internal_format = internal_format;
@@ -13598,6 +13597,7 @@ upload_texture(CLP(TextureContext) *gtc, bool force, bool uses_mipmaps) {
   if (success) {
     if (needs_reload) {
       gtc->_has_storage = true;
+      gtc->_simple_loaded = false;
       gtc->_uses_mipmaps = uses_mipmaps;
       gtc->_internal_format = internal_format;
       gtc->_width = width;
@@ -14234,7 +14234,17 @@ upload_simple_texture(CLP(TextureContext) *gtc) {
                width, height, 0,
                external_format, component_type, image_ptr);
 
-  gtc->mark_simple_loaded();
+  gtc->_has_storage = true;
+  gtc->_simple_loaded = true;
+  gtc->_immutable = false;
+  gtc->_uses_mipmaps = false;
+  gtc->_internal_format = internal_format;
+  gtc->_width = width;
+  gtc->_height = height;
+  gtc->_depth = 1;
+  gtc->update_data_size_bytes(width * height * 4);
+
+  gtc->mark_loaded();
 
   report_my_gl_errors();
   return true;
diff --git a/panda/src/glstuff/glTextureContext_src.I b/panda/src/glstuff/glTextureContext_src.I
index 33bda9a58f..51db7538ba 100644
--- a/panda/src/glstuff/glTextureContext_src.I
+++ b/panda/src/glstuff/glTextureContext_src.I
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ CLP(TextureContext)(CLP(GraphicsStateGuardian) *glgsg,
   _handle_resident = false;
 #endif
   _has_storage = false;
+  _simple_loaded = false;
   _immutable = false;
   _uses_mipmaps = false;
   _generate_mipmaps = false;
diff --git a/panda/src/glstuff/glTextureContext_src.cxx b/panda/src/glstuff/glTextureContext_src.cxx
index e36f8f756e..37bad3ae3a 100644
--- a/panda/src/glstuff/glTextureContext_src.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/glstuff/glTextureContext_src.cxx
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ reset_data() {
   _handle_resident = false;
 #endif
   _has_storage = false;
+  _simple_loaded = false;
   _immutable = false;
 
 #ifndef OPENGLES_1
diff --git a/panda/src/glstuff/glTextureContext_src.h b/panda/src/glstuff/glTextureContext_src.h
index 667e356d60..41a89cb32b 100644
--- a/panda/src/glstuff/glTextureContext_src.h
+++ b/panda/src/glstuff/glTextureContext_src.h
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ public:
   // or glTexStorage2D() call.  If none of these have changed, we can reload
   // the texture image with a glTexSubImage2D().
   bool _has_storage;
+  bool _simple_loaded;
   bool _immutable;
   bool _uses_mipmaps;
   bool _generate_mipmaps;
diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/texture.I b/panda/src/gobj/texture.I
index 223a86aab5..6409ef8f26 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/texture.I
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/texture.I
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ make_copy() const {
   CDWriter cdata_tex(tex->_cycler, true);
   cdata_tex->inc_properties_modified();
   cdata_tex->inc_image_modified();
-  cdata_tex->inc_simple_image_modified();
   return tex;
 }
 
@@ -232,7 +231,6 @@ clear_image() {
   do_clear_ram_image(cdata);
   do_clear_simple_ram_image(cdata);
   cdata->inc_image_modified();
-  cdata->inc_simple_image_modified();
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1766,6 +1764,12 @@ INLINE void Texture::
 set_simple_ram_image(CPTA_uchar image, int x_size, int y_size) {
   CDWriter cdata(_cycler, true);
   do_set_simple_ram_image(cdata, image, x_size, y_size);
+
+  // If we don't have a RAM image currently, we need to update this, to let the
+  // GSG know that it needs to update the simple image it is currently using.
+  if (!do_has_ram_image(cdata)) {
+    cdata->inc_image_modified();
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1797,16 +1801,6 @@ get_image_modified() const {
   return cdata->_image_modified;
 }
 
-/**
- * Returns a sequence number which is guaranteed to change at least every time
- * the texture's "simple" image data is modified.
- */
-INLINE UpdateSeq Texture::
-get_simple_image_modified() const {
-  CDReader cdata(_cycler);
-  return cdata->_simple_image_modified;
-}
-
 /**
  * Specifies the power-of-2 texture-scaling mode that will be applied to this
  * particular texture when it is next loaded from disk.  See
@@ -2466,14 +2460,6 @@ inc_image_modified() {
   _modified_pages[0]._modified = _image_modified;
 }
 
