diff --git a/build/premake/premake.lua b/build/premake/premake.lua
index 663df4acda..5eac5573f2 100755
--- a/build/premake/premake.lua
+++ b/build/premake/premake.lua
@@ -106,7 +106,8 @@ if (OS == "windows") then
 		"openal",
 		"spidermonkey",
 		"xerces",
-		"vorbis"
+		"vorbis",
+		"boost"
 	}
 
 	-- Add '<libraries root>/<libraryname>/lib' and '/include' to the includepaths and libpaths
diff --git a/source/graphics/MeshManager.cpp b/source/graphics/MeshManager.cpp
index 0672f43079..336476b7d2 100755
--- a/source/graphics/MeshManager.cpp
+++ b/source/graphics/MeshManager.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "precompiled.h"
 #include "graphics/MeshManager.h"
 #include "CLogger.h"
+#include "FileUnpacker.h" // to get access to its CError
 
 CMeshManager::CMeshManager()
 {
@@ -10,71 +11,38 @@ CMeshManager::~CMeshManager()
 {
 }
 
-CModelDef *CMeshManager::GetMesh(const char *filename)
+CModelDefPtr CMeshManager::GetMesh(const char *filename)
 {
-    mesh_map::iterator iter;
     CStr fn(filename);
-    if((iter = m_MeshMap.find(fn)) == m_MeshMap.end())
+	mesh_map::iterator iter = m_MeshMap.find(fn);
+    if (iter != m_MeshMap.end())
     {
-        try
-        {
-            CModelDef *model = CModelDef::Load(filename);
-            if(!model)
-                return NULL;
-
-            LOG(MESSAGE, "mesh", "Loading mesh '%s'...\n", filename);
-            model->m_Filename = fn;
-            model->m_RefCount = 1;
-            m_MeshMap[fn] = model;
-            return model;
-        }
-        catch(...)
-        {
-            LOG(ERROR, "mesh", "Could not load mesh '%s'\n!", filename);
-            return NULL;
-        }
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        LOG(MESSAGE, "mesh", "Loading mesh '%s%' (cached)...\n", filename);
-        CModelDef *model = (CModelDef *)(*iter).second;
-        model->m_RefCount++;
-        return model;
-    }
-}
-
-int CMeshManager::ReleaseMesh(CModelDef* mesh)
-{
-	if(!mesh)
-        return 0;
-
-	// FIXME: Someone sort this out. I'm tired.
-	// Looks like it might be a multiple delete; not sure best way
-	// to resolve it. MT.
-
-	mesh_map::iterator iter;
+		try
+		{
+			CModelDefPtr model (iter->second);
+			LOG(MESSAGE, "mesh", "Loading mesh '%s%' (cached)...\n", filename);
+			return model;
+		}
+		// If the mesh has already been deleted, the weak_ptr -> shared_ptr
+		// conversion will throw bad_weak_ptr (and we need to reload the mesh)
+		catch (boost::bad_weak_ptr)
+		{
+		}
+	}
 
 	try
 	{
-		iter = m_MeshMap.find(mesh->m_Filename);
+		CModelDefPtr model (CModelDef::Load(filename));
+		if (!model)
+			return CModelDefPtr();
+
+		LOG(MESSAGE, "mesh", "Loading mesh '%s'...\n", filename);
+		m_MeshMap[fn] = model;
+		return model;
 	}
-	catch( ... )
+	catch (CFileUnpacker::CError)
 	{
-		debug_out( "FIXME: Do something with %s(%d)", __FILE__, __LINE__ );
-		return( 0 );
+		LOG(ERROR, "mesh", "Could not load mesh '%s'\n!", filename);
+		return CModelDefPtr();
 	}
-
-	if(iter == m_MeshMap.end())
-		return 0;
-
-    mesh->m_RefCount--;
-    if(mesh->m_RefCount <= 0)
-    {
-        m_MeshMap.erase(iter);
-        delete mesh;
-        mesh = NULL;
-        return 0;
-    }
-
-    return mesh->m_RefCount;
 }
diff --git a/source/graphics/MeshManager.h b/source/graphics/MeshManager.h
index d80693a416..689d901f6b 100755
--- a/source/graphics/MeshManager.h
+++ b/source/graphics/MeshManager.h
@@ -4,9 +4,14 @@
 #include "Singleton.h"
 #include "graphics/ModelDef.h"
 
