diff --git a/language.version b/language.version
index 67b469c4b..786748a32 100644
--- a/language.version
+++ b/language.version
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 [default]
-SWWM_MODVER="\cyDEMOLITIONIST \cw1.3pre r947 \cu(Mon 28 Aug 08:25:42 CEST 2023)\c-";
-SWWM_SHORTVER="\cw1.3pre r947 \cu(2023-08-28 08:25:42)\c-";
+SWWM_MODVER="\cyDEMOLITIONIST \cw1.3pre r948 \cu(Sat  2 Sep 10:01:26 CEST 2023)\c-";
+SWWM_SHORTVER="\cw1.3pre r948 \cu(2023-09-02 10:01:26)\c-";
diff --git a/zscript/hud/swwm_dialogue.zsc b/zscript/hud/swwm_dialogue.zsc
index 80f66d142..4bd0cbbc2 100644
--- a/zscript/hud/swwm_dialogue.zsc
+++ b/zscript/hud/swwm_dialogue.zsc
@@ -12,26 +12,18 @@ Class SWWMDialogues abstract
 		}
 		// load the lump for parsing
 		Array<String> lines;
-		Array<int> lnums;
 		int cur = -1;
 		for ( int lmp = Wads.FindLumpFullName("swwmdialogue",0,true); lmp != -1; lmp = Wads.FindLumpFullName("swwmdialogue",lmp+1,true) )
 		{
 			String dat = Wads.ReadLump(lmp);
+			dat.Replace("\r","");	// just in case
 			lines.Clear();
 			dat.Split(lines,"\n",0);
-			lnums.Clear();
-			// for the error output
-			for ( int i=0; i<lines.Size(); i++ ) lnums.Push(i+1);
 			// strip comments and trim whitespace
 			for ( int i=0; i<lines.Size(); i++ )
 			{
-				if ( lines[i].Left(1) == "#" )
-				{
-					lines.Delete(i);
-					lnums.Delete(i);
-					i--;
-					continue;
-				}
+				int cmm = lines[i].IndexOf("#");
+				if ( cmm != -1 ) lines[i].Truncate(cmm);
 				lines[i].StripLeftRight();
 			}
 			cur = -1;
@@ -60,11 +52,17 @@ Class SWWMDialogues abstract
 		SWWMDirectMessage msg, lastmsg;
 		while ( cur < lines.Size() )
 		{
+			// skip empty lines
+			if ( lines[cur] == "" )
+			{
+				cur++;
+				continue;
+			}
 			// dialogue ends here
 			if ( lines[cur].Left(6) == "ENDDLG" )
 			{
-				if ( inseq ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, premature end of sequence.",dlg,lnums[cur]);
-				if ( !gotseq ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, dialogue is empty.",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+				if ( inseq ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, premature end of sequence.",dlg,cur+1);
+				if ( !gotseq ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, dialogue is empty.",dlg,cur+1);
 				return;
 			}
 			if ( inseq )
@@ -73,9 +71,9 @@ Class SWWMDialogues abstract
 				if ( lines[cur].Left(6) == "ENDSEQ" )
 				{
 					// put out the sequence
-					if ( sname == "" ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence has no name.",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+					if ( sname == "" ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence has no name.",dlg,cur+1);
 					msg.seqname = sname;
-					if ( scnt <= 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence has invalid count.",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+					if ( scnt <= 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence has invalid count.",dlg,cur+1);
 					msg.seqcnt = scnt;
 					if ( sdelay > 0 ) msg.delay = sdelay;
 					if ( sstartdelay > 0 ) msg.startdelay = sstartdelay;
@@ -91,7 +89,7 @@ Class SWWMDialogues abstract
 					else
 					{
 						// additional message? append to last
-						if ( !lastmsg ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, lastmsg is null, this should not happen.",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+						if ( !lastmsg ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, lastmsg is null, this should not happen.",dlg,cur+1);
 						lastmsg.nextmsg = msg;
 						lastmsg.nextdirect = !sindirect;
 					}
@@ -100,50 +98,50 @@ Class SWWMDialogues abstract
 				}
 				else if ( lines[cur].Left(5) == "NAME " )
 				{
-					if ( sname != "" ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'NAME' parameter.",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+					if ( sname != "" ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'NAME' parameter.",dlg,cur+1);
 					sname = lines[cur].Mid(5);
 				}
 				else if ( lines[cur].Left(4) == "CNT " )
 				{
