diff --git a/bind/v4k.lua b/bind/v4k.lua
index df671b1..c980fa3 100644
--- a/bind/v4k.lua
+++ b/bind/v4k.lua
@@ -1101,6 +1101,7 @@ typedef struct texture_t {
  texture_t texture_create(unsigned w, unsigned h, unsigned n, const void *pixels, int flags);
  texture_t texture_checker();
  void texture_destroy(texture_t *t);
+ int texture_unit();
  unsigned texture_update(texture_t *t, unsigned w, unsigned h, unsigned n, const void *pixels, int flags);
  bool texture_rec_begin(texture_t *t, unsigned w, unsigned h);
  void texture_rec_end(texture_t *t);
diff --git a/engine/joint/v4k.h b/engine/joint/v4k.h
index fe45eba..6392364 100644
--- a/engine/joint/v4k.h
+++ b/engine/joint/v4k.h
@@ -17158,6 +17158,7 @@ API texture_t texture_from_mem(const void* ptr, int len, int flags);
 API texture_t texture_create(unsigned w, unsigned h, unsigned n, const void *pixels, int flags);
 API texture_t texture_checker();
 API void      texture_destroy(texture_t *t);
+API int       texture_unit(); // returns rolling counter
 // textureLod(filename, dir, lod);
 // void texture_add_loader( int(*loader)(const char *filename, int *w, int *h, int *bpp, int reqbpp, int flags) );
 API unsigned  texture_update(texture_t *t, unsigned w, unsigned h, unsigned n, const void *pixels, int flags);
@@ -370072,7 +370073,7 @@ void glDebugEnable() {
 
 static
 void glCopyBackbufferToTexture( texture_t *tex ) { // unused
-    glActiveTexture( GL_TEXTURE0 + allocate_texture_unit() );
+    glActiveTexture( GL_TEXTURE0 + texture_unit() );
     glBindTexture( GL_TEXTURE_2D, tex->id );
     glCopyTexImage2D( GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, GL_RGB, 0, 0, window_width(), window_height(), 0 );
 }
@@ -370582,7 +370583,7 @@ void shader_mat44(const char *uniform, mat44 m) { glUniformMatrix4fv(shader_unif
 void shader_cubemap(const char *sampler, unsigned texture) { glUniform1i(shader_uniform(sampler), 0); glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_CUBE_MAP, texture); }
 void shader_bool(const char *uniform, bool x) { glUniform1i(shader_uniform(uniform), x); }
 void shader_uint(const char *uniform, unsigned x ) { glUniform1ui(shader_uniform(uniform), x); }
-void shader_texture(const char *sampler, texture_t t) { shader_texture_unit(sampler, t.id, allocate_texture_unit()); }
+void shader_texture(const char *sampler, texture_t t) { shader_texture_unit(sampler, t.id, texture_unit()); }
 void shader_texture_unit(const char *sampler, unsigned id, unsigned unit) {
     // @todo. if tex.h == 1 ? GL_TEXTURE_1D : GL_TEXTURE_2D
     glUniform1i(shader_uniform(sampler), unit);
@@ -370723,8 +370724,7 @@ vec3 bilinear(image_t in, vec2 uv) { // image_bilinear_pixel() ?
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // textures
 
-static
-int allocate_texture_unit() {
+int texture_unit() {
     static int textureUnit = 0, totalTextureUnits = 0;
     do_once glGetIntegerv(GL_MAX_COMBINED_TEXTURE_IMAGE_UNITS, &totalTextureUnits);
     // ASSERT(textureUnit < totalTextureUnits, "%d texture units exceeded", totalTextureUnits);
@@ -373784,7 +373784,7 @@ void model_draw_call(model_t m, int shader) {
         struct iqmmesh *im = &q->meshes[i];
 
         if (m.shading != SHADING_PBR) {
-            shader_texture_unit("u_texture2d", q->textures[i], allocate_texture_unit());
+            shader_texture_unit("u_texture2d", q->textures[i], texture_unit());
             shader_texture("u_lightmap", m.lightmap);
 
             int loc;
diff --git a/engine/split/v4k_render.c b/engine/split/v4k_render.c
index 3b7f84c..454c823 100644
--- a/engine/split/v4k_render.c
+++ b/engine/split/v4k_render.c
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ void glDebugEnable() {
 
 static
 void glCopyBackbufferToTexture( texture_t *tex ) { // unused
-    glActiveTexture( GL_TEXTURE0 + allocate_texture_unit() );
+    glActiveTexture( GL_TEXTURE0 + texture_unit() );
     glBindTexture( GL_TEXTURE_2D, tex->id );
     glCopyTexImage2D( GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, GL_RGB, 0, 0, window_width(), window_height(), 0 );
 }
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ void shader_mat44(const char *uniform, mat44 m) { glUniformMatrix4fv(shader_unif
 void shader_cubemap(const char *sampler, unsigned texture) { glUniform1i(shader_uniform(sampler), 0); glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_CUBE_MAP, texture); }
 void shader_bool(const char *uniform, bool x) { glUniform1i(shader_uniform(uniform), x); }
 void shader_uint(const char *uniform, unsigned x ) { glUniform1ui(shader_uniform(uniform), x); }
-void shader_texture(const char *sampler, texture_t t) { shader_texture_unit(sampler, t.id, allocate_texture_unit()); }
+void shader_texture(const char *sampler, texture_t t) { shader_texture_unit(sampler, t.id, texture_unit()); }
 void shader_texture_unit(const char *sampler, unsigned id, unsigned unit) {
     // @todo. if tex.h == 1 ? GL_TEXTURE_1D : GL_TEXTURE_2D
     glUniform1i(shader_uniform(sampler), unit);
@@ -696,8 +696,7 @@ vec3 bilinear(image_t in, vec2 uv) { // image_bilinear_pixel() ?
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // textures
 
