diff --git a/panda/src/downloader/decompressor.cxx b/panda/src/downloader/decompressor.cxx
index 3d308c558f..9b42ec1791 100644
--- a/panda/src/downloader/decompressor.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/downloader/decompressor.cxx
@@ -104,10 +104,12 @@ request_decompress(const Filename &source_file, const string &event_name) {
   string extension = source_file.get_extension();
   if (extension == "pz")
     dest_file = source_file.get_fullpath_wo_extension();
-  else
-    downloader_cat.debug()
-      << "Decompressor::request_decompress() - Unknown file extension: ."
-      << extension << endl; 
+  else {
+    if (downloader_cat.is_debug())
+      downloader_cat.debug()
+        << "Decompressor::request_decompress() - Unknown file extension: ."
+        << extension << endl; 
+  }
   return request_decompress(source_file, dest_file, event_name);
 }
 
@@ -229,9 +231,10 @@ decompress(Filename &source_file) {
   if (extension == "pz")
     dest_file = source_file.get_fullpath_wo_extension();
   else {
-    downloader_cat.debug()
-      << "Decompressor::request_decompress() - Unknown file extension: ."
-      << extension << endl;
+    if (downloader_cat.is_debug())
+      downloader_cat.debug()
+        << "Decompressor::request_decompress() - Unknown file extension: ."
+        << extension << endl;
     return false;
   }
   return decompress(source_file, dest_file);
diff --git a/panda/src/downloader/downloader.cxx b/panda/src/downloader/downloader.cxx
index 1d9e70333d..220df859fa 100644
--- a/panda/src/downloader/downloader.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/downloader/downloader.cxx
@@ -753,6 +753,10 @@ write_to_disk(DownloadStatus &status) {
     _buffer_lock.lock();
 #endif
 
+    if (downloader_cat.is_debug())
+      downloader_cat.debug()
+	<< "Downloader::write_to_buffer() - resizing buffer to: "
+	<< _new_buffer_size << endl;
     _buffer.clear();
     _buffer = new Buffer(_new_buffer_size);
     _buffer_size = _new_buffer_size;
diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/texture.cxx b/panda/src/gobj/texture.cxx
index 7817a64117..2785fdb524 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/texture.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/texture.cxx
@@ -106,13 +106,11 @@ bool Texture::read(const string &name, const string &gray) {
     return false;
   }
 
-  int new_xsize, new_ysize;
-  int new_gxsize, new_gysize;
   if (max_texture_dimension > 0 &&
       (pnmimage.get_x_size() > max_texture_dimension ||
        pnmimage.get_y_size() > max_texture_dimension)) {
-    new_xsize = min(pnmimage.get_x_size(), max_texture_dimension);
-    new_ysize = min(pnmimage.get_y_size(), max_texture_dimension);
+    int new_xsize = min(pnmimage.get_x_size(), max_texture_dimension);
+    int new_ysize = min(pnmimage.get_y_size(), max_texture_dimension);
     gobj_cat.info()
       << "Automatically rescaling " << name << " from " 
       << pnmimage.get_x_size() << " by " << pnmimage.get_y_size() << " to "
@@ -128,8 +126,8 @@ bool Texture::read(const string &name, const string &gray) {
   if (max_texture_dimension > 0 &&
       (grayimage.get_x_size() > max_texture_dimension ||
        grayimage.get_y_size() > max_texture_dimension)) {
-    new_gxsize = min(grayimage.get_x_size(), max_texture_dimension);
-    new_gysize = min(grayimage.get_y_size(), max_texture_dimension);
+    int new_xsize = min(grayimage.get_x_size(), max_texture_dimension);
+    int new_ysize = min(grayimage.get_y_size(), max_texture_dimension);
     gobj_cat.info()
       << "Automatically rescaling " << gray << " from " 
       << grayimage.get_x_size() << " by " << grayimage.get_y_size() << " to "
@@ -142,17 +140,22 @@ bool Texture::read(const string &name, const string &gray) {
   }
 
