diff --git a/dlls/CBaseEntity.cpp b/dlls/CBaseEntity.cpp
index 73e1d79d..9e27e083 100644
--- a/dlls/CBaseEntity.cpp
+++ b/dlls/CBaseEntity.cpp
@@ -1250,6 +1250,9 @@ bool CBaseEntity::RunInventoryRules(CBaseEntity* ent) {
 
 void CBaseEntity::ParametricInterpolation(float flInterval) {
 
+	// A trace is done so that the client doesn't predict a projectile sliding across a wall
+	// (try removing this and firing the crossbow up towards a wall, it will start angling 
+	// upward as it approaches the impact point).
 	TraceResult tr;
 	UTIL_TraceLine(pev->origin, pev->origin + pev->velocity, ignore_monsters, NULL, &tr);
 
diff --git a/dlls/monster/CBarnacle.cpp b/dlls/monster/CBarnacle.cpp
index 7312594a..63d58c41 100644
--- a/dlls/monster/CBarnacle.cpp
+++ b/dlls/monster/CBarnacle.cpp
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ void CBarnacle :: BarnacleThink ( void )
 
 	// ALERT( at_console, "tounge %f\n", m_flAltitude + m_flTongueAdj );
 	SetBoneController( 0, -(m_flAltitude + m_flTongueAdj) );
-	StudioFrameAdvance( 0.1 );
+	StudioFrameAdvance();
 }
 
 //=========================================================
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ void CBarnacle :: Killed( entvars_t *pevAttacker, int iGib )
 	SetActivity ( ACT_DIESIMPLE );
 	SetBoneController( 0, 0 );
 
-	StudioFrameAdvance( 0.1 );
+	StudioFrameAdvance();
 
 	pev->nextthink = gpGlobals->time + 0.1;
 	SetThink ( &CBarnacle::WaitTillDead );
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ void CBarnacle :: WaitTillDead ( void )
 {
 	pev->nextthink = gpGlobals->time + 0.1;
 
-	float flInterval = StudioFrameAdvance( 0.1 );
+	float flInterval = StudioFrameAdvance();
 	DispatchAnimEvents ( flInterval );
 	UpdateShockEffect();
 
diff --git a/dlls/monster/CBaseGrunt.cpp b/dlls/monster/CBaseGrunt.cpp
index 62feaed2..25af4830 100644
--- a/dlls/monster/CBaseGrunt.cpp
+++ b/dlls/monster/CBaseGrunt.cpp
@@ -858,7 +858,7 @@ void CBaseGrunt::ShootRPG(Vector& vecShootOrigin, Vector& vecShootDir) {
 		m_occludeTime = 0;
 	}
 	
-	if (!m_aimingRocket && !m_cAmmoLoaded || (m_occludeTime && gpGlobals->time - m_occludeTime > 2.0f)) {
+	if ((!m_aimingRocket && !m_cAmmoLoaded) || (m_occludeTime && gpGlobals->time - m_occludeTime > 2.0f)) {
 		SetActivity(ACT_IDLE_ANGRY);
 		TaskFail();
 	}
@@ -2516,6 +2516,8 @@ Schedule_t *CBaseGrunt :: GetSchedule( void )
 		{
 			// just landed
 			pev->movetype = MOVETYPE_STEP;
+			pev->gravity = 0;
+			pev->friction = 0;
 			return GetScheduleOfType(SCHED_GRUNT_REPEL_LAND);
 		}
 		else
@@ -2858,7 +2860,7 @@ void CBaseRepel::RepelUse(CBaseEntity* pActivator, CBaseEntity* pCaller, USE_TYP
 	// FLY movetype but with client interpolation
 	pGrunt->pev->movetype = MOVETYPE_BOUNCE;
 	pGrunt->pev->gravity = FLT_MIN;
-	pGrunt->pev->friction = 1.0f;
+	pGrunt->pev->friction = 2.0f; // don't fly away if landing on a slope
 
 	pGrunt->pev->velocity = Vector(0, 0, RANDOM_FLOAT(-196, -128));
 	pGrunt->SetActivity(ACT_GLIDE);
diff --git a/dlls/monster/CBaseMonster.cpp b/dlls/monster/CBaseMonster.cpp
index be3064b8..1160e6c5 100644
--- a/dlls/monster/CBaseMonster.cpp
+++ b/dlls/monster/CBaseMonster.cpp
@@ -5229,7 +5229,10 @@ BOOL CBaseMonster::FScheduleDone(void)
 //=========================================================
 void CBaseMonster::ChangeSchedule(Schedule_t* pNewSchedule)
 {
-	ASSERT(pNewSchedule != NULL);
+	if (!pNewSchedule) {
+		ALERT(at_console, "Attempted to change to NULL schedule\n");
+		return;
+	}
 
