diff --git a/src/w_wad.h b/src/w_wad.h
index 762d3708..7a41bced 100644
--- a/src/w_wad.h
+++ b/src/w_wad.h
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ typedef struct
 // =========================================================================
 
 #define MAX_WADPATH 512
-#define MAX_WADFILES 48 // maximum of wad files used at the same time
+#define MAX_WADFILES 256 // maximum of wad files used at the same time
 // (there is a max of simultaneous open files anyway, and this should be plenty)
 
 #define lumpcache_t void *