diff --git a/src/hardware/hw_cache.c b/src/hardware/hw_cache.c
index d133840ac..5c4702fda 100644
--- a/src/hardware/hw_cache.c
+++ b/src/hardware/hw_cache.c
@@ -585,6 +585,21 @@ static GLMapTexture_t *gl_textures; // For all textures
 static GLMapTexture_t *gl_flats; // For all (texture) flats, as normal flats don't need to be cached
 boolean gl_maptexturesloaded = false;
 
+void HWR_FreeTextureData(patch_t *patch)
+{
+	GLPatch_t *grPatch;
+
+	if (!patch || !patch->hardware)
+		return;
+
+	grPatch = patch->hardware;
+
+	if (vid.glstate == VID_GL_LIBRARY_LOADED)
+		HWD.pfnDeleteTexture(grPatch->mipmap);
+	if (grPatch->mipmap->data)
+		Z_Free(grPatch->mipmap->data);
+}
+
 void HWR_FreeTexture(patch_t *patch)
 {
 	if (!patch)
@@ -598,10 +613,7 @@ void HWR_FreeTexture(patch_t *patch)
 
 		if (grPatch->mipmap)
 		{
-			if (vid.glstate == VID_GL_LIBRARY_LOADED)
-				HWD.pfnDeleteTexture(grPatch->mipmap);
-			if (grPatch->mipmap->data)
-				Z_Free(grPatch->mipmap->data);
+			HWR_FreeTextureData(patch);
 			Z_Free(grPatch->mipmap);
 		}
 
@@ -636,15 +648,12 @@ void HWR_FreeTextureColormaps(patch_t *patch)
 		if (!pat->mipmap)
 			break;
 
-		// No colormap mipmap either.
+		// No colormap mipmaps either.
 		if (!pat->mipmap->nextcolormap)
 			break;
 
 		// Set the first colormap to the one that comes after it.
 		next = pat->mipmap->nextcolormap;
-		if (!next)
-			break;
-
 		pat->mipmap->nextcolormap = next->nextcolormap;
 
 		// Free image data from memory.
@@ -670,18 +679,13 @@ static void HWR_FreePatchCache(boolean freeall)
 	}
 }
 
+// free all textures after each level
 void HWR_ClearAllTextures(void)
 {
-	HWR_FreeMapTextures();
-
-	// Alam: free the Z_Blocks before freeing it's users
+	HWD.pfnClearMipMapCache(); // free references to the textures
 	HWR_FreePatchCache(true);
-
-	// free references to the textures
-	HWD.pfnClearCacheList();
 }
 
-// free all patch colormaps after each level
 void HWR_FreeColormapCache(void)
 {
 	HWR_FreePatchCache(false);
diff --git a/src/hardware/hw_data.h b/src/hardware/hw_data.h
index 32fb96e17..3ae4ef8bc 100644
--- a/src/hardware/hw_data.h
+++ b/src/hardware/hw_data.h
@@ -43,19 +43,19 @@ typedef enum GLTextureFormat_e
 //                NULL if the texture is not in Doom heap cache.
 struct GLMipmap_s
 {
-	//for TexDownloadMipMap
-	GLTextureFormat_t format;
-	void              *data;
+	// for TexDownloadMipMap
+	GLTextureFormat_t     format;
+	void                 *data;
 
-	UINT32          flags;
-	UINT16          height;
-	UINT16          width;
-	UINT32          downloaded;     // the dll driver have it in there cache ?
+	UINT32                flags;
+	UINT16                height;
+	UINT16                width;
+	UINT32                downloaded;     // The GPU has this texture.
 
 	struct GLMipmap_s    *nextcolormap;
 	const UINT8          *colormap;
 
-	struct GLMipmap_s *prevmipmap, *nextmipmap; // Linked list of all textures
+	struct GLMipmap_s    *nextmipmap; // Linked list of all textures
 };
 typedef struct GLMipmap_s GLMipmap_t;
 
diff --git a/src/hardware/hw_glob.h b/src/hardware/hw_glob.h
index 112b241ef..87405d3d4 100644
--- a/src/hardware/hw_glob.h
+++ b/src/hardware/hw_glob.h
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ void HWR_GetLevelFlat(levelflat_t *levelflat);
 void HWR_LiterallyGetFlat(lumpnum_t flatlumpnum);
 