 	m_pSchedule = pNewSchedule;
 	m_iScheduleIndex = 0;
@@ -5430,13 +5433,18 @@ void CBaseMonster::MaintainSchedule(void)
 		{
 			Task_t* pTask = GetTask();
 			ASSERT(pTask != NULL);
-			TaskBegin();
-			#ifdef DEBUG_MONSTER
-			if (FClassnameIs(pev, DEBUG_MONSTER)) {
-				ALERT(at_console, "    Start Task %s with data %f\n", GetTaskName(pTask->iTask), pTask->flData);
+			if (pTask) {
+				TaskBegin();
+#ifdef DEBUG_MONSTER
+				if (FClassnameIs(pev, DEBUG_MONSTER)) {
+					ALERT(at_console, "    Start Task %s with data %f\n", GetTaskName(pTask->iTask), pTask->flData);
+				}
+#endif
+				StartTask(pTask);
+			}
+			else {
+				ALERT(at_console, "Monster %s has NULL task\n", STRING(pev->classname));
 			}
-			#endif
-			StartTask(pTask);
 		}
 
 		// UNDONE: Twice?!!!
@@ -5453,7 +5461,13 @@ void CBaseMonster::MaintainSchedule(void)
 	{
 		Task_t* pTask = GetTask();
 		ASSERT(pTask != NULL);
-		RunTask(pTask);
+		if (pTask) {
+			RunTask(pTask);
+		}
+		else {
+			ALERT(at_console, "Failed to run NULL task for %s (%s)\n",
+				STRING(pev->targetname), STRING(pev->classname));
+		}
 	}
 
 	// UNDONE: We have to do this so that we have an animation set to blend to if RunTask changes the animation
diff --git a/dlls/monster/CShockTrooper.cpp b/dlls/monster/CShockTrooper.cpp
index a752e843..99579fc3 100644
--- a/dlls/monster/CShockTrooper.cpp
+++ b/dlls/monster/CShockTrooper.cpp
@@ -1907,6 +1907,8 @@ Schedule_t* CShockTrooper::GetSchedule()
 		{
 			// just landed
 			pev->movetype = MOVETYPE_STEP;
+			pev->gravity = 0;
+			pev->friction = 0;
 			return GetScheduleOfType(SCHED_GRUNT_REPEL_LAND);
 		}
 		else
diff --git a/dlls/player/CBasePlayer.cpp b/dlls/player/CBasePlayer.cpp
index 9b0c73b3..9f3135ac 100644
--- a/dlls/player/CBasePlayer.cpp
+++ b/dlls/player/CBasePlayer.cpp
@@ -4550,8 +4550,10 @@ void CBasePlayer :: UpdateClientData( void )
 	// Update all the items
 	for ( int i = 0; i < MAX_ITEM_TYPES; i++ )
 	{
-		if ( m_rgpPlayerItems[i] )  // each item updates it's successors
-			((CBasePlayerItem*)m_rgpPlayerItems[i].GetEntity())->UpdateClientData(this);
+		CBaseEntity* ent = m_rgpPlayerItems[i].GetEntity();
+		CBasePlayerItem* item = ent ? ent->GetWeaponPtr() : NULL;
+		if (item)  // each item updates it's successors
+			item->UpdateClientData(this);
 	}
 
 	// Cache and client weapon change
diff --git a/dlls/util/eng_wrappers.cpp b/dlls/util/eng_wrappers.cpp
index a7d85729..042c92da 100644
--- a/dlls/util/eng_wrappers.cpp
+++ b/dlls/util/eng_wrappers.cpp
@@ -337,8 +337,14 @@ void PRECACHE_MODEL_EXTRAS(const char* path, studiohdr_t* mdl) {
 				if (opt[0] == '*')
 					opt = opt.substr(1); // not sure why some models do this, it looks pointless.
 
