diff --git a/src/hardware/hw_cache.c b/src/hardware/hw_cache.c
index ab9a50dd5..731c6b682 100644
--- a/src/hardware/hw_cache.c
+++ b/src/hardware/hw_cache.c
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ static void HWR_DrawColumnInCache(const column_t *patchcol, UINT8 *block, GLMipm
 			{
 				case 2 : // uhhhhhhhh..........
 						 if ((originPatch != NULL) && (originPatch->style != AST_COPY))
-							 texel = ASTBlendPixel_8bpp(*(dest+1), texel, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
+							 texel = ASTBlendPaletteIndexes(*(dest+1), texel, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
 						 texelu16 = (UINT16)((alpha<<8) | texel);
 						 memcpy(dest, &texelu16, sizeof(UINT16));
 						 break;
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ static void HWR_DrawColumnInCache(const column_t *patchcol, UINT8 *block, GLMipm
 						 {
 							 RGBA_t rgbatexel;
 							 rgbatexel.rgba = *(UINT32 *)dest;
-							 colortemp.rgba = ASTBlendPixel(rgbatexel, colortemp, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
+							 colortemp.rgba = ASTBlendTexturePixel(rgbatexel, colortemp, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
 						 }
 						 memcpy(dest, &colortemp, sizeof(RGBA_t)-sizeof(UINT8));
 						 break;
@@ -145,14 +145,14 @@ static void HWR_DrawColumnInCache(const column_t *patchcol, UINT8 *block, GLMipm
 						 {
 							 RGBA_t rgbatexel;
 							 rgbatexel.rgba = *(UINT32 *)dest;
-							 colortemp.rgba = ASTBlendPixel(rgbatexel, colortemp, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
+							 colortemp.rgba = ASTBlendTexturePixel(rgbatexel, colortemp, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
 						 }
 						 memcpy(dest, &colortemp, sizeof(RGBA_t));
 						 break;
 				// default is 1
 				default:
 						 if ((originPatch != NULL) && (originPatch->style != AST_COPY))
-							 *dest = ASTBlendPixel_8bpp(*dest, texel, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
+							 *dest = ASTBlendPaletteIndexes(*dest, texel, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
 						 else
 							 *dest = texel;
 						 break;
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ static void HWR_DrawFlippedColumnInCache(const column_t *patchcol, UINT8 *block,
 			{
 				case 2 : // uhhhhhhhh..........
 						 if ((originPatch != NULL) && (originPatch->style != AST_COPY))
-							 texel = ASTBlendPixel_8bpp(*(dest+1), texel, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
+							 texel = ASTBlendPaletteIndexes(*(dest+1), texel, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
 						 texelu16 = (UINT16)((alpha<<8) | texel);
 						 memcpy(dest, &texelu16, sizeof(UINT16));
 						 break;
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ static void HWR_DrawFlippedColumnInCache(const column_t *patchcol, UINT8 *block,
 						 {
 							 RGBA_t rgbatexel;
 							 rgbatexel.rgba = *(UINT32 *)dest;
-							 colortemp.rgba = ASTBlendPixel(rgbatexel, colortemp, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
+							 colortemp.rgba = ASTBlendTexturePixel(rgbatexel, colortemp, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
 						 }
 						 memcpy(dest, &colortemp, sizeof(RGBA_t)-sizeof(UINT8));
 						 break;
@@ -257,14 +257,14 @@ static void HWR_DrawFlippedColumnInCache(const column_t *patchcol, UINT8 *block,
 						 {
 							 RGBA_t rgbatexel;
 							 rgbatexel.rgba = *(UINT32 *)dest;
-							 colortemp.rgba = ASTBlendPixel(rgbatexel, colortemp, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
+							 colortemp.rgba = ASTBlendTexturePixel(rgbatexel, colortemp, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
 						 }
 						 memcpy(dest, &colortemp, sizeof(RGBA_t));
 						 break;
 				// default is 1
 				default:
 						 if ((originPatch != NULL) && (originPatch->style != AST_COPY))
-							 *dest = ASTBlendPixel_8bpp(*dest, texel, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
+							 *dest = ASTBlendPaletteIndexes(*dest, texel, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
 						 else
 							 *dest = texel;
 						 break;
diff --git a/src/r_data.c b/src/r_data.c
index b72214996..d10919d81 100644
--- a/src/r_data.c
+++ b/src/r_data.c
@@ -227,6 +227,8 @@ static inline void R_DrawFlippedColumnInCache(column_t *patch, UINT8 *cache, tex
 	}
 }
 
