diff --git a/model/AnimModel.cpp b/model/AnimModel.cpp
index 7cdbc3d7..52917a66 100644
--- a/model/AnimModel.cpp
+++ b/model/AnimModel.cpp
@@ -257,7 +257,20 @@ bool TAnimModel::Init(std::string const &asName, std::string const &asReplacable
         asText = asReplacableTexture.substr( 1, asReplacableTexture.length() - 1 ); // zapamiętanie tekstu
     }
     else if( asReplacableTexture != "none" ) {
-        m_materialdata.assign( asReplacableTexture );
+        // the same skin is typically shared by lots of instances, and locating its files takes a couple dozen disk lookups.
+        // NOTE: only located skins are kept, so a missing one is still searched for each time, the way it used to be
+        static std::unordered_map<std::string, material_data> skins;
+        auto const skinkey { Global.asCurrentTexturePath + '|' + asReplacableTexture };
+        auto const lookup { skins.find( skinkey ) };
+        if( lookup != skins.end() ) {
+            m_materialdata = lookup->second;
+        }
+        else {
+            m_materialdata.assign( asReplacableTexture );
+            if( m_materialdata.replacable_skins[ 1 ] != null_handle ) {
+                skins.emplace( skinkey, m_materialdata );
+            }
+        }
     }
 
 // TODO: redo the random timer initialization
@@ -304,26 +317,14 @@ bool TAnimModel::Load(cParser *parser, bool ter)
     }
     else
     { // wiązanie świateł, o ile model wczytany
-        LightsOn[0] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_On00");
-        LightsOn[1] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_On01");
-        LightsOn[2] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_On02");
-        LightsOn[3] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_On03");
-        LightsOn[4] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_On04");
-        LightsOn[5] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_On05");
-        LightsOn[6] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_On06");
-        LightsOn[7] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_On07");
-        LightsOff[0] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_Off00");
-        LightsOff[1] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_Off01");
-        LightsOff[2] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_Off02");
-        LightsOff[3] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_Off03");
-        LightsOff[4] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_Off04");
-        LightsOff[5] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_Off05");
-        LightsOff[6] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_Off06");
-        LightsOff[7] = pModel->GetFromName("Light_Off07");
-		sm_winter_variant = pModel->GetFromName("winter_variant");
-		sm_spring_variant = pModel->GetFromName("spring_variant");
-		sm_summer_variant = pModel->GetFromName("summer_variant");
-		sm_autumn_variant = pModel->GetFromName("autumn_variant");
+        // the submodels are located once for the model and shared by its instances
+        auto const &submodels { pModel->instance_parts() };
+        LightsOn = submodels.lights_on;
+        LightsOff = submodels.lights_off;
+        sm_winter_variant = submodels.variants[ 0 ];
+        sm_spring_variant = submodels.variants[ 1 ];
+        sm_summer_variant = submodels.variants[ 2 ];
+        sm_autumn_variant = submodels.variants[ 3 ];
     }
     for (int i = 0; i < iMaxNumLights; ++i)
         if (LightsOn[i] || LightsOff[i]) // Ra: zlikwidowałem wymóg istnienia obu
diff --git a/model/Model3d.cpp b/model/Model3d.cpp
index fba07446..cb9c0793 100644
--- a/model/Model3d.cpp
+++ b/model/Model3d.cpp
@@ -1567,6 +1567,23 @@ TSubModel *TModel3d::GetFromName(std::string const &Name) const
 	}
 };
 
+// returns submodels which scenery instances of the model refer to by name, locating them on first use
+TModel3d::instance_submodels const &TModel3d::instance_parts()
+{
+	if (false == m_instancesubmodelslocated)
+	{
+		for (std::size_t idx = 0; idx < m_instancesubmodels.lights_on.size(); ++idx)
+		{
+			auto const index{(idx < 10 ? "0" : "") + std::to_string(idx)};
+			m_instancesubmodels.lights_on[idx] = GetFromName("Light_On" + index);
+			m_instancesubmodels.lights_off[idx] = GetFromName("Light_Off" + index);
+		}
+		m_instancesubmodels.variants = {GetFromName("winter_variant"), GetFromName("spring_variant"), GetFromName("summer_variant"), GetFromName("autumn_variant")};
+		m_instancesubmodelslocated = true;
+	}
+	return m_instancesubmodels;
+}
+
 // locates particle source submodels and stores them on internal list
 nameoffset_sequence const &TModel3d::find_smoke_sources()
 {
diff --git a/model/Model3d.h b/model/Model3d.h
index 0e053609..c8c2fc9a 100644
--- a/model/Model3d.h
+++ b/model/Model3d.h
@@ -267,6 +267,12 @@ class TModel3d
     friend opengl33_renderer;
 
 public:
+    // submodels which scenery instances of the model refer to by name
+    struct instance_submodels {
+        std::array<TSubModel *, 8> lights_on {}; // Light_On00 - Light_On07
+        std::array<TSubModel *, 8> lights_off {}; // Light_Off00 - Light_Off07
+        std::array<TSubModel *, 4> variants {}; // winter_variant, spring_variant, summer_variant, autumn_variant
+    };
     TSubModel *Root { nullptr }; // drzewo submodeli
     uint32_t iFlags { 0 }; // Ra: czy submodele mają przezroczyste tekstury
 public: // Ra: tymczasowo
@@ -281,6 +287,8 @@ private:
 	std::string asBinary; // nazwa pod którą zapisać model binarny
     std::string m_filename;
     nameoffset_sequence m_smokesources; // list of particle sources defined in the model
+    instance_submodels m_instancesubmodels; // filled on first use, see instance_parts()
+    bool m_instancesubmodelslocated { false };
 
 public:
     TModel3d() = default;
@@ -289,6 +297,9 @@ public:
         return Root ? Root->m_boundingradius : 0.f; }
 	inline TSubModel * GetSMRoot() { return Root; };
 	TSubModel * GetFromName(std::string const &Name) const;
+    // returns submodels which scenery instances of the model refer to by name. the search for a name goes through the whole
+    // submodel tree, so it's done once for the model instead of once for each of its instances
+    instance_submodels const & instance_parts();
 	TSubModel * AddToNamed(const char *Name, TSubModel *SubModel);
     nameoffset_sequence const & find_smoke_sources();
 	void AddTo(TSubModel *tmp, TSubModel *SubModel);