diff --git a/common/bspinfo.cc b/common/bspinfo.cc
index 991aa2e8..c78c2197 100644
--- a/common/bspinfo.cc
+++ b/common/bspinfo.cc
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ static std::string hex_string(const uint8_t *bytes, const size_t count)
 /**
  * returns a JSON array of models
  */
-static json serialize_bspxbrushlist(const std::vector<uint8_t> &lump)
+json serialize_bspxbrushlist(const std::vector<uint8_t> &lump)
 {
     json j = json::array();
 
diff --git a/include/common/bspinfo.hh b/include/common/bspinfo.hh
index 1fc1267c..a06e0e74 100644
--- a/include/common/bspinfo.hh
+++ b/include/common/bspinfo.hh
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 #include "common/imglib.hh"
 #include "common/qvec.hh"
 
+#include <nlohmann/json_fwd.hpp>
+
 #include <map>
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -44,3 +46,5 @@ struct full_atlas_t
 full_atlas_t build_lightmap_atlas(const mbsp_t &bsp, const bspxentries_t &bspx, const std::vector<uint8_t> &litdata, bool use_bspx, bool use_decoupled);
 
 void serialize_bsp(const bspdata_t &bspdata, const mbsp_t &bsp, const fs::path &name);
+
+nlohmann::json serialize_bspxbrushlist(const std::vector<uint8_t> &lump);
diff --git a/qbsp/brush.cc b/qbsp/brush.cc
index 6acfd724..1a5a87d5 100644
--- a/qbsp/brush.cc
+++ b/qbsp/brush.cc
@@ -888,9 +888,6 @@ void Brush_LoadEntity(mapentity_t &entity, hull_index_t hullnum, bspbrush_t::con
         for (int i = 1; i < map.entities.size(); i++) {
             mapentity_t &source = map.entities.at(i);
 
-            /* Load external .map and change the classname, if needed */
-            ProcessExternalMapEntity(source);
-
             ProcessAreaPortal(source);
 
             if (IsWorldBrushEntity(source) || IsNonRemoveWorldBrushEntity(source)) {
diff --git a/qbsp/map.cc b/qbsp/map.cc
index 2e85301d..1f2f14a2 100644
--- a/qbsp/map.cc
+++ b/qbsp/map.cc
@@ -3104,6 +3104,11 @@ void ProcessMapBrushes()
 {
     logging::funcheader();
 
+    // load external maps (needs to be before world extents are calculated)
+    for (auto &source : map.entities) {
+        ProcessExternalMapEntity(source);
+    }
+
     // calculate extents, if required
     if (!qbsp_options.worldextent.value()) {
         CalculateWorldExtent();
diff --git a/testmaps/q1_external_map_base.map b/testmaps/q1_external_map_base.map
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..655bed82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testmaps/q1_external_map_base.map
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Game: Quake
+// Format: Valve
+// entity 0
+{
+"mapversion" "220"
+"classname" "worldspawn"
+}
+// entity 1
+{
+"classname" "misc_external_map"
+"origin" "0 0 0"
+"_external_map" "q1_external_map_included.map"
+"_external_map_classname" "func_group"
+"_external_map_angle" "180"
+}
diff --git a/testmaps/q1_external_map_included.map b/testmaps/q1_external_map_included.map
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d88dd381
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testmaps/q1_external_map_included.map
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+// Game: Quake
+// Format: Valve
+// entity 0
+{
+"mapversion" "220"
+"classname" "worldspawn"
+"wad" "deprecated/free_wad.wad"
+// brush 0
+{
+( -64 -64 -16 ) ( -64 -63 -16 ) ( -64 -64 -15 ) sand [ 0 -1 0 0 ] [ 0 0 -1 0 ] 0 1 1
+( -64 -64 -16 ) ( -64 -64 -15 ) ( -63 -64 -16 ) sand [ 1 0 0 0 ] [ 0 0 -1 0 ] 0 1 1
+( -64 -64 -16 ) ( -63 -64 -16 ) ( -64 -63 -16 ) sand [ -1 0 0 0 ] [ 0 -1 0 0 ] 0 1 1
+( 64 64 16 ) ( 64 65 16 ) ( 65 64 16 ) sand [ 1 0 0 0 ] [ 0 -1 0 0 ] 0 1 1
+( 64 64 16 ) ( 65 64 16 ) ( 64 64 17 ) sand [ -1 0 0 0 ] [ 0 0 -1 0 ] 0 1 1
+( 64 64 16 ) ( 64 64 17 ) ( 64 65 16 ) sand [ 0 1 0 0 ] [ 0 0 -1 0 ] 0 1 1
+}
+}
diff --git a/tests/test_qbsp.cc b/tests/test_qbsp.cc
index 6fd78505..b19f28d4 100644
--- a/tests/test_qbsp.cc
+++ b/tests/test_qbsp.cc
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ mapentity_t &LoadMapPath(const std::filesystem::path &name)
 }
 
 #include <common/bspinfo.hh>
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
 
 std::tuple<mbsp_t, bspxentries_t, std::optional<prtfile_t>> LoadTestmap(
     const std::filesystem::path &name, std::vector<std::string> extra_args)
@@ -1992,3 +1993,26 @@ TEST_CASE("hl_basic")
     CHECK(64 == bsp.dtex.textures[1].width);
     CHECK(64 == bsp.dtex.textures[1].height);
 }
+
+TEST_CASE("wrbrushes + misc_external_map")
+{
+    const auto [bsp, bspx, prt] = LoadTestmap("q1_external_map_base.map", {"-wrbrushes"});
+
+    auto models_json = serialize_bspxbrushlist(bspx.at("BRUSHLIST"));
+    logging::print("{}\n", to_string(models_json));
+
+    REQUIRE(models_json.size() == 1);
+
+    auto &model_json = models_json.at(0);
+    REQUIRE(model_json.at("brushes").size() == 1);
+
+    auto &brush_json = model_json.at("brushes").at(0);
+    REQUIRE(brush_json.at("maxs") == nlohmann::json::array({nlohmann::json::number_float_t(64),
+                                                            nlohmann::json::number_float_t(64),
+                                                            nlohmann::json::number_float_t(16)
+        }));
+    REQUIRE(brush_json.at("mins") == nlohmann::json::array({nlohmann::json::number_float_t(-64),
+                                                            nlohmann::json::number_float_t(-64),
+                                                            nlohmann::json::number_float_t(-16)
+                                                           }));
+}