diff --git a/engine/client/ref_common.h b/engine/client/ref_common.h
index 687ae566..d16cd1fd 100644
--- a/engine/client/ref_common.h
+++ b/engine/client/ref_common.h
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ void R_GetTextureParms( int *w, int *h, int texnum );
 #define REF_GET_PARM( parm, arg ) ref.dllFuncs.RefGetParm( (parm), (arg) )
 #define GL_LoadTextureInternal( name, pic, flags ) ref.dllFuncs.GL_LoadTextureFromBuffer( (name), (pic), (flags), false )
 #define GL_UpdateTextureInternal( name, pic, flags ) ref.dllFuncs.GL_LoadTextureFromBuffer( (name), (pic), (flags), true )
-#define R_GetBuiltinTexture( name ) ref.dllFuncs.GL_LoadTexture( (name), 0, 0, 0 )
+#define R_GetBuiltinTexture( name ) ref.dllFuncs.GL_FindTexture( (name) )
 
 void GL_RenderFrame( const struct ref_viewpass_s *rvp );
 
diff --git a/ref/vk/TODO.md b/ref/vk/TODO.md
index 6dce8010..c3ababff 100644
--- a/ref/vk/TODO.md
+++ b/ref/vk/TODO.md
@@ -4,14 +4,19 @@
 - [ ] devmem assert, not all textures are destroyed in wagonchik
     - [ ] new material names+fixme => move to material hash table
     - [x] preallocated default textures
-- [ ] check mips
 - [x] check urmom stats after a few different changelevels
     - [x] COUNT(IS_DELETED)
     - [x] clusters size histogram
+- [ ] silence logs
+    - [x] "accessing empty texture"
+    - [x] "found existing texture"
+    - [ ] ..
+- [ ] check mips
 - [ ] massage texture code
     - [ ] single return/goto cleanup
     - [ ] pass args via structs?
     - [ ] collapse texture uploading into a single function
+- [ ] why are there references to \*unused
 
 # 2023-10-26 E319
 - [x] fix pbr materials disappearing
diff --git a/ref/vk/r_textures.c b/ref/vk/r_textures.c
index 2a94d714..e10009dd 100644
--- a/ref/vk/r_textures.c
+++ b/ref/vk/r_textures.c
@@ -1049,16 +1049,16 @@ struct vk_texture_s *R_TextureGetByIndex( uint index )
 {
 	ASSERT(index >= 0);
 	ASSERT(index < MAX_TEXTURES);
-	//return g_vktextures.textures + index;
-
-	vk_texture_t *const tex = g_textures.all + index;
-	if (!URMOM_IS_OCCUPIED(tex->hdr_))
-		WARN("Accessing empty texture %d", index);
-	return tex;
+	return g_textures.all + index;
 }
 
 int R_TexturesGetParm( int parm, int arg ) {
 	const vk_texture_t *const tex = R_TextureGetByIndex( arg );
+	if (!URMOM_IS_OCCUPIED(tex->hdr_))
+		WARN("%s: accessing empty texture %d", __FUNCTION__, arg);
+
+	if (!tex->ref_interface_visible)
+		return 0;
 
 	switch(parm){
 	case PARM_TEX_WIDTH:
@@ -1088,6 +1088,7 @@ int R_TexturesGetParm( int parm, int arg ) {
 
 void R_TextureAcquire( unsigned int texnum ) {
 	vk_texture_t *const tex = R_TextureGetByIndex(texnum);
+	ASSERT(URMOM_IS_OCCUPIED(tex->hdr_));
 	++tex->refcount;
 
 	DEBUG("Acquiring existing texture %s(%d) refcount=%d", TEX_NAME(tex), texnum, tex->refcount);
diff --git a/ref/vk/vk_textures.c b/ref/vk/vk_textures.c
index b5219737..1ca17ca1 100644
--- a/ref/vk/vk_textures.c
+++ b/ref/vk/vk_textures.c
@@ -512,7 +512,9 @@ qboolean R_VkTexturesSkyboxUpload( const char *name, rgbdata_t *const sides[6],
 VkDescriptorSet R_VkTextureGetDescriptorUnorm( uint index ) {
 	ASSERT( index < MAX_TEXTURES );
 	// TODO make an array of unorm descriptors
-	return R_TextureGetByIndex(index)->vk.descriptor_unorm;
+	const vk_texture_t *const tex = R_TextureGetByIndex(index);
+	ASSERT(tex->vk.descriptor_unorm != VK_NULL_HANDLE);
+	return tex->vk.descriptor_unorm;
 }
 
 const VkDescriptorImageInfo* R_VkTexturesGetAllDescriptorsArray( void ) {