   // Make sure the 2 images are the same size
-  if ((new_xsize != new_gxsize) || (new_ysize != new_gysize)) {
+  int xsize = pnmimage.get_x_size();
+  int ysize = pnmimage.get_y_size();
+  int gxsize = grayimage.get_x_size();
+  int gysize = grayimage.get_y_size();
+  if ((xsize != gxsize) || (ysize != gysize)) {
     gobj_cat.error()
-      << "Texture::read() - grayscale image not the same size as original"
-      << endl;
+      << "Texture::read() - grayscale image not the same size as original - "
+      << "orig = " << xsize << "x" << ysize << " - gray = " << gxsize
+      << "x" << gysize << endl;
     return false;
   }
   
   // Make the original image a 4-component image
   pnmimage.add_alpha();
-  for (int x = 0; x < new_xsize; x++) {
-    for (int y = 0; y < new_ysize; y++) { 
+  for (int x = 0; x < xsize; x++) {
+    for (int y = 0; y < ysize; y++) { 
       pnmimage.set_alpha(x, y, grayimage.get_gray(x, y));
     }
   }
diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/texturePool.I b/panda/src/gobj/texturePool.I
index 59b0909e35..ff468bcead 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/texturePool.I
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/texturePool.I
@@ -43,6 +43,20 @@ load_texture(const string &filename) {
   return get_ptr()->ns_load_texture(filename);
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: TexturePool::load_texture
+//       Access: Public, Static
+//  Description: Loads the given filename up into a texture, if it has
+//               not already been loaded, and returns the new texture.
+//               If a texture with the same filename was previously
+//               loaded, returns that one instead.  If the texture
+//               file cannot be found, returns NULL.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE Texture *TexturePool::
+load_texture(const string &filename, const string &grayfilename) {
+  return get_ptr()->ns_load_texture(filename, grayfilename);
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: TexturePool::add_texture
 //       Access: Public, Static
diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/texturePool.cxx b/panda/src/gobj/texturePool.cxx
index e063511294..4666b65f46 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/texturePool.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/texturePool.cxx
@@ -61,6 +61,37 @@ ns_load_texture(Filename filename) {
   return tex;
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: TexturePool::ns_load_texture
+//       Access: Private
+//  Description: The nonstatic implementation of load_texture().
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+Texture *TexturePool::
+ns_load_texture(Filename filename, Filename grayfilename) {
+  filename.resolve_filename(get_texture_path());
+  filename.resolve_filename(get_model_path());
+
+  Textures::const_iterator ti;
+  ti = _textures.find(filename);
+  if (ti != _textures.end()) {
+    // This texture was previously loaded.
+    return (*ti).second;
+  }
+
+  gobj_cat.info()
+    << "Loading texture " << filename << " and grayscale texture "
+    << grayfilename << endl;
+  PT(Texture) tex = new Texture;
+  if (!tex->read(filename, grayfilename)) {
+    // This texture was not found.
+    gobj_cat.error() << "Unable to read texture " << filename << "\n";
+    return NULL;
+  }
+
+  _textures[filename] = tex;
+  return tex;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: TexturePool::ns_add_texture
 //       Access: Private
diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/texturePool.h b/panda/src/gobj/texturePool.h
index aa61b8ef70..bdf154d60d 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/texturePool.h
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/texturePool.h
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ PUBLISHED:
   INLINE static bool has_texture(const string &filename);
   INLINE static bool verify_texture(const string &filename);
   INLINE static Texture *load_texture(const string &filename);
+  INLINE static Texture *load_texture(const string &filename,
+				      const string &grayfilename);
   INLINE static void add_texture(Texture *texture);
   INLINE static void release_texture(Texture *texture);
   INLINE static void release_all_textures();
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ private:
 
   bool ns_has_texture(Filename filename);
   Texture *ns_load_texture(Filename filename);
+  Texture *ns_load_texture(Filename filename, Filename grayfilename);
   void ns_add_texture(Texture *texture);
   void ns_release_texture(Texture *texture);
   void ns_release_all_textures();
diff --git a/panda/src/testbed/rock-floor.rgb b/panda/src/testbed/rock-floor.rgb
index 823b5fd381..35389db19d 100644
Binary files a/panda/src/testbed/rock-floor.rgb and b/panda/src/testbed/rock-floor.rgb differ