+#include "boost/shared_ptr.hpp"
+#include "boost/weak_ptr.hpp"
+
 #define g_MeshManager CMeshManager::GetSingleton()
 
-typedef STL_HASH_MAP<CStr, CModelDef *, CStr_hash_compare> mesh_map;
+typedef STL_HASH_MAP<CStr, boost::weak_ptr<CModelDef>, CStr_hash_compare> mesh_map;
+
+typedef boost::shared_ptr<CModelDef> CModelDefPtr;
 
 class CMeshManager : public Singleton<CMeshManager>
 {
@@ -14,8 +19,7 @@ public:
     CMeshManager();
     ~CMeshManager();
 
-    CModelDef *GetMesh(const char *filename);
-    int ReleaseMesh(CModelDef* mesh);
+    CModelDefPtr GetMesh(const char *filename);
 private:
     mesh_map m_MeshMap;
 };
diff --git a/source/graphics/Model.cpp b/source/graphics/Model.cpp
index 778b21cc32..86c49385c3 100755
--- a/source/graphics/Model.cpp
+++ b/source/graphics/Model.cpp
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // Constructor
 CModel::CModel() 
-	: m_pModelDef(0), m_Flags(0), m_Anim(0), m_AnimTime(0), 
+	: m_Flags(0), m_Anim(0), m_AnimTime(0), 
 	m_BoneMatrices(0), m_InvBoneMatrices(0), m_BoneMatricesValid(false)
 {
 }
@@ -41,13 +41,12 @@ void CModel::ReleaseData()
 		delete m_Props[i].m_Model;
 	}
 	m_Props.clear();
-    if(m_pModelDef)
-        g_MeshManager.ReleaseMesh(m_pModelDef);
+	m_pModelDef = CModelDefPtr();
 }
 
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // InitModel: setup model from given geometry
-bool CModel::InitModel(CModelDef* modeldef)
+bool CModel::InitModel(CModelDefPtr modeldef)
 {
 	// clean up any existing data first
 	ReleaseData();
@@ -289,6 +288,7 @@ void CModel::AddProp(SPropPoint* point,CModel* model)
 	uint i;
 	for (i=0;i<m_Props.size();i++) {
 		if (m_Props[i].m_Point==point) {
+			delete m_Props[i].m_Model;
 			m_Props[i].m_Model=model;
 			return;
 		}
diff --git a/source/graphics/Model.h b/source/graphics/Model.h
index 2f9a4bbdde..ee577520ad 100755
--- a/source/graphics/Model.h
+++ b/source/graphics/Model.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 
 #include "Texture.h"
 #include "ModelDef.h"
+#include "MeshManager.h"
 #include "RenderableObject.h"
 #include "SkeletonAnim.h"
 #include "Material.h"
@@ -40,14 +41,14 @@ public:
 	~CModel();
 
 	// setup model from given geometry
-	bool InitModel(CModelDef *modeldef);
+	bool InitModel(CModelDefPtr modeldef);
 	// calculate the world space bounds of this model
 	void CalcBounds();
 	// update this model's state; 'time' is the time since the last update, in MS
 	void Update(float time);
 
 	// get the model's geometry data
-	CModelDef *GetModelDef() { return m_pModelDef; }
+	CModelDefPtr GetModelDef() { return m_pModelDef; }
 
 	// set the model's texture
 	void SetTexture(const CTexture& tex) { m_Texture=tex; }
@@ -125,7 +126,7 @@ private:
     // model's material
     CMaterial m_Material;
 	// pointer to the model's raw 3d data
-	CModelDef* m_pModelDef;
+	CModelDefPtr m_pModelDef;
 	// object space bounds of model - accounts for bounds of all possible animations
 	// that can play on a model
 	CBound m_ObjectBounds;
diff --git a/source/graphics/ModelDef.h b/source/graphics/ModelDef.h
index 119c1d10ff..44569fe259 100755
--- a/source/graphics/ModelDef.h
+++ b/source/graphics/ModelDef.h
@@ -127,8 +127,7 @@ public:
 	SPropPoint* m_PropPoints;
 protected:
     static CModelDef* Load(const char* filename);
-    int m_RefCount;
-    CStr m_Filename;
+    //CStr m_Filename;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/source/graphics/ObjectEntry.cpp b/source/graphics/ObjectEntry.cpp
index 474583f27b..eba2e19782 100755
--- a/source/graphics/ObjectEntry.cpp
+++ b/source/graphics/ObjectEntry.cpp
@@ -46,19 +46,14 @@ bool CObjectEntry::BuildModel()
 	CStr dirname=g_ObjMan.m_ObjectTypes[m_Type].m_Name;
 
