diff --git a/src/console.c b/src/console.c
index ba5ba71df..890d424fa 100644
--- a/src/console.c
+++ b/src/console.c
@@ -1615,10 +1615,7 @@ void CON_Drawer(void)
 		return;
 
 	if (needpatchrecache)
-	{
-		W_FlushCachedPatches();
 		HU_LoadGraphics();
-	}
 
 	if (con_recalc)
 	{
diff --git a/src/d_main.c b/src/d_main.c
index dc9bfbfea..46bcd2db9 100644
--- a/src/d_main.c
+++ b/src/d_main.c
@@ -594,15 +594,16 @@ static void D_Display(void)
 	needpatchrecache = false;
 }
 
-// Lactozilla: Check the renderer's state
+// Check the renderer's state
 // after a possible renderer switch.
 void D_CheckRendererState(void)
 {
 	// flush all patches from memory
-	// (also frees memory tagged with PU_CACHE)
-	// (which are not necessarily patches but I don't care)
 	if (needpatchflush)
+	{
 		Z_FlushCachedPatches();
+		needpatchflush = false;
+	}
 
 	// some patches have been freed,
 	// so cache them again
diff --git a/src/hardware/hw_cache.c b/src/hardware/hw_cache.c
index 12f3d4cee..66f4e3c28 100644
--- a/src/hardware/hw_cache.c
+++ b/src/hardware/hw_cache.c
@@ -791,9 +791,6 @@ static void HWR_CacheTextureAsFlat(GLMipmap_t *grMipmap, INT32 texturenum)
 {
 	UINT8 *flat;
 
-	if (needpatchflush)
-		W_FlushCachedPatches();
-
 	// setup the texture info
 	grMipmap->grInfo.format = GR_TEXFMT_P_8;
 	grMipmap->flags = TF_WRAPXY|TF_CHROMAKEYED;
@@ -814,9 +811,6 @@ void HWR_LiterallyGetFlat(lumpnum_t flatlumpnum)
 	if (flatlumpnum == LUMPERROR)
 		return;
 
-	if (needpatchflush)
-		W_FlushCachedPatches();
-
 	grmip = HWR_GetCachedGLPatch(flatlumpnum)->mipmap;
 	if (!grmip->downloaded && !grmip->grInfo.data)
 		HWR_CacheFlat(grmip, flatlumpnum);
@@ -895,9 +889,6 @@ static void HWR_LoadMappedPatch(GLMipmap_t *grmip, GLPatch_t *gpatch)
 // -----------------+
 void HWR_GetPatch(GLPatch_t *gpatch)
 {
-	if (needpatchflush)
-		W_FlushCachedPatches();
-
 	// is it in hardware cache
 	if (!gpatch->mipmap->downloaded && !gpatch->mipmap->grInfo.data)
 	{
@@ -928,9 +919,6 @@ void HWR_GetMappedPatch(GLPatch_t *gpatch, const UINT8 *colormap)
 {
 	GLMipmap_t *grmip, *newmip;
 
-	if (needpatchflush)
-		W_FlushCachedPatches();
-
 	if (colormap == colormaps || colormap == NULL)
 	{
 		// Load the default (green) color in doom cache (temporary?) AND hardware cache
@@ -1054,13 +1042,7 @@ static void HWR_DrawPicInCache(UINT8 *block, INT32 pblockwidth, INT32 pblockheig
 // -----------------+
 GLPatch_t *HWR_GetPic(lumpnum_t lumpnum)
 {
-	GLPatch_t *grpatch;
-
-	if (needpatchflush)
-		W_FlushCachedPatches();
-
-	grpatch = HWR_GetCachedGLPatch(lumpnum);
-
+	GLPatch_t *grpatch = HWR_GetCachedGLPatch(lumpnum);
 	if (!grpatch->mipmap->downloaded && !grpatch->mipmap->grInfo.data)
 	{
 		pic_t *pic;
@@ -1223,13 +1205,7 @@ static void HWR_CacheFadeMask(GLMipmap_t *grMipmap, lumpnum_t fademasklumpnum)
 
 void HWR_GetFadeMask(lumpnum_t fademasklumpnum)
 {
-	GLMipmap_t *grmip;
-
-	if (needpatchflush)
-		W_FlushCachedPatches();
-
-	grmip = HWR_GetCachedGLPatch(fademasklumpnum)->mipmap;
-
+	GLMipmap_t *grmip = HWR_GetCachedGLPatch(fademasklumpnum)->mipmap;
 	if (!grmip->downloaded && !grmip->grInfo.data)
 		HWR_CacheFadeMask(grmip, fademasklumpnum);
 
diff --git a/src/w_wad.c b/src/w_wad.c
index 5f91996ca..01053ff65 100644
--- a/src/w_wad.c
+++ b/src/w_wad.c
@@ -1474,21 +1474,6 @@ boolean W_IsPatchCached(lumpnum_t lumpnum, void *ptr)
 	return W_IsPatchCachedPWAD(WADFILENUM(lumpnum),LUMPNUM(lumpnum), ptr);
 }
 
-void W_FlushCachedPatches(void)
-{
-	if (needpatchflush)
-	{
-		Z_FreeTag(PU_CACHE);
-		Z_FreeTag(PU_PATCH);
-		Z_FreeTag(PU_HUDGFX);
-		Z_FreeTag(PU_HWRPATCHINFO);
-		Z_FreeTag(PU_HWRMODELTEXTURE);
-		Z_FreeTag(PU_HWRCACHE);
-		Z_FreeTags(PU_HWRCACHE_UNLOCKED, PU_HWRMODELTEXTURE_UNLOCKED);
-	}
-	needpatchflush = false;
-}
-
 // ==========================================================================
 // W_CacheLumpName
 // ==========================================================================
@@ -1518,9 +1503,6 @@ void *W_CachePatchNumPwad(UINT16 wad, UINT16 lump, INT32 tag)
 	GLPatch_t *grPatch;
 #endif
 
-	if (needpatchflush)
-		W_FlushCachedPatches();
-
 	if (!TestValidLump(wad, lump))
 		return NULL;
 
diff --git a/src/w_wad.h b/src/w_wad.h
index aca67c00f..8008a577c 100644
--- a/src/w_wad.h
+++ b/src/w_wad.h
@@ -196,7 +196,6 @@ void *W_CachePatchNumPwad(UINT16 wad, UINT16 lump, INT32 tag); // return a patch
 void *W_CachePatchNum(lumpnum_t lumpnum, INT32 tag); // return a patch_t
 
 void W_UnlockCachedPatch(void *patch);
-void W_FlushCachedPatches(void);
 
 void W_VerifyFileMD5(UINT16 wadfilenum, const char *matchmd5);
 
diff --git a/src/z_zone.c b/src/z_zone.c
index bd41cbe67..c916ff2e2 100644
--- a/src/z_zone.c
+++ b/src/z_zone.c
@@ -498,13 +498,11 @@ void Z_FreeTags(INT32 lowtag, INT32 hightag)
 // Utility functions
 // -----------------
 
-// for renderer switching, free a bunch of stuff
+// for renderer switching
 boolean needpatchflush = false;
 boolean needpatchrecache = false;
 
 // flush all patches from memory
-// (also frees memory tagged with PU_CACHE)
-// (which are not necessarily patches but I don't care)
 void Z_FlushCachedPatches(void)
 {
 	CONS_Debug(DBG_RENDER, "Z_FlushCachedPatches()...\n");