diff --git a/src/twn_textures.c b/src/twn_textures.c
index d6558d4..9be9ca4 100644
--- a/src/twn_textures.c
+++ b/src/twn_textures.c
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ static int load_eof_callback(void *user) {
 }
 
 
-static uint8_t *missing_texture_data;
+static SDL_Surface *missing_texture_surface;
+static uint16_t missing_texture_id;
 
 static SDL_Surface *gen_missing_texture_surface(void) {
     Uint32 rmask, gmask, bmask;
@@ -56,22 +57,23 @@ static SDL_Surface *gen_missing_texture_surface(void) {
         bmask = 0x00ff0000;
     #endif
 
-    if (!missing_texture_data) {
-        missing_texture_data = SDL_malloc(64 * 64 * 3);
-        for (int y = 0; y < 64; ++y)
+    if (!missing_texture_surface) {
+        uint8_t *data = SDL_malloc(64 * 64 * 3);
+        for (int y = 0; y < 64; ++y) {
             for (int x = 0; x < 64; ++x) {
                 /* diagonal stripes, chosen so that asked pixel uvs are corresponding to final output */
-                missing_texture_data[(y * 64 + x) * 3 + 0] = (x / 2 + y / 2) % 2 == 0 ? 175 : 0;
-                missing_texture_data[(y * 64 + x) * 3 + 1] = (x / 2 + y / 2) % 2 == 0 ? 0 : 0;
-                missing_texture_data[(y * 64 + x) * 3 + 2] = (x / 2 + y / 2) % 2 == 0 ? 175 : 0;
+                data[(y * 64 + x) * 3 + 0] = (x / 2 + y / 2) % 2 == 0 ? 175 : 0;
+                data[(y * 64 + x) * 3 + 1] = (x / 2 + y / 2) % 2 == 0 ? 0 : 0;
+                data[(y * 64 + x) * 3 + 2] = (x / 2 + y / 2) % 2 == 0 ? 175 : 0;
             }
+        }
+
+        missing_texture_surface = SDL_CreateRGBSurfaceFrom(data, 64, 64,
+                                                           3 * 8,
+                                                           64 * 3,
+                                                           rmask, gmask, bmask, 0);
     }
 
-    /* same data is reused after being allocated/generated once */
-    SDL_Surface *missing_texture_surface = SDL_CreateRGBSurfaceFrom(missing_texture_data, 64, 64,
-                                                                    3 * 8,
-                                                                    64 * 3,
-                                                                    rmask, gmask, bmask, 0);
     return missing_texture_surface;
 }
 
@@ -327,8 +329,10 @@ void textures_cache_deinit(TextureCache *cache) {
 
     /* free cache hashes */
     for (size_t i = 0; i < shlenu(cache->hash); ++i) {
-        if (cache->hash[i].value.data->pixels != missing_texture_data)
+        if (missing_texture_surface && cache->hash[i].value.data->pixels != missing_texture_surface->pixels)
             stbi_image_free(cache->hash[i].value.data->pixels);
+        else
+            SDL_free(cache->hash[i].value.data->pixels);
         SDL_FreeSurface(cache->hash[i].value.data);
     }
     shfree(cache->hash);
@@ -372,6 +376,9 @@ static TextureKey textures_load(TextureCache *cache, const char *path) {
         return (TextureKey){ (uint16_t)i };
 
     SDL_Surface *surface = textures_load_surface(path);
+    if (surface == missing_texture_surface && missing_texture_id != 0)
+        return (TextureKey){ missing_texture_id };
+
     Texture new_texture = {
         .data = surface,
         .mode = infer_texture_mode(surface),
@@ -388,13 +395,22 @@ static TextureKey textures_load(TextureCache *cache, const char *path) {
         new_texture.loner_texture = create_gpu_texture(TEXTURE_FILTER_NEAREAST, true);
         upload_texture_from_surface(new_texture.loner_texture, surface); 
         new_texture.srcrect = (Rect) { .w = (float)surface->w, .h = (float)surface->h };
+
     } else {
         /* will be fully populated as the atlas updates */
         new_texture.atlas_index = cache->atlas_index;
         cache->is_dirty = true;
     }
+
     shput(cache->hash, path, new_texture);
-    return (TextureKey){ (uint16_t)shgeti(cache->hash, path) };
+
+    uint16_t const id = (uint16_t)shgeti(cache->hash, path);
+
+    /* reuse this id for every later missing texture */
+    if (surface == missing_texture_surface)
+        missing_texture_id = id;
+
+    return (TextureKey){ id };
 }