diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index a37afee7f..a26f069c1 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -812,16 +812,19 @@ void generatePolyModels(int start, int end)
 	if ( generateAll )
 	{
 		polymodels = (polymodel_t*) malloc(sizeof(polymodel_t) * nummodels);
-		model_cache = openUserFile("models.cache", "rb");
-		if (model_cache) {
-			for (size_t model_index = 0; model_index < nummodels; model_index++) {
-				polymodel_t *cur = &polymodels[model_index];
-				fread(&cur->numfaces, sizeof(cur->numfaces), 1, model_cache);
-				cur->faces = (polytriangle_t *) calloc(sizeof(polytriangle_t), cur->numfaces);
-				fread(polymodels[model_index].faces, sizeof(polytriangle_t), cur->numfaces, model_cache);
+		if ( useModelCache )
+		{
+			model_cache = openDataFile("models.cache", "rb");
+			if (model_cache) {
+				for (size_t model_index = 0; model_index < nummodels; model_index++) {
+					polymodel_t *cur = &polymodels[model_index];
+					fread(&cur->numfaces, sizeof(cur->numfaces), 1, model_cache);
+					cur->faces = (polytriangle_t *) calloc(sizeof(polytriangle_t), cur->numfaces);
+					fread(polymodels[model_index].faces, sizeof(polytriangle_t), cur->numfaces, model_cache);
+				}
+				fclose(model_cache);
+				return generateVBOs(start, end);
 			}
-			fclose(model_cache);
-			return generateVBOs(start, end);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1751,7 +1754,7 @@ void generatePolyModels(int start, int end)
 		// free up quads for the next model
 		list_FreeAll(&quads);
 	}
-	if (generateAll && (model_cache = openUserFile("models.cache", "wb"))) {
+	if (generateAll && useModelCache && (model_cache = openDataFile("models.cache", "wb"))) {
 		for (size_t model_index = 0; model_index < nummodels; model_index++) {
 			polymodel_t *cur = &polymodels[model_index];
 			fwrite(&cur->numfaces, sizeof(cur->numfaces), 1, model_cache);
diff --git a/src/interface/consolecommand.cpp b/src/interface/consolecommand.cpp
index 556820cf0..8a21eea10 100644
--- a/src/interface/consolecommand.cpp
+++ b/src/interface/consolecommand.cpp
@@ -59,6 +59,14 @@ void consoleCommand(char* command_str)
 			pingtime = SDL_GetTicks();
 		}
 	}
+	else if ( !strncmp(command_str, "/usemodelcache", 14) )
+	{
+		useModelCache = true;
+	}
+	else if ( !strncmp(command_str, "/disablemodelcache", 14) )
+	{
+		useModelCache = false;
+	}
 	else if (!strncmp(command_str, "/fov", 4))
 	{
 		fov = atoi(&command_str[5]);
diff --git a/src/interface/interface.cpp b/src/interface/interface.cpp
index cc1e0ad00..4fdad6098 100644
--- a/src/interface/interface.cpp
+++ b/src/interface/interface.cpp
@@ -907,6 +907,10 @@ int saveConfig(char* filename)
 	{
 		fprintf(fp, "/splitscreen\n");
 	}
+	if ( useModelCache )
+	{
+		fprintf(fp, "/usemodelcache\n");
+	}
 	fprintf(fp, "/gamepad_deadzone %d\n", gamepad_deadzone);
 	fprintf(fp, "/gamepad_trigger_deadzone %d\n", gamepad_trigger_deadzone);
 	fprintf(fp, "/gamepad_leftx_sensitivity %d\n", gamepad_leftx_sensitivity);
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index bf696ca75..e39eac3f7 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ int* palette;
 
 // video definitions
 polymodel_t* polymodels = NULL;
+bool useModelCache = false;
 list_t ttfTextHash[HASH_SIZE];
 TTF_Font* ttf8 = NULL;
 TTF_Font* ttf12 = NULL;
diff --git a/src/main.hpp b/src/main.hpp
index 68e54cba0..017143bd7 100644
--- a/src/main.hpp
+++ b/src/main.hpp
@@ -520,6 +520,7 @@ extern SDL_Surface** sprites;
 extern SDL_Surface** tiles;
 extern voxel_t** models;
 extern polymodel_t* polymodels;
+extern bool useModelCache;
 extern Uint32 imgref, vboref;
 extern GLuint* texid;
 extern bool disablevbos;