 void HWR_FreeTexture(patch_t *patch);
+void HWR_FreeTextureData(patch_t *patch);
 void HWR_FreeTextureColormaps(patch_t *patch);
 void HWR_ClearAllTextures(void);
 void HWR_FreeColormapCache(void);
diff --git a/src/hardware/hw_main.c b/src/hardware/hw_main.c
index 2a694b95f..1dda7a423 100644
--- a/src/hardware/hw_main.c
+++ b/src/hardware/hw_main.c
@@ -6221,17 +6221,6 @@ void HWR_RenderPlayerView(INT32 viewnumber, player_t *player)
 
 void HWR_LoadLevel(void)
 {
-	// Lactozilla (December 8, 2019)
-	// Level setup used to free EVERY mipmap from memory.
-	// Even mipmaps that aren't related to level textures.
-	// Presumably, the hardware render code used to store textures as level data.
-	// Meaning, they had memory allocated and marked with the PU_LEVEL tag.
-	// Level textures are only reloaded after R_LoadTextures, which is
-	// when the texture list is loaded.
-
-	// Sal: Unfortunately, NOT freeing them causes the dreaded Color Bug.
-	HWR_FreeColormapCache();
-
 #ifdef ALAM_LIGHTING
 	// BP: reset light between levels (we draw preview frame lights on current frame)
 	HWR_ResetLights();
@@ -6394,7 +6383,10 @@ void HWR_Switch(void)
 
 	// Create plane polygons
 	if (!gl_maploaded && (gamestate == GS_LEVEL || (gamestate == GS_TITLESCREEN && titlemapinaction)))
+	{
+		HWR_ClearAllTextures();
 		HWR_LoadLevel();
+	}
 }
 
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/hardware/r_opengl/r_opengl.c b/src/hardware/r_opengl/r_opengl.c
index 4c29dd2e4..8cd948eea 100644
--- a/src/hardware/r_opengl/r_opengl.c
+++ b/src/hardware/r_opengl/r_opengl.c
@@ -1292,9 +1292,6 @@ EXPORT void HWRAPI(DeleteTexture) (FTextureInfo *pTexInfo)
 	if (pTexInfo->downloaded)
 		pglDeleteTextures(1, (GLuint *)&pTexInfo->downloaded);
 	pTexInfo->downloaded = 0;
-
-	if (pTexInfo->prevmipmap)
-		pTexInfo->prevmipmap->nextmipmap = pTexInfo->nextmipmap;
 }
 
 
@@ -1941,15 +1938,12 @@ EXPORT void HWRAPI(SetTexture) (FTextureInfo *pTexInfo)
 	else
 	{
 		UpdateTexture(pTexInfo);
-
-		pTexInfo->prevmipmap = NULL;
 		pTexInfo->nextmipmap = NULL;
 
 		// insertion at the tail
 		if (gl_cachetail)
 		{
 			gl_cachetail->nextmipmap = pTexInfo;
-			pTexInfo->prevmipmap = gl_cachetail;
 			gl_cachetail = pTexInfo;
 		}
 		else // initialization of the linked list
diff --git a/src/p_setup.c b/src/p_setup.c
index cfee05009..1d2519218 100644
--- a/src/p_setup.c
+++ b/src/p_setup.c
@@ -4133,6 +4133,12 @@ boolean P_LoadLevel(boolean fromnetsave, boolean reloadinggamestate)
 	// Clear pointers that would be left dangling by the purge
 	R_FlushTranslationColormapCache();
 
+#ifdef HWRENDER
+	// Free GPU textures before freeing patches.
+	if (vid.glstate == VID_GL_LIBRARY_LOADED)
+		HWR_ClearAllTextures();
+#endif
+
 	Patch_FreeTag(PU_PATCH_LOWPRIORITY);
 	Patch_FreeTag(PU_PATCH_ROTATED);
 	Z_FreeTags(PU_LEVEL, PU_PURGELEVEL - 1);
diff --git a/src/sdl/i_video.c b/src/sdl/i_video.c
index fb25362af..b8b3b9d34 100644
--- a/src/sdl/i_video.c
+++ b/src/sdl/i_video.c
@@ -1568,11 +1568,6 @@ boolean VID_CheckRenderer(void)
 			bufSurface = NULL;
 		}
 
-#ifdef HWRENDER
-		if (rendererchanged && vid.glstate == VID_GL_LIBRARY_LOADED) // Only if OpenGL ever loaded!
-			HWR_ClearAllTextures();
-#endif
-
 		SCR_SetDrawFuncs();
 	}
 #ifdef HWRENDER