-/**
- *
- */
-INLINE void Texture::CData::
-inc_simple_image_modified() {
-  ++_simple_image_modified;
-}
-
 /**
  *
  */
diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/texture.cxx b/panda/src/gobj/texture.cxx
index 9633379a82..d065d2dcd8 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/texture.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/texture.cxx
@@ -1378,7 +1378,12 @@ new_simple_ram_image(int x_size, int y_size) {
   cdata->_simple_ram_image._image = PTA_uchar::empty_array(expected_page_size);
   cdata->_simple_ram_image._page_size = expected_page_size;
   cdata->_simple_image_date_generated = (int32_t)time(nullptr);
-  cdata->inc_simple_image_modified();
+
+  // If we don't have a RAM image currently, we need to update this, to let the
+  // GSG know that it needs to update the simple image it is currently using.
+  if (!do_has_ram_image(cdata)) {
+    cdata->inc_image_modified();
+  }
 
   return cdata->_simple_ram_image._image;
 }
@@ -5525,7 +5530,6 @@ unlocked_ensure_ram_image(bool allow_compression) {
     cdataw->_component_type = cdata_tex->_component_type;
 
     cdataw->inc_properties_modified();
-    cdataw->inc_image_modified();
   }
 
   cdataw->_keep_ram_image = cdata_tex->_keep_ram_image;
@@ -5535,9 +5539,7 @@ unlocked_ensure_ram_image(bool allow_compression) {
   nassertr(_reloading, nullptr);
   _reloading = false;
 
-  // We don't generally increment the cdata->_image_modified semaphore,
-  // because this is just a reload, and presumably the image hasn't changed
-  // (unless we hit the if condition above).
+  cdataw->inc_image_modified();
 
   _cvar.notify_all();
 
@@ -7007,7 +7009,6 @@ do_clear(CData *cdata) {
 
   cdata->inc_properties_modified();
   cdata->inc_image_modified();
-  cdata->inc_simple_image_modified();
 }
 
 /**
@@ -7696,7 +7697,6 @@ do_set_simple_ram_image(CData *cdata, CPTA_uchar image, int x_size, int y_size)
   cdata->_simple_ram_image._image = image.cast_non_const();
   cdata->_simple_ram_image._page_size = image.size();
   cdata->_simple_image_date_generated = (int32_t)time(nullptr);
-  cdata->inc_simple_image_modified();
 }
 
 /**
@@ -7791,11 +7791,6 @@ do_clear_simple_ram_image(CData *cdata) {
   cdata->_simple_ram_image._image.clear();
   cdata->_simple_ram_image._page_size = 0;
   cdata->_simple_image_date_generated = 0;
-
-  // We allow this exception: we update the _simple_image_modified here, since
-  // no one really cares much about that anyway, and it's convenient to do it
-  // here.
-  cdata->inc_simple_image_modified();
 }
 
 /**
@@ -10610,7 +10605,6 @@ do_fillin_body(CData *cdata, DatagramIterator &scan, BamReader *manager) {
 
     cdata->_simple_ram_image._image = image;
     cdata->_simple_ram_image._page_size = u_size;
-    cdata->inc_simple_image_modified();
   }
 
   if (manager->get_file_minor_ver() >= 45) {
@@ -10808,7 +10802,6 @@ CData(const Texture::CData &copy) {
 
   _properties_modified = copy._properties_modified;
   _image_modified = copy._image_modified;
-  _simple_image_modified = copy._simple_image_modified;
   _modified_pages = copy._modified_pages;
 }
 
diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/texture.h b/panda/src/gobj/texture.h
index 3c78553c4c..de3d90e5ea 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/texture.h
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/texture.h
@@ -521,10 +521,8 @@ PUBLISHED:
 
   INLINE UpdateSeq get_properties_modified() const;
   INLINE UpdateSeq get_image_modified() const;
-  INLINE UpdateSeq get_simple_image_modified() const;
   MAKE_PROPERTY(properties_modified, get_properties_modified);
   MAKE_PROPERTY(image_modified, get_image_modified);
-  MAKE_PROPERTY(simple_image_modified, get_simple_image_modified);
 
   SparseArray get_image_modified_pages(UpdateSeq since, int n = 0) const;
 
@@ -961,7 +959,6 @@ protected:
     INLINE void inc_properties_modified();
     INLINE void inc_image_modified();
     void inc_image_page_modified(int z);
-    INLINE void inc_simple_image_modified();
 
     Filename _filename;
     Filename _alpha_filename;
@@ -1030,7 +1027,6 @@ protected:
 
