diff --git a/ref_vk/vk_light.c b/ref_vk/vk_light.c
index df8326a2..dbf523d5 100644
--- a/ref_vk/vk_light.c
+++ b/ref_vk/vk_light.c
@@ -95,19 +95,6 @@ static struct {
 
 } g_lights_bsp = {0};
 
-static int lookupTextureF( const char *fmt, ...) {
-	int tex_id = 0;
-	char buffer[1024];
-	va_list argptr;
-	va_start( argptr, fmt );
-	vsnprintf( buffer, sizeof buffer, fmt, argptr );
-	va_end( argptr );
-
-	tex_id = VK_FindTexture(buffer);
-	gEngine.Con_Reportf("Looked up texture %s -> %d\n", buffer, tex_id);
-	return tex_id;
-}
-
 static void loadRadData( const model_t *map, const char *fmt, ... ) {
 	fs_offset_t size;
 	char *data;
@@ -183,19 +170,21 @@ static void loadRadData( const model_t *map, const char *fmt, ... ) {
 					texture_name += 1;
 				}
 
+				// FIXME replace this with findTexturesNamedLike from vk_materials.c
+
 				// Try bsp texture first
-				tex_id = lookupTextureF("#%s:%s.mip", map->name, texture_name);
+				tex_id = XVK_TextureLookupF("#%s:%s.mip", map->name, texture_name);
 
 				// Try wad texture if bsp is not there
 				if (!tex_id && wad_name) {
-					tex_id = lookupTextureF("%s.wad/%s.mip", wad_name, texture_name);
+					tex_id = XVK_TextureLookupF("%s.wad/%s.mip", wad_name, texture_name);
 				}
 
 				if (!tex_id) {
 					const char *wad = g_map_entities.wadlist;
 					for (; *wad;) {
 						const char *const wad_end = Q_strchr(wad, ';');
-						tex_id = lookupTextureF("%.*s/%s.mip", wad_end - wad, wad, texture_name);
+						tex_id = XVK_TextureLookupF("%.*s/%s.mip", wad_end - wad, wad, texture_name);
 						if (tex_id)
 							break;
 						wad = wad_end + 1;
diff --git a/ref_vk/vk_materials.c b/ref_vk/vk_materials.c
index 43678f63..556badb3 100644
--- a/ref_vk/vk_materials.c
+++ b/ref_vk/vk_materials.c
@@ -1,25 +1,146 @@
 #include "vk_materials.h"
 #include "vk_textures.h"
+#include "vk_mapents.h"
 #include "vk_const.h"
 
 static struct {
 	xvk_material_t materials[MAX_TEXTURES];
 } g_materials;
 
+static int findTextureNamedLike( const char *texture_name ) {
+	const model_t *map = gEngine.pfnGetModelByIndex( 1 );
+	string texname;
+	int tex_id;
+
+	// Try bsp texture first
+	tex_id = XVK_TextureLookupF("#%s:%s.mip", map->name, texture_name);
+
+	if (!tex_id) {
+		const char *wad = g_map_entities.wadlist;
+		for (; *wad;) {
+			const char *const wad_end = Q_strchr(wad, ';');
+			tex_id = XVK_TextureLookupF("%.*s/%s.mip", wad_end - wad, wad, texture_name);
+			if (tex_id)
+				break;
+			wad = wad_end + 1;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return tex_id ? tex_id : -1;
+}
+static int loadTextureF( const char *fmt, ... ) {
+	int tex_id = 0;
+	char buffer[1024];
+	va_list argptr;
+
+	va_start( argptr, fmt );
+	vsnprintf( buffer, sizeof buffer, fmt, argptr );
+	va_end( argptr );
+
+	tex_id = VK_LoadTexture( buffer, NULL, 0, 0);
+	gEngine.Con_Reportf("Loading texture %s => %d\n", buffer, tex_id);
+	return tex_id ? tex_id : -1;
+}
+
+static void loadMaterialsFromFile( const char *filename ) {
+	fs_offset_t size;
+	const char *const path_begin = filename;
+	const char *path_end = Q_strrchr(filename, '/');
+	byte *data = gEngine.COM_LoadFile( filename, 0, false );
+	char *pos = data;
+	xvk_material_t current_material = {
+		.base_color = -1,
+		.metalness = tglob.blackTexture,
+		.roughness = tglob.whiteTexture,
+		.normalmap = tglob.grayTexture,
+	};
+	int current_material_index = -1;
+
+	if ( !data )
+		return;
+
+	if ( !path_end )
+		path_end = path_begin;
+	else
+		path_end++;
+
+	for (;;) {
+		char key[1024];
+		char value[1024];
+
+		pos = COM_ParseFile(pos, key, sizeof(key));
+		ASSERT(Q_strlen(key) < sizeof(key));
+		if (!pos)
+			break;
+
+		if (key[0] == '{') {
+			current_material = (xvk_material_t){
+				.base_color = -1,
+				.metalness = tglob.blackTexture,
+				.roughness = tglob.whiteTexture,
+				.normalmap = tglob.grayTexture,
+			};
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		if (key[0] == '}') {
+			if (current_material_index >= 0 && current_material.base_color >= 0) {
+				g_materials.materials[current_material_index] = current_material;
+			}
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		pos = COM_ParseFile(pos, value, sizeof(value));
+		if (!pos)
+			break;
+
+		if (Q_stricmp(key, "for") == 0) {
+			current_material_index = findTextureNamedLike(value);
+		} else if (Q_stricmp(key, "basecolor_map") == 0) {
+			if ((current_material.base_color = loadTextureF("%.*s%s", path_end - path_begin, path_begin, value)) < 0) {
+				gEngine.Con_Printf(S_ERROR "Failed to load basecolor_map texture %s\n", value);
+			}
+		} else if (Q_stricmp(key, "normal_map") == 0) {
+			if ((current_material.normalmap = loadTextureF("%.*s%s", path_end - path_begin, path_begin, value)) < 0) {
+				gEngine.Con_Printf(S_ERROR "Failed to load normal_map texture %s\n", value);
+				current_material.normalmap = tglob.grayTexture;
+			}
+		} else if (Q_stricmp(key, "metal_map") == 0) {
+			if ((current_material.metalness = loadTextureF("%.*s%s", path_end - path_begin, path_begin, value)) < 0) {
+				gEngine.Con_Printf(S_ERROR "Failed to load metal_map texture %s\n", value);
+				current_material.metalness = tglob.blackTexture;
+			}
+		} else if (Q_stricmp(key, "roughness_map") == 0) {
+			if ((current_material.roughness = loadTextureF("%.*s%s", path_end - path_begin, path_begin, value)) < 0) {
+				gEngine.Con_Printf(S_ERROR "Failed to load roughness_map texture %s\n", value);
+				current_material.roughness = tglob.whiteTexture;
+			}
+		} else {
+			gEngine.Con_Printf(S_ERROR "Unknown material key %s\n", key);
+		}
+	}
+
+	Mem_Free( data );
+}
+
 void XVK_ReloadMaterials( void ) {
 	for (int i = 0; i < MAX_TEXTURES; ++i) {
 		xvk_material_t *const mat = g_materials.materials + i;
 		const vk_texture_t *const tex = findTexture( i );
 
