diff --git a/src/QD3D/3DMFParser.cpp b/src/QD3D/3DMFParser.cpp
index 58a83f5..f7df8df 100644
--- a/src/QD3D/3DMFParser.cpp
+++ b/src/QD3D/3DMFParser.cpp
@@ -290,7 +290,11 @@ void Q3MetaFileParser::Parse_tmsh(uint32_t chunkSize)
 	Assert(0 == numEdges, "edges are not supported");
 	Assert(0 == numEdgeAttributes, "edge attributes are not supported");
 
-	currentMesh = Q3TriMeshData_New(numTriangles, numVertices);
+	currentMesh = Q3TriMeshData_New(
+			numTriangles,
+			numVertices,
+			false			// Don't allocate per-vertex colors yet. We'll allocate them later if the mesh needs them.
+	);
 
 	__Q3EnlargeArray(metaFile.meshes, metaFile.numMeshes, 'MLST');
 	metaFile.meshes[metaFile.numMeshes-1] = currentMesh;
diff --git a/src/QD3D/QD3D.cpp b/src/QD3D/QD3D.cpp
index a194239..3780ead 100644
--- a/src/QD3D/QD3D.cpp
+++ b/src/QD3D/QD3D.cpp
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ void Q3Pixmap_Dispose(TQ3Pixmap* pixmap)
 
 #pragma mark -
 
-TQ3TriMeshData* Q3TriMeshData_New(int numTriangles,	int numPoints)
+TQ3TriMeshData* Q3TriMeshData_New(int numTriangles,	int numPoints, bool perVertexColors)
 {
 	TQ3TriMeshData* mesh	= __Q3Alloc<TQ3TriMeshData>(1, 'MESH');
 
@@ -158,16 +158,22 @@ TQ3TriMeshData* Q3TriMeshData_New(int numTriangles,	int numPoints)
 	mesh->triangles			= __Q3Alloc<TQ3TriMeshTriangleData>(numTriangles, 'TMtr');
 	mesh->vertexNormals		= __Q3Alloc<TQ3Vector3D>(numPoints, 'TMvn');
 	mesh->vertexUVs			= __Q3Alloc<TQ3Param2D>(numPoints, 'TMuv');
-	mesh->vertexColors		= nullptr;
+	mesh->vertexColors		= perVertexColors? __Q3Alloc<TQ3ColorRGBA>(numPoints, 'TMvc'): nullptr;
 	mesh->diffuseColor		= {1, 1, 1, 1};
 	mesh->texturingMode		= kQ3TexturingModeOff;
 	mesh->internalTextureID	= -1;
+	mesh->bBox				= {{0,0,0}, {0,0,0}, kQ3True};	// empty
 
 	for (int i = 0; i < numPoints; i++)
 	{
 		mesh->vertexNormals[i] = {0, 1, 0};
 		mesh->vertexUVs[i] = {.5f, .5f};
-//		triMeshData->vertexColors[i] = {1, 1, 1, 1};
+	}
+
+	if (perVertexColors)
+	{
+		for (int i = 0; i < numPoints; i++)
+			mesh->vertexColors[i] = {1, 1, 1, 1};
 	}
 
 	return mesh;
diff --git a/src/QD3D/QD3D.h b/src/QD3D/QD3D.h
index 3817447..6a7480b 100644
--- a/src/QD3D/QD3D.h
+++ b/src/QD3D/QD3D.h
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ void Q3Pixmap_Dispose(TQ3Pixmap*);
 
 #pragma mark -
 
-TQ3TriMeshData* Q3TriMeshData_New(int numTriangles, int numPoints);
+TQ3TriMeshData* Q3TriMeshData_New(int numTriangles, int numPoints, bool perVertexColors);
 
 TQ3TriMeshData* Q3TriMeshData_Duplicate(const TQ3TriMeshData* source);