-				// model sounds are loaded on demand, not precached
-				PRECACHE_GENERIC(STRING(ALLOC_STRING(normalize_path("sound/" + opt).c_str())));
+				if (evt->event == 5004) {
+					// sound is loaded by the client on-demand
+					PRECACHE_GENERIC(STRING(ALLOC_STRING(normalize_path("sound/" + opt).c_str())));
+				}
+				else {
+					// sound is played by the server
+					PRECACHE_SOUND_ENT(NULL, STRING(ALLOC_STRING(opt.c_str())));
+				}
 			}
 			if (evt->event == 5001 || evt->event == 5011 || evt->event == 5021 || evt->event == 5031) { // muzzleflash sprite
 				PRECACHE_GENERIC(STRING(ALLOC_STRING(normalize_path(opt).c_str())));
diff --git a/dlls/util/util.cpp b/dlls/util/util.cpp
index 4600b075..f9a82e51 100644
--- a/dlls/util/util.cpp
+++ b/dlls/util/util.cpp
@@ -1147,10 +1147,10 @@ void UTIL_PlayGlobalMp3(const char* path, bool loop, edict_t* target) {
 	// surround with ; to prevent multiple commands being joined when sent in the same frame(?)
 	// this fixes music sometimes not loading/starting/stopping
 	std::string mp3Path = normalize_path(UTIL_VarArgs("sound/%s", path));
-	std::string mp3Command = UTIL_VarArgs(";mp3 %s %s;", (loop ? "loop" : "play"), mp3Path.c_str());
+	std::string mp3Command = UTIL_VarArgs("mp3 %s %s", (loop ? "loop" : "play"), mp3Path.c_str());
 
 	MESSAGE_BEGIN(target ? MSG_ONE : MSG_ALL, SVC_STUFFTEXT, NULL, target);
-	WRITE_STRING(mp3Command.c_str());
+	WRITE_STRING((mp3Command + "\n").c_str());
 	MESSAGE_END();
 
 	if (!target) {
@@ -1160,16 +1160,15 @@ void UTIL_PlayGlobalMp3(const char* path, bool loop, edict_t* target) {
 }
 
 void UTIL_StopGlobalMp3(edict_t* target) {
-	const char* cmd = ";mp3 stop;";
 
 	MESSAGE_BEGIN(target ? MSG_ONE : MSG_ALL, SVC_STUFFTEXT, NULL, target);
-	WRITE_STRING(cmd);
+	WRITE_STRING("mp3 stop\n");
 	//WRITE_STRING(";cd fadeout;"); // blocked by cl_filterstuffcmd
 	MESSAGE_END();
 
 	if (!target) {
 		g_mp3Command = "";
-		ALERT(at_console, "MP3 Command: '%s'\n", cmd);
+		ALERT(at_console, "MP3 Command: 'mp3 stop'\n");
 	}
 }
 
@@ -2857,32 +2856,30 @@ Vector VecBModelOrigin(entvars_t* pevBModel)
 
 void PlayCDTrack(int iTrack)
 {
-	edict_t* pClient;
-
-	// manually find the single player. 
-	pClient = g_engfuncs.pfnPEntityOfEntIndex(1);
-
-	// Can't play if the client is not connected!
-	if (!pClient)
-		return;
-
 	if (iTrack < -1 || iTrack > 30)
 	{
 		ALERT(at_console, "TriggerCDAudio - Track %d out of range\n");
 		return;
 	}
 
+	std::string cdCommand = "";
+
 	if (iTrack == -1)
 	{
-		CLIENT_COMMAND(pClient, "cd stop\n");
+		cdCommand = "cd stop";
+		g_mp3Command = "";
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		char string[64];
-
-		snprintf(string, 64, "cd play %3d\n", iTrack);
-		CLIENT_COMMAND(pClient, string);
+		cdCommand = UTIL_VarArgs("cd play %d", iTrack);
+		g_mp3Command = cdCommand; // play for new joiners later
 	}
+
+	MESSAGE_BEGIN(MSG_ALL, SVC_STUFFTEXT);
+	WRITE_STRING((cdCommand + "\n").c_str());
+	MESSAGE_END();
+
+	ALERT(at_console, "CD Command: '%s'\n", cdCommand.c_str());
 }
 
 std::string sanitize_cvar_value(std::string val) {
diff --git a/dlls/weapon/CRpg.cpp b/dlls/weapon/CRpg.cpp
index 43dedff9..f4221259 100644
--- a/dlls/weapon/CRpg.cpp
+++ b/dlls/weapon/CRpg.cpp
@@ -290,7 +290,6 @@ void CRpgRocket :: FollowThink( void  )
 
 	float bestDot = -1.0f;
 	float bestDist = FLT_MAX;
-	Vector bestDir = vecTarget;
 	
 	// Examine all entities within a reasonable radius
 	while ((pOther = UTIL_FindEntityByClassname( pOther, "laser_spot" )) != NULL)