 	// remember the old model so we can replace any models using it later on
-	CModelDef* oldmodeldef=m_Model ? m_Model->GetModelDef() : 0;
-
-	// try and create a model
-	CModelDef* modeldef;
+	CModelDefPtr oldmodeldef=m_Model ? m_Model->GetModelDef() : CModelDefPtr();
 
 	const char* modelfilename = m_ModelName.c_str();
 
-	try {
-		//modeldef=CModelDef::Load(modelfilename);
-        modeldef = g_MeshManager.GetMesh(modelfilename);
-        if(!modeldef)
-            throw false;
-	} catch (...) {
+	// try and create a model
+	CModelDefPtr modeldef (g_MeshManager.GetMesh(modelfilename));
+	if (!modeldef)
+	{
 		LOG(ERROR, LOG_CATEGORY, "CObjectEntry::BuildModel(): Model %s failed to load", modelfilename);
 		return false;
 	}
@@ -81,15 +76,15 @@ bool CObjectEntry::BuildModel()
 			const char* animfilename = m_Animations[t].m_FileName.c_str();
 			m_Animations[t].m_AnimData = m_Model->BuildAnimation(animfilename,m_Animations[t].m_Speed);
 
-			if( m_Animations[t].m_AnimName.LowerCase() == CStr( "idle" ) )
+			if( m_Animations[t].m_AnimName.LowerCase() == "idle" )
 				m_IdleAnim = m_Animations[t].m_AnimData;
-			if( m_Animations[t].m_AnimName.LowerCase() == CStr( "walk" ) )
+			if( m_Animations[t].m_AnimName.LowerCase() == "walk" )
 				m_WalkAnim = m_Animations[t].m_AnimData;
-			if( m_Animations[t].m_AnimName.LowerCase() == CStr( "attack" ) )
+			if( m_Animations[t].m_AnimName.LowerCase() == "attack" )
 				m_MeleeAnim = m_Animations[t].m_AnimData;
-			if( m_Animations[t].m_AnimName.LowerCase() == CStr( "death" ) )
+			if( m_Animations[t].m_AnimName.LowerCase() == "death" )
 				m_DeathAnim = m_Animations[t].m_AnimData;
-			if( m_Animations[t].m_AnimName.LowerCase() == CStr( "decay" ) )
+			if( m_Animations[t].m_AnimName.LowerCase() == "decay" )
 				m_CorpseAnim = m_Animations[t].m_AnimData;
 		}
 		else
@@ -158,9 +153,6 @@ bool CObjectEntry::BuildModel()
 		}
 	}
 
-	// and were done with the old model ..
-	delete oldmodeldef;
-
 	return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/source/renderer/ModelRData.cpp b/source/renderer/ModelRData.cpp
index f3193bfd0c..8d34232af9 100755
--- a/source/renderer/ModelRData.cpp
+++ b/source/renderer/ModelRData.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ void CModelRData::Build()
 
 void CModelRData::BuildIndices()
 {	
-	CModelDef* mdef=m_Model->GetModelDef();
+	CModelDefPtr mdef=m_Model->GetModelDef();
 	assert(mdef);
 	
 	// must have a valid vertex buffer by this point so we know where indices are supposed to start
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ static void SkinNormal(const SModelVertex& vertex,const CMatrix3D* invmatrices,C
 
 void CModelRData::BuildVertices()
 {
-	CModelDef* mdef=m_Model->GetModelDef();
+	CModelDefPtr mdef=m_Model->GetModelDef();
 
 	// allocate vertices if we haven't got any already
 	if (!m_Vertices) {
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ void CModelRData::BuildVertices()
 
 void CModelRData::RenderStreams(u32 streamflags)
 {	
-	CModelDef* mdldef=(CModelDef*) m_Model->GetModelDef();
+	CModelDefPtr mdldef=m_Model->GetModelDef();
 	
 	if (streamflags & STREAM_UV0)
     {
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ float CModelRData::BackToFrontIndexSort(CMatrix3D& objToCam)
 	float mindist=1.0e30f;
 	CVector3D osvtx,csvtx;
 
-	CModelDef* mdldef=(CModelDef*) m_Model->GetModelDef();
+	CModelDefPtr mdldef=m_Model->GetModelDef();
 
 	SModelVertex* vtxs=mdldef->GetVertices();