diff --git a/Quake/gl_model.c b/Quake/gl_model.c
index 4a2f0575..c77d274b 100644
--- a/Quake/gl_model.c
+++ b/Quake/gl_model.c
@@ -3256,16 +3256,16 @@ static void Mod_LoadAliasModel (qmodel_t *mod, void *buffer)
 
 	if (pheader->numverts <= 0)
 		Sys_Error ("model %s has no vertices", mod->name);
-
-	if (pheader->numverts > MAXALIASVERTS_QS && (developer.value || map_checks.value))
+	else if (pheader->numverts > MAXALIASVERTS)
+		Sys_Error ("model %s has too many vertices (%d; max = %d)", mod->name, pheader->numverts, MAXALIASVERTS);
+	else if (pheader->numverts > MAXALIASVERTS_QS && (developer.value || map_checks.value))
 		Con_Warning ("model %s vertex count of %d exceeds QS limit of %d\n", mod->name, pheader->numverts, MAXALIASVERTS_QS);
 
 	pheader->numtris = LittleLong (pinmodel->numtris);
 
 	if (pheader->numtris <= 0)
 		Sys_Error ("model %s has no triangles", mod->name);
-
-	if (pheader->numtris > MAXALIASTRIS_QS && (developer.value || map_checks.value))
+	else if (pheader->numtris > MAXALIASTRIS_QS && (developer.value || map_checks.value))
 		Con_Warning ("model %s triangle count of %d exceeds QS limit of %d\n", mod->name, pheader->numtris, MAXALIASTRIS_QS);
 
 	pheader->numframes = LittleLong (pinmodel->numframes);
diff --git a/Quake/gl_model.h b/Quake/gl_model.h
index 30848ed4..99cb6fd1 100644
--- a/Quake/gl_model.h
+++ b/Quake/gl_model.h
@@ -363,6 +363,7 @@ typedef struct
 	bonepose_t inverse;
 } boneinfo_t;
 
+#define	MAXALIASVERTS		0x7fff //16-bit index buffer + onseam duplication
 #define	MAXALIASVERTS_QS	2000 //johnfitz -- was 1024
 #define	MAXALIASFRAMES		1024 //spike -- was 256
 #define	MAXALIASTRIS_QS		4096 //ericw -- was 2048