-					if ( scnt > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'CNT' parameter.",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+					if ( scnt > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'CNT' parameter.",dlg,cur+1);
 					scnt = lines[cur].Mid(4).ToInt();
 				}
 				else if ( lines[cur].Left(6) == "DELAY " )
 				{
-					if ( sdelay > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'DELAY' parameter.",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+					if ( sdelay > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'DELAY' parameter.",dlg,cur+1);
 					sdelay = lines[cur].Mid(6).ToInt();
 				}
 				else if ( lines[cur].Left(11) == "STARTDELAY " )
 				{
-					if ( sstartdelay > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'STARTDELAY' parameter.",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+					if ( sstartdelay > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'STARTDELAY' parameter.",dlg,cur+1);
 					sstartdelay = lines[cur].Mid(11).ToInt();
 				}
 				else if ( lines[cur].Left(9) == "ENDDELAY " )
 				{
-					if ( senddelay > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'ENDDELAY' parameter.",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+					if ( senddelay > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'ENDDELAY' parameter.",dlg,cur+1);
 					senddelay = lines[cur].Mid(9).ToInt();
 				}
 				else if ( lines[cur].Left(10) == "CHARDELAY " )
 				{
-					if ( schardelay > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'CHARDELAY' parameter.",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+					if ( schardelay > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'CHARDELAY' parameter.",dlg,cur+1);
 					schardelay = lines[cur].Mid(10).ToInt();
 				}
 				else if ( lines[cur].Left(11) == "PAUSEDELAY " )
 				{
-					if ( spausedelay > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'PAUSEDELAY' parameter.",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+					if ( spausedelay > 0 ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'PAUSEDELAY' parameter.",dlg,cur+1);
 					spausedelay = lines[cur].Mid(11).ToInt();
 				}
 				else if ( lines[cur].Left(8) == "INDIRECT" )
 				{
-					if ( sindirect ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'INDIRECT' parameter.",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+					if ( sindirect ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'INDIRECT' parameter.",dlg,cur+1);
 					sindirect = true;
 				}
 				else if ( lines[cur].Left(10) == "ZNVSPECIAL" )
 				{
-					if ( sznvspecial ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'ZNVSPECIAL' parameter.",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+					if ( sznvspecial ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, duplicate 'ZNVSPECIAL' parameter.",dlg,cur+1);
 					sznvspecial = true;
 				}
-				else ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, parameter not recognized",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+				else ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, parameter not recognized",dlg,cur+1);
 				cur++;
 				continue;
 			}
@@ -152,7 +150,7 @@ Class SWWMDialogues abstract
 				// begin dialogue
 				inseq = true;
 				schr = lines[cur].Mid(4);
-				if ( schr == "" ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence has no character.",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+				if ( schr == "" ) ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, sequence has no character.",dlg,cur+1);
 				lastmsg = msg;
 				msg = new("SWWMDirectMessage").Init(StringTable.Localize("$SWWM_"..schr.."SNAME"),StringTable.Localize("$SWWM_"..schr.."NAME"),schr);
 				// wipe params
@@ -168,7 +166,7 @@ Class SWWMDialogues abstract
 				cur++;
 				continue;
 			}
-			ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, expected 'SEQ' directive",dlg,lnums[cur]);
+			ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', line %d, expected 'SEQ' directive",dlg,cur+1);
 			return;
 		}
 		ThrowAbortException("dialogue '%s', cursor past end of file.",dlg);