     UpdateSeq _properties_modified;
     UpdateSeq _image_modified;
-    UpdateSeq _simple_image_modified;
 
     ModifiedPageRanges _modified_pages;
 
diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/textureContext.I b/panda/src/gobj/textureContext.I
index a4be4a4935..70836cdb5b 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/textureContext.I
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/textureContext.I
@@ -67,15 +67,6 @@ was_image_modified() const {
   return _image_modified != get_texture()->get_image_modified();
 }
 
-/**
- * Returns true if the texture's "simple" image has been modified since the
- * last time mark_simple_loaded() was called.
- */
-INLINE bool TextureContext::
-was_simple_image_modified() const {
-  return _simple_image_modified != get_texture()->get_simple_image_modified();
-}
-
 /**
  * Returns true if the given page of the texture image has been modified since
  * the last time mark_loaded() was called.
@@ -103,15 +94,6 @@ get_image_modified() const {
   return _image_modified;
 }
 
-/**
- * Returns a sequence number which is guaranteed to change at least every time
- * the texture's "simple" image data is modified.
- */
-INLINE UpdateSeq TextureContext::
-get_simple_image_modified() const {
-  return _simple_image_modified;
-}
-
 /**
  * Returns a SparseArray indicating which pages of the texture have been
  * modified since the last call to mark_loaded().
@@ -146,20 +128,6 @@ mark_loaded() {
   set_resident(true);
 }
 
-/**
- * Should be called after the texture's "simple" image has been loaded into
- * graphics memory.
- */
-INLINE void TextureContext::
-mark_simple_loaded() {
-  _properties_modified = get_texture()->get_properties_modified();
-  _simple_image_modified = get_texture()->get_simple_image_modified();
-  update_modified(std::max(_properties_modified, _simple_image_modified));
-
-  // The texture's not exactly resident now, but some part of it is.
-  set_resident(true);
-}
-
 /**
  * Should be called after the texture has been forced out of texture memory.
  */
@@ -167,7 +135,6 @@ INLINE void TextureContext::
 mark_unloaded() {
   _properties_modified = UpdateSeq::old();
   _image_modified = UpdateSeq::old();
-  _simple_image_modified = UpdateSeq::old();
   update_modified(UpdateSeq::old());
 
   set_resident(false);
diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/textureContext.h b/panda/src/gobj/textureContext.h
index b531c49504..de828781e2 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/textureContext.h
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/textureContext.h
@@ -43,19 +43,16 @@ PUBLISHED:
   INLINE bool was_modified() const;
   INLINE bool was_properties_modified() const;
   INLINE bool was_image_modified() const;
-  INLINE bool was_simple_image_modified() const;
   INLINE bool was_image_page_modified(int z, int n) const;
 
   INLINE UpdateSeq get_properties_modified() const;
   INLINE UpdateSeq get_image_modified() const;
-  INLINE UpdateSeq get_simple_image_modified() const;
 
   INLINE SparseArray get_image_modified_pages(int n = 0) const;
 
 public:
   INLINE void update_data_size_bytes(size_t new_data_size_bytes);
   INLINE void mark_loaded();
-  INLINE void mark_simple_loaded();
   INLINE void mark_unloaded();
   INLINE void mark_needs_reload();
 
@@ -66,7 +63,6 @@ private:
   int _view;
   UpdateSeq _properties_modified;
   UpdateSeq _image_modified;
-  UpdateSeq _simple_image_modified;
 
 public:
   static TypeHandle get_class_type() {
diff --git a/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyGraphicsStateGuardian.cxx b/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyGraphicsStateGuardian.cxx
index d8e80db919..8442cae415 100644
--- a/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyGraphicsStateGuardian.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/tinydisplay/tinyGraphicsStateGuardian.cxx
@@ -2387,10 +2387,7 @@ upload_texture(TinyTextureContext *gtc, bool force, bool uses_mipmaps) {
       // meantime load a temporary simple image in its place.
       async_reload_texture(gtc);
       if (!tex->has_ram_image()) {
-        if (gtc->was_simple_image_modified()) {
-          return upload_simple_texture(gtc);
-        }
-        return true;
+        return upload_simple_texture(gtc);
       }
     }
   }
@@ -2558,7 +2555,7 @@ upload_simple_texture(TinyTextureContext *gtc) {
   ZTextureLevel *dest = &gltex->levels[0];
   memcpy(dest->pixmap, image_ptr, image_size);
 
-  gtc->mark_simple_loaded();
+  gtc->mark_loaded();
 
   return true;
 }