-		if (tex) {
-			mat->base_color = i;
-			mat->metalness = tglob.blackTexture;
-			mat->roughness = tglob.whiteTexture;
-			mat->normalmap = tglob.blackTexture;
-		} else {
+		if (!tex) {
 			mat->base_color = -1;
+			continue;
 		}
+
+		mat->base_color = i;
+		mat->metalness = tglob.blackTexture;
+		mat->roughness = tglob.whiteTexture;
+		mat->normalmap = tglob.grayTexture;
 	}
+
+	loadMaterialsFromFile( "pbr/materials.mat" );
+	// TODO map-specific
 }
 
 xvk_material_t* XVK_GetMaterialForTextureIndex( int tex_index ) {
diff --git a/ref_vk/vk_scene.c b/ref_vk/vk_scene.c
index 3fc09598..714d75b6 100644
--- a/ref_vk/vk_scene.c
+++ b/ref_vk/vk_scene.c
@@ -108,11 +108,8 @@ void R_NewMap( void )
 
 	VK_LightsNewMap();
 
-	if (vk_core.rtx) {
+	if (vk_core.rtx)
 		VK_RayNewMap();
-		XVK_ReloadMaterials();
-	}
-
 
 	// RTX map loading requires command buffer for building blases
 	if (vk_core.rtx)
@@ -146,6 +143,7 @@ void R_NewMap( void )
 
 	// After we've loaded map brush model, we can proceed with loading static surface lights
 	VK_LightsLoadMapStaticLights();
+	XVK_ReloadMaterials(); // requires wadlist from entities, which are parsed in lights loading routine ....
 
 	if (vk_core.rtx)
 	{
diff --git a/ref_vk/vk_textures.c b/ref_vk/vk_textures.c
index f741fc2e..8086f7e6 100644
--- a/ref_vk/vk_textures.c
+++ b/ref_vk/vk_textures.c
@@ -878,3 +878,16 @@ void VK_ImageDestroy(vk_image_t *img) {
 	freeDeviceMemory(&img->devmem);
 	*img = (vk_image_t){0};
 }
+
+int XVK_TextureLookupF( const char *fmt, ...) {
+	int tex_id = 0;
+	char buffer[1024];
+	va_list argptr;
+	va_start( argptr, fmt );
+	vsnprintf( buffer, sizeof buffer, fmt, argptr );
+	va_end( argptr );
+
+	tex_id = VK_FindTexture(buffer);
+	gEngine.Con_Reportf("Looked up texture %s -> %d\n", buffer, tex_id);
+	return tex_id;
+}
diff --git a/ref_vk/vk_textures.h b/ref_vk/vk_textures.h
index be7c45f5..21987b82 100644
--- a/ref_vk/vk_textures.h
+++ b/ref_vk/vk_textures.h
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ int		VK_CreateTextureArray( const char *name, int width, int height, int depth,
 void		VK_FreeTexture( unsigned int texnum );
 int VK_LoadTextureFromBuffer( const char *name, rgbdata_t *pic, texFlags_t flags, qboolean update );
 
+int XVK_TextureLookupF( const char *fmt, ...);
+
 #define VK_LoadTextureInternal( name, pic, flags ) VK_LoadTextureFromBuffer( name, pic, flags, false )
 
 typedef struct {