+// Blends two pixels together, using the equation
+// that matches the specified alpha style.
 UINT32 ASTBlendPixel(RGBA_t background, RGBA_t foreground, int style, UINT8 alpha)
 {
 	RGBA_t output;
@@ -245,7 +247,13 @@ UINT32 ASTBlendPixel(RGBA_t background, RGBA_t foreground, int style, UINT8 alph
 			// if the background pixel is empty,
 			// match software and don't blend anything
 			if (!background.s.alpha)
-				output.s.alpha = 0;
+			{
+				// ...unless the foreground pixel ISN'T actually translucent.
+				if (alpha == 0xFF)
+					output.rgba = foreground.rgba;
+				else
+					output.rgba = 0;
+			}
 			else
 			{
 				UINT8 beta = (0xFF - alpha);
@@ -302,18 +310,46 @@ UINT32 ASTBlendPixel(RGBA_t background, RGBA_t foreground, int style, UINT8 alph
 	return 0;
 }
 
-UINT8 ASTBlendPixel_8bpp(UINT8 background, UINT8 foreground, int style, UINT8 alpha)
+INT32 ASTTextureBlendingThreshold[2] = {255/11, (10*255/11)};
+
+// Blends a pixel for a texture patch.
+UINT32 ASTBlendTexturePixel(RGBA_t background, RGBA_t foreground, int style, UINT8 alpha)
 {
 	// Alpha style set to translucent?
 	if (style == AST_TRANSLUCENT)
 	{
 		// Is the alpha small enough for translucency?
-		if (alpha <= (10*255/11))
+		if (alpha <= ASTTextureBlendingThreshold[1])
+		{
+			// Is the patch way too translucent? Don't blend then.
+			if (alpha < ASTTextureBlendingThreshold[0])
+				return background.rgba;
+
+			return ASTBlendPixel(background, foreground, style, alpha);
+		}
+		else // just copy the pixel
+			return foreground.rgba;
+	}
+	else
+		return ASTBlendPixel(background, foreground, style, alpha);
+}
+
+// Blends two palette indexes for a texture patch, then
+// finds the nearest palette index from the blended output.
+UINT8 ASTBlendPaletteIndexes(UINT8 background, UINT8 foreground, int style, UINT8 alpha)
+{
+	// Alpha style set to translucent?
+	if (style == AST_TRANSLUCENT)
+	{
+		// Is the alpha small enough for translucency?
+		if (alpha <= ASTTextureBlendingThreshold[1])
 		{
 			UINT8 *mytransmap;
+
 			// Is the patch way too translucent? Don't blend then.
-			if (alpha < 255/11)
+			if (alpha < ASTTextureBlendingThreshold[0])
 				return background;
+
 			// The equation's not exact but it works as intended. I'll call it a day for now.
 			mytransmap = transtables + ((8*(alpha) + 255/8)/(255 - 255/11) << FF_TRANSSHIFT);
 			if (background != 0xFF)
@@ -378,7 +414,7 @@ static inline void R_DrawBlendColumnInCache(column_t *patch, UINT8 *cache, texpa
 		{
 			for (; dest < cache + position + count; source++, dest++)
 				if (*source != 0xFF)
-					*dest = ASTBlendPixel_8bpp(*dest, *source, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
+					*dest = ASTBlendPaletteIndexes(*dest, *source, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
 		}
 
 		patch = (column_t *)((UINT8 *)patch + patch->length + 4);
@@ -422,7 +458,7 @@ static inline void R_DrawBlendFlippedColumnInCache(column_t *patch, UINT8 *cache
 		{
 			for (; dest < cache + position + count; --source, dest++)
 				if (*source != 0xFF)
-					*dest = ASTBlendPixel_8bpp(*dest, *source, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
+					*dest = ASTBlendPaletteIndexes(*dest, *source, originPatch->style, originPatch->alpha);
 		}
 
 		patch = (column_t *)((UINT8 *)patch + patch->length + 4);
diff --git a/src/r_data.h b/src/r_data.h
index 78ce35a41..8b8d08c52 100644
--- a/src/r_data.h
+++ b/src/r_data.h
@@ -26,7 +26,10 @@
 enum patchalphastyle {AST_COPY, AST_TRANSLUCENT, AST_ADD, AST_SUBTRACT, AST_REVERSESUBTRACT, AST_MODULATE, AST_OVERLAY};
 
 UINT32 ASTBlendPixel(RGBA_t background, RGBA_t foreground, int style, UINT8 alpha);
-UINT8 ASTBlendPixel_8bpp(UINT8 background, UINT8 foreground, int style, UINT8 alpha);
+UINT32 ASTBlendTexturePixel(RGBA_t background, RGBA_t foreground, int style, UINT8 alpha);
+UINT8 ASTBlendPaletteIndexes(UINT8 background, UINT8 foreground, int style, UINT8 alpha);
+
+extern INT32 ASTTextureBlendingThreshold[2];
 
 UINT8 NearestColor(UINT8 r, UINT8 g, UINT8 b);