-static
-int allocate_texture_unit() {
+int texture_unit() {
     static int textureUnit = 0, totalTextureUnits = 0;
     do_once glGetIntegerv(GL_MAX_COMBINED_TEXTURE_IMAGE_UNITS, &totalTextureUnits);
     // ASSERT(textureUnit < totalTextureUnits, "%d texture units exceeded", totalTextureUnits);
@@ -3757,7 +3756,7 @@ void model_draw_call(model_t m, int shader) {
         struct iqmmesh *im = &q->meshes[i];
 
         if (m.shading != SHADING_PBR) {
-            shader_texture_unit("u_texture2d", q->textures[i], allocate_texture_unit());
+            shader_texture_unit("u_texture2d", q->textures[i], texture_unit());
             shader_texture("u_lightmap", m.lightmap);
 
             int loc;
diff --git a/engine/split/v4k_render.h b/engine/split/v4k_render.h
index c378264..292d165 100644
--- a/engine/split/v4k_render.h
+++ b/engine/split/v4k_render.h
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ API texture_t texture_from_mem(const void* ptr, int len, int flags);
 API texture_t texture_create(unsigned w, unsigned h, unsigned n, const void *pixels, int flags);
 API texture_t texture_checker();
 API void      texture_destroy(texture_t *t);
+API int       texture_unit(); // returns rolling counter
 // textureLod(filename, dir, lod);
 // void texture_add_loader( int(*loader)(const char *filename, int *w, int *h, int *bpp, int reqbpp, int flags) );
 API unsigned  texture_update(texture_t *t, unsigned w, unsigned h, unsigned n, const void *pixels, int flags);
diff --git a/engine/v4k.c b/engine/v4k.c
index 1fd4ea6..7583f9b 100644
--- a/engine/v4k.c
+++ b/engine/v4k.c
@@ -17219,7 +17219,7 @@ void glDebugEnable() {
 
 static
 void glCopyBackbufferToTexture( texture_t *tex ) { // unused
-    glActiveTexture( GL_TEXTURE0 + allocate_texture_unit() );
+    glActiveTexture( GL_TEXTURE0 + texture_unit() );
     glBindTexture( GL_TEXTURE_2D, tex->id );
     glCopyTexImage2D( GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, GL_RGB, 0, 0, window_width(), window_height(), 0 );
 }
@@ -17729,7 +17729,7 @@ void shader_mat44(const char *uniform, mat44 m) { glUniformMatrix4fv(shader_unif
 void shader_cubemap(const char *sampler, unsigned texture) { glUniform1i(shader_uniform(sampler), 0); glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_CUBE_MAP, texture); }
 void shader_bool(const char *uniform, bool x) { glUniform1i(shader_uniform(uniform), x); }
 void shader_uint(const char *uniform, unsigned x ) { glUniform1ui(shader_uniform(uniform), x); }
-void shader_texture(const char *sampler, texture_t t) { shader_texture_unit(sampler, t.id, allocate_texture_unit()); }
+void shader_texture(const char *sampler, texture_t t) { shader_texture_unit(sampler, t.id, texture_unit()); }
 void shader_texture_unit(const char *sampler, unsigned id, unsigned unit) {
     // @todo. if tex.h == 1 ? GL_TEXTURE_1D : GL_TEXTURE_2D
     glUniform1i(shader_uniform(sampler), unit);
@@ -17870,8 +17870,7 @@ vec3 bilinear(image_t in, vec2 uv) { // image_bilinear_pixel() ?
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // textures
 
-static
-int allocate_texture_unit() {
+int texture_unit() {
     static int textureUnit = 0, totalTextureUnits = 0;
     do_once glGetIntegerv(GL_MAX_COMBINED_TEXTURE_IMAGE_UNITS, &totalTextureUnits);
     // ASSERT(textureUnit < totalTextureUnits, "%d texture units exceeded", totalTextureUnits);
@@ -20931,7 +20930,7 @@ void model_draw_call(model_t m, int shader) {
         struct iqmmesh *im = &q->meshes[i];
 
         if (m.shading != SHADING_PBR) {
-            shader_texture_unit("u_texture2d", q->textures[i], allocate_texture_unit());
+            shader_texture_unit("u_texture2d", q->textures[i], texture_unit());
             shader_texture("u_lightmap", m.lightmap);
 
             int loc;
diff --git a/engine/v4k.h b/engine/v4k.h
index 395978f..cbdb401 100644
--- a/engine/v4k.h
+++ b/engine/v4k.h
@@ -3225,6 +3225,7 @@ API texture_t texture_from_mem(const void* ptr, int len, int flags);
 API texture_t texture_create(unsigned w, unsigned h, unsigned n, const void *pixels, int flags);
 API texture_t texture_checker();
 API void      texture_destroy(texture_t *t);
+API int       texture_unit(); // returns rolling counter
 // textureLod(filename, dir, lod);
 // void texture_add_loader( int(*loader)(const char *filename, int *w, int *h, int *bpp, int reqbpp, int flags) );
 API unsigned  texture_update(texture_t *t, unsigned w, unsigned h, unsigned n, const void *pixels, int flags);