diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index c113e06..5e7f986 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -206,13 +206,17 @@ HRESULT __stdcall ddraw_SetDisplayMode(IDirectDrawImpl *This, DWORD width, DWORD
         This->render.height = This->height;
     }
 
+    This->render.run = TRUE;
+
     if (This->renderer == render_dummy_main)
     {
+        if(This->render.thread == NULL)
+        {
+            This->render.thread = CreateThread(NULL, 0, (LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE)This->renderer, NULL, 0, NULL);
+        }
         return DD_OK;
     }
 
-    This->render.run = TRUE;
-
     mouse_unlock();
 
     if(This->windowed)
@@ -275,21 +279,17 @@ LRESULT CALLBACK dummy_WndProc(HWND hWnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lPara
 {
     switch(uMsg)
     {
+        /* if the plugin window changes */
         case WM_USER:
-            ddraw->render.width = LOWORD(wParam);
-            ddraw->render.height = HIWORD(wParam);
-            ddraw->render.hDC = GetDC((HWND)lParam);
-            if (!ddraw->render.thread)
+            ddraw->hWnd = (HWND)lParam;
+            ddraw->render.hDC = GetDC(ddraw->hWnd);
+        case WM_ACTIVATEAPP:
+            if (wParam == TRUE)
             {
-                ddraw->render.run = TRUE;
-                ddraw->render.thread = CreateThread(NULL, 0, (LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE)ddraw->renderer, NULL, 0, NULL);
+                break;
             }
-            uMsg = WM_ACTIVATEAPP;
-            wParam = TRUE;
-            break;
         case WM_SIZE:
         case WM_NCACTIVATE:
-        case WM_ACTIVATEAPP:
             return DefWindowProc(hWnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam);
         case WM_MOUSEMOVE:
         case WM_NCMOUSEMOVE:
@@ -439,16 +439,22 @@ HRESULT __stdcall ddraw_SetCooperativeLevel(IDirectDrawImpl *This, HWND hWnd, DW
         return DDERR_INVALIDPARAMS;
     }
 
-    This->hWnd = hWnd;
+    if (This->hWnd == NULL)
+    {
+        This->hWnd = hWnd;
+    }
 
     mouse_init(hWnd);
 
-    This->WndProc = (LRESULT CALLBACK (*)(HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM))GetWindowLong(This->hWnd, GWL_WNDPROC);
+    This->WndProc = (LRESULT CALLBACK (*)(HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM))GetWindowLong(hWnd, GWL_WNDPROC);
 
     if (This->renderer == render_dummy_main)
     {
-        SetWindowLong(This->hWnd, GWL_WNDPROC, (LONG)dummy_WndProc);
-        ShowWindow(This->hWnd, SW_HIDE);
+        This->render.hDC = GetDC(This->hWnd);
+        SetWindowLong(hWnd, GWL_WNDPROC, (LONG)dummy_WndProc);
+        ShowWindow(hWnd, SW_HIDE);
+        PostMessage(hWnd, WM_ACTIVATEAPP, TRUE, TRUE);
+        PostMessage(This->hWnd, WM_USER, 0, (LPARAM)hWnd);
         return DD_OK;
     }
 
@@ -816,5 +822,25 @@ HRESULT WINAPI DirectDrawCreate(GUID FAR* lpGUID, LPDIRECTDRAW FAR* lplpDD, IUnk
         This->renderer = render_main;
     }
 
+    /* last minute check for cnc-plugin */
+    if (GetEnvironmentVariable("DDRAW_WINDOW", tmp, sizeof(tmp)) > 0)
+    {
+        This->hWnd = (HWND)atoi(tmp);
+        This->renderer = render_dummy_main;
+        This->windowed = TRUE;
+
+        if (GetEnvironmentVariable("DDRAW_WIDTH", tmp, sizeof(tmp)) > 0)
+        {
+            This->render.width = atoi(tmp);
+        }
+
+        if (GetEnvironmentVariable("DDRAW_HEIGHT", tmp, sizeof(tmp)) > 0)
+        {
+            This->render.height = atoi(tmp);
+        }
+
+        printf("DirectDrawCreate: Detected cnc-plugin at window %08X in %dx%d\n", (unsigned int)This->hWnd, This->render.width, This->render.height);
+    }
+
     return DD_OK;
 }
diff --git a/palette.c b/palette.c
index cfaf27f..018f6e3 100644
--- a/palette.c
+++ b/palette.c
@@ -36,10 +36,14 @@ HRESULT __stdcall ddraw_palette_SetEntries(IDirectDrawPaletteImpl *This, DWORD d
     for(i=0;i<256;i++)
     {
         This->data_bgr[i] = (lpEntries[i].peBlue<<16)|(lpEntries[i].peGreen<<8)|lpEntries[i].peRed;
-        This->data_rgb[i].rgbRed = lpEntries[i].peRed;
-        This->data_rgb[i].rgbGreen = lpEntries[i].peGreen;
-        This->data_rgb[i].rgbBlue = lpEntries[i].peBlue;
-        This->data_rgb[i].rgbReserved = 0;
+
+        if (This->data_rgb)
+        {
+            This->data_rgb[i].rgbRed = lpEntries[i].peRed;
+            This->data_rgb[i].rgbGreen = lpEntries[i].peGreen;
+            This->data_rgb[i].rgbBlue = lpEntries[i].peBlue;
+            This->data_rgb[i].rgbReserved = 0;
+        }
     }
 
     if(ddraw->primary && !(ddraw->primary->flags & DDSD_BACKBUFFERCOUNT) && ddraw->render.run)
diff --git a/palette.h b/palette.h
index 5263fb2..ee4d978 100644
--- a/palette.h
+++ b/palette.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ typedef struct IDirectDrawPaletteImpl
     ULONG Ref;
 
     int data_bgr[256];
-    RGBQUAD data_rgb[256];
+    RGBQUAD *data_rgb;
 
 } IDirectDrawPaletteImpl;
 
diff --git a/render_soft.c b/render_soft.c
index 6d0daee..6820abc 100644
--- a/render_soft.c
+++ b/render_soft.c
@@ -77,9 +77,9 @@ DWORD WINAPI render_soft_main(void)
 
         if (ddraw->primary && (ddraw->primary->palette || ddraw->bpp == 16))
         {
-            if (ddraw->primary->palette)
+            if (ddraw->primary->palette && ddraw->primary->palette->data_rgb == NULL)
             {
-                memcpy(bmi->bmiColors, ddraw->primary->palette->data_rgb, sizeof(RGBQUAD) * 256);
+                ddraw->primary->palette->data_rgb = &bmi->bmiColors[0];
             }
 
             if (ddraw->render.width != ddraw->width || ddraw->render.height != ddraw->height)