diff --git a/include/qbsp/brush.hh b/include/qbsp/brush.hh
index 58be51e3..36f3db6d 100644
--- a/include/qbsp/brush.hh
+++ b/include/qbsp/brush.hh
@@ -66,8 +66,12 @@ struct bspbrush_t
      * The brushes in main brush vectors are considered originals. Brush fragments created during
      * the BrushBSP will have this pointing back to the original brush in the list.
      */
+    ptr original_ptr;
     mapbrush_t *mapbrush;
 
+    bspbrush_t *original_brush() { return original_ptr ? original_ptr.get() : this; }
+    const bspbrush_t *original_brush() const { return original_ptr ? original_ptr.get() : this; }
+
     aabb3d bounds;
     int side, testside; // side of node during construction
     std::vector<side_t> sides;
diff --git a/qbsp/brush.cc b/qbsp/brush.cc
index 1083fe99..5766e1a6 100644
--- a/qbsp/brush.cc
+++ b/qbsp/brush.cc
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ static void Brush_LoadEntity(mapentity_t *dst, mapentity_t *src, const int hulln
         qbsp_options.target_game->count_contents_in_stats(brush->contents, stats);
 
         dst->bounds += brush->bounds;
-        brushes.push_back(std::make_unique<bspbrush_t>(std::move(*brush)));
+        brushes.push_back(bspbrush_t::make_ptr(std::move(*brush)));
     }
 
     logging::percent(src->mapbrushes.size(), src->mapbrushes.size(), src == map.world_entity());
diff --git a/qbsp/brushbsp.cc b/qbsp/brushbsp.cc
index 6c7ca7dd..16e97153 100644
--- a/qbsp/brushbsp.cc
+++ b/qbsp/brushbsp.cc
@@ -491,7 +491,8 @@ static twosided<bspbrush_t::ptr> SplitBrush(bspbrush_t::ptr brush, size_t planen
     // start with 2 empty brushes
 
     for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
-        result[i] = std::make_unique<bspbrush_t>();
+        result[i] = bspbrush_t::make_ptr();
+        result[i]->original_ptr = brush->original_ptr;
         result[i]->mapbrush = brush->mapbrush;
         // fixme-brushbsp: add a bspbrush_t copy constructor to make sure we get all fields
         result[i]->contents = brush->contents;
@@ -1105,6 +1106,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<tree_t> BrushBSP(mapentity_t *entity, const bspbrush_t::containe
     logging::print(logging::flag::STAT, "     {:8} nonvisible faces\n", c_nonvisfaces);
 
     auto node = tree->create_node();
+
     node->volume = BrushFromBounds(tree->bounds.grow(SIDESPACE));
     node->bounds = tree->bounds.grow(SIDESPACE);
 
diff --git a/qbsp/map.cc b/qbsp/map.cc
index 42710daa..4f881695 100644
--- a/qbsp/map.cc
+++ b/qbsp/map.cc
@@ -2860,7 +2860,7 @@ static void TestExpandBrushes(mapentity_t *src)
             qbsp_options.target_game->id == GAME_QUAKE_II ? HULL_COLLISION : 1);
 
         if (hull1brush) {
-            hull1brushes.emplace_back(std::make_unique<bspbrush_t>(std::move(*hull1brush)));
+            hull1brushes.emplace_back(bspbrush_t::make_ptr(std::move(*hull1brush)));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/qbsp/tree.cc b/qbsp/tree.cc
index e3bba442..5723b90c 100644
--- a/qbsp/tree.cc
+++ b/qbsp/tree.cc
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ static void ConvertNodeToLeaf(node_t *node, const contentflags_t &contents)
     node->original_brushes = std::move(node->children[base]->original_brushes);
     node->original_brushes.insert(node->original_brushes.end(), node->children[base ^ 1]->original_brushes.begin(), node->children[base ^ 1]->original_brushes.end());
 
-    // sort by pointer (since mapbrush_t is in a flat vector)
     std::sort(node->original_brushes.begin(), node->original_brushes.end());
     auto unique = std::unique(node->original_brushes.begin(), node->original_brushes.end());
     node->original_brushes.erase(unique, node->original_brushes.end());