diff --git a/src/mcedit2/rendering/blockmodels.pyx b/src/mcedit2/rendering/blockmodels.pyx
index 9bca672..dd46fba 100644
--- a/src/mcedit2/rendering/blockmodels.pyx
+++ b/src/mcedit2/rendering/blockmodels.pyx
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ class BlockModels(object):
         self.modelQuads = {}
         self._textureNames = set()
         self.firstTextures = {}  # first texture found for each block - used for icons (xxx)
-        self.cookedModels = {}  # nameAndState -> [face -> xyzuv, cullface]
-        self.cookedModelsByID = {}  # (id, meta) -> [face -> xyzuv, cullface]
+        self.cookedModels = {}  # nameAndState -> list[(xyzuvc, cullface)]
+        self.cookedModelsByID = numpy.zeros((256*16, 16), dtype=list)  # (id, meta) -> list[(xyzuvc, cullface)]
 
         for i, block in enumerate(blocktypes):
             if i % 100 == 0:
@@ -216,10 +216,10 @@ class BlockModels(object):
 
     def cookQuads(self, textureAtlas):
         cookedModels = {}
-        cookedModelsByID = {}
         cdef int l, t, w, h
         cdef int u1, u2, v1, v2
         cdef int uw, vh
+        cdef list cookedQuads
         for nameAndState, allQuads in self.modelQuads.iteritems():
             cookedQuads = []
             for (box, face, texture, uv, cullface, shade, rotation, textureRotation,
@@ -268,10 +268,9 @@ class BlockModels(object):
 
             cookedModels[nameAndState] = cookedQuads
             ID, meta = self.blocktypes.IDsByState[nameAndState]
-            cookedModelsByID[ID, meta] = cookedQuads
+            self.cookedModelsByID[ID, meta] = cookedQuads
 
         self.cookedModels = cookedModels
-        self.cookedModelsByID = cookedModelsByID
 
     def rotateVertices(self, rotation, variantXrot, variantYrot, variantZrot, xyzuvc):
         if rotation is not None:
diff --git a/src/mcedit2/rendering/modelmesh.pyx b/src/mcedit2/rendering/modelmesh.pyx
index c2002a9..004352e 100644
--- a/src/mcedit2/rendering/modelmesh.pyx
+++ b/src/mcedit2/rendering/modelmesh.pyx
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@ class BlockModelMesh(object):
         cdef numpy.ndarray[numpy.uint8_t, ndim=1] opaqueCube
 
         chunk = self.sectionUpdate.chunkUpdate.chunk
-        cx, cz = chunk.chunkPosition
-        cy = self.sectionUpdate.cy
+        cdef short cy = self.sectionUpdate.cy
         section = chunk.getSection(cy)
         if section is None:
             return
@@ -53,8 +52,12 @@ class BlockModelMesh(object):
         cdef short dx, dy, dz,
         cdef unsigned short nx, ny, nz, nID
         cdef numpy.ndarray verts
+        cdef list quads
+        cdef tuple quad
 
         cdef numpy.ndarray[numpy.uint16_t, ndim=1] coords = numpy.zeros(3, dtype=numpy.uint16)
+        cdef numpy.ndarray[list, ndim=2] cookedModelsByID = blockModels.cookedModelsByID
+
         for y in range(1, 17):
             coords[1] = y - 1 + (cy << 4)
             for z in range(1, 17):
@@ -68,7 +71,7 @@ class BlockModelMesh(object):
 
                     if renderType[ID] != 3:  # only model blocks for now
                         continue
-                    quads = blockModels.cookedModelsByID.get((ID, meta))
+                    quads = cookedModelsByID[ID, meta]
                     if quads is None:
                         continue