diff --git a/src/d_netcmd.c b/src/d_netcmd.c
index d6fc5bdfa8616f8e41acf1aa435ce7b0d194fef1..f96b036ae192e365ac9f4177db071c0130b4fe90 100644
--- a/src/d_netcmd.c
+++ b/src/d_netcmd.c
@@ -3322,7 +3322,7 @@ static void Command_Addfile(void)
 				break;
 		++p;
 
-		// check total packet size and no of files currently loaded
+		// check no of files currently loaded
 		// See W_LoadWadFile in w_wad.c
 		if (numwadfiles >= MAX_WADFILES)
 		{
@@ -3400,7 +3400,6 @@ static void Got_RequestAddfilecmd(UINT8 **cp, INT32 playernum)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	// See W_LoadWadFile in w_wad.c
 	if (numwadfiles >= MAX_WADFILES)
 		toomany = true;
 	else
@@ -3483,7 +3482,13 @@ static void Command_ListWADS_f(void)
 {
 	INT32 i = numwadfiles;
 	char *tempname;
-	CONS_Printf(M_GetText("There are %d/%d wads loaded:\n"),numwadfiles,MAX_WADFILES);
+
+#ifdef ENFORCE_WAD_LIMIT
+	CONS_Printf(M_GetText("There are %d/%d files loaded:\n"),numwadfiles,MAX_WADFILES);
+#else
+	CONS_Printf(M_GetText("There are %d files loaded:\n"),numwadfiles);
+#endif
+
 	for (i--; i >= 0; i--)
 	{
 		nameonly(tempname = va("%s", wadfiles[i]->filename));
diff --git a/src/doomdef.h b/src/doomdef.h
index 52abc95972cf4a2ed4b57c1dc939654d84f32906..11bf27ab0b5511fc337416499dbef7435241c6fd 100644
--- a/src/doomdef.h
+++ b/src/doomdef.h
@@ -151,6 +151,9 @@ extern char logfilename[1024];
 // Comment or uncomment this as necessary.
 #define USE_PATCH_DTA
 
+// Enforce a limit of loaded WAD files.
+//#define ENFORCE_WAD_LIMIT
+
 // Use .kart extension addons
 //#define USE_KART
 
diff --git a/src/m_menu.c b/src/m_menu.c
index b3c0f1c767f8c00b82496bba9de3b7c3ddab7aa5..148473378f789e3937e25675b173b450cc3ea274 100644
--- a/src/m_menu.c
+++ b/src/m_menu.c
@@ -6307,6 +6307,7 @@ static void M_Addons(INT32 choice)
 	M_SetupNextMenu(&MISC_AddonsDef);
 }
 
+#ifdef ENFORCE_WAD_LIMIT
 #define width 4
 #define vpadding 27
 #define h (BASEVIDHEIGHT-(2*vpadding))
@@ -6354,6 +6355,7 @@ static void M_DrawTemperature(INT32 x, fixed_t t)
 #undef vpadding
 #undef h
 #undef NUMCOLOURS
+#endif
 
 static char *M_AddonsHeaderPath(void)
 {
@@ -6447,6 +6449,7 @@ static void M_DrawAddons(void)
 		V_DrawCenteredString(BASEVIDWIDTH/2, 5, 0, LOCATIONSTRING1);
 			// (recommendedflags == V_SKYMAP ? LOCATIONSTRING2 : LOCATIONSTRING1)
 
+#ifdef ENFORCE_WAD_LIMIT
 	if (numwadfiles <= mainwads+1)
 		y = 0;
 	else if (numwadfiles >= MAX_WADFILES)
@@ -6459,6 +6462,7 @@ static void M_DrawAddons(void)
 	}
 
 	M_DrawTemperature(BASEVIDWIDTH - 19 - 5, y);
+#endif
 
 	// DRAW MENU
 	x = currentMenu->x;
diff --git a/src/w_wad.c b/src/w_wad.c
index 14bdad9e3e13d3ede3734062eb0bd47fa6a07248..695b392cda63a7497d55026abf39bd87c3b8157e 100644
--- a/src/w_wad.c
+++ b/src/w_wad.c
@@ -734,9 +734,8 @@ UINT16 W_InitFile(const char *filename, boolean mainfile, boolean startup)
 		refreshdirname = NULL;
 
 	//CONS_Debug(DBG_SETUP, "Loading %s\n", filename);
-	//
-	// check if limit of active wadfiles
-	//
+
+	// Check if the game reached the limit of active wadfiles.
 	if (numwadfiles >= MAX_WADFILES)
 	{
 		CONS_Alert(CONS_ERROR, M_GetText("Maximum wad files reached\n"));
@@ -900,7 +899,7 @@ void W_InitMultipleFiles(addfilelist_t *list)
   */
 static boolean TestValidLump(UINT16 wad, UINT16 lump)
 {
-	I_Assert(wad < MAX_WADFILES);
+	I_Assert(wad < numwadfiles);
 	if (!wadfiles[wad]) // make sure the wad file exists
 		return false;
 
diff --git a/src/w_wad.h b/src/w_wad.h
index 88929c187e85e444db67a9b6bd040aef7df693f0..bd7809b8bfe56b525c7a2cfe663167b587e1ba9a 100644
--- a/src/w_wad.h
+++ b/src/w_wad.h
@@ -96,9 +96,15 @@ virtlump_t* vres_Find(const virtres_t*, const char*);
 //                         DYNAMIC WAD LOADING
 // =========================================================================
 
+// Maximum of files that can be loaded
+// (there is a max of simultaneous open files anyway)
+#ifdef ENFORCE_WAD_LIMIT
+#define MAX_WADFILES 2048 // This cannot be any higher than UINT16_MAX.
+#else
+#define MAX_WADFILES UINT16_MAX
+#endif
+
 #define MAX_WADPATH 512
-#define MAX_WADFILES 2048 // Maximum of files that can be loaded
-// (there is a max of simultaneous open files anyway, and this should be plenty)
 
 #define lumpcache_t void *
 
@@ -127,7 +133,7 @@ typedef struct wadfile_s
 	boolean important; // also network - !W_VerifyNMUSlumps
 } wadfile_t;
 
-#define WADFILENUM(lumpnum) (UINT16)((lumpnum)>>16) // wad flumpnum>>16) // wad file number in upper word
+#define WADFILENUM(lumpnum) (UINT16)((lumpnum)>>16) // wad file number in upper word
 #define LUMPNUM(lumpnum) (UINT16)((lumpnum)&0xFFFF) // lump number for this pwad
 
 extern UINT16 numwadfiles;