diff --git a/pandatool/src/maya/mayaApi.cxx b/pandatool/src/maya/mayaApi.cxx
index c4cdbeea2d..cfd8965e4a 100644
--- a/pandatool/src/maya/mayaApi.cxx
+++ b/pandatool/src/maya/mayaApi.cxx
@@ -262,8 +262,29 @@ read(const Filename &filename) {
   // even on Windows.
   string os_filename = filename.to_os_generic();
 
+  Filename cwd = ExecutionEnvironment::get_cwd();
+  string dirname = cwd.to_os_specific();
+  if (maya_cat.is_debug()) {
+    maya_cat.debug() << "cwd(read:before): " << dirname.c_str() << endl;
+  }
+
   MFileIO::newFile(true);
   MStatus stat = MFileIO::open(os_filename.c_str());
+  // Beginning with Maya2008, the call to read seem to change
+  // the current directory specially if there is a refrence file!  Yikes!
+
+  // Furthermore, the current directory may change during the call to
+  // any Maya function!  Egad!
+  if (chdir(dirname.c_str()) < 0) {
+    maya_cat.warning()
+      << "Unable to restore current directory after ::read to " << cwd
+      << " after initializing Maya.\n";
+  } else {
+    if (maya_cat.is_debug()) {
+      maya_cat.debug()
+        << "Restored current directory after ::read to " << cwd << "\n";
+    }
+  }
   if (!stat) {
     stat.perror(os_filename.c_str());
     return false;
diff --git a/pandatool/src/mayaegg/mayaEggLoader.cxx b/pandatool/src/mayaegg/mayaEggLoader.cxx
index e582aa3435..4f5b4a0227 100755
--- a/pandatool/src/mayaegg/mayaEggLoader.cxx
+++ b/pandatool/src/mayaegg/mayaEggLoader.cxx
@@ -623,7 +623,7 @@ int MayaEggMesh::GetVert(EggVertex *vert, EggGroup *context)
     _vertNormalIndices.append(vtx._index);
   }
   if (vert->has_color()) {
-    mayaloader_cat.info() << "found a vertex color\n";
+    mayaloader_cat.spam() << "found a vertex color\n";
     _vertColorArray.append(MakeMayaColor(vert->get_color()));
     _vertColorIndices.append(vtx._index);
   }
@@ -823,7 +823,7 @@ void MayaEggLoader::CreateSkinCluster(MayaEggMesh *M)
     for (unsigned int i=0; i<vert->_weights.size(); i++) {
       double strength = vert->_weights[i].first;
       MayaEggJoint *joint = FindJoint(vert->_weights[i].second);
-      if (!joint->_inskin) {
+      if (joint && !joint->_inskin) {
         joint->_inskin = true;
         joint->_index = joints.size();
         joints.push_back(joint);
@@ -833,7 +833,11 @@ void MayaEggLoader::CreateSkinCluster(MayaEggMesh *M)
   cmd += maxInfluences;
 
   mayaloader_cat.spam() << joints.size() << " joints have weights on " << M->_pool->get_name() << endl;
-  
+  if (joints.size() == 0) {
+    // no need to cluster; there are no weights
+    return;
+  }
+
   for (unsigned int i=0; i<joints.size(); i++) {
     MFnDependencyNode joint(joints[i]->_joint);
     cmd = cmd + " ";
@@ -1097,16 +1101,39 @@ bool MayaEggLoader::ConvertEggData(EggData *data, bool merge, bool model, bool a
         mayaloader_cat.debug() << "mesh's parent (null) : " << endl;
       }
     }
+    if (mayaloader_cat.is_spam()) {
+      mayaloader_cat.spam() << "mesh pointer : " << mesh << " and parent_ponter: " << &parent << endl;
+      mayaloader_cat.spam() << "mesh vert_count : " << mesh->_vert_count << endl;
+      mayaloader_cat.spam() << "mesh face_count : " << mesh->_face_count << endl;
+      mayaloader_cat.spam() << "mesh vertexArray : " << mesh->_vertexArray << endl;
+      mayaloader_cat.spam() << "mesh polygonCounts : " << mesh->_polygonCounts << endl;
+      mayaloader_cat.spam() << "mesh polygonConnects : " << mesh->_polygonConnects << endl;
+      mayaloader_cat.spam() << "mesh uarray : " << mesh->_uarray << endl;
+      mayaloader_cat.spam() << "mesh varray : " << mesh->_varray << endl;
+    }
     mesh->_transNode = mfn.create(mesh->_vert_count, mesh->_face_count,
                                   mesh->_vertexArray, mesh->_polygonCounts, mesh->_polygonConnects,
                                   mesh->_uarray, mesh->_varray,
                                   parent, &status);
+
+    if (mayaloader_cat.is_spam()) {
+      mayaloader_cat.spam() << "transNode created." << endl;
+    }
     mesh->_shapeNode = mfn.object();
     mfn.getPath(mesh->_shape_dag_path);
     mesh->ConnectTextures();
+
+    if (mayaloader_cat.is_spam()) {
+      mayaloader_cat.spam() << "textures connected." << endl;
+    }
+
     mfn.getCurrentUVSetName(cset);
     mfn.assignUVs(mesh->_polygonCounts, mesh->_uvIds, &cset);
 
+    if (mayaloader_cat.is_spam()) {
+      mayaloader_cat.spam() << "uvs assigned." << endl;
+    }
+
     // lets try to set normals per vertex 
     if (respect_normals) {
       status = mfn.setVertexNormals(mesh->_normalArray, mesh->_vertNormalIndices, MSpace::kTransform);
@@ -1114,6 +1141,10 @@ bool MayaEggLoader::ConvertEggData(EggData *data, bool merge, bool model, bool a
         status.perror("setVertexNormals failed!");
       }
     }
+
+    if (mayaloader_cat.is_spam()) {
+      mayaloader_cat.spam() << "vertex normals set." << endl;
+    }
    
     // lets try to set colors per vertex
     /*
diff --git a/pandatool/src/mayaegg/mayaToEggConverter.cxx b/pandatool/src/mayaegg/mayaToEggConverter.cxx
index 896242f0ff..6d8a9e9197 100644
--- a/pandatool/src/mayaegg/mayaToEggConverter.cxx
+++ b/pandatool/src/mayaegg/mayaToEggConverter.cxx
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@
 #include <maya/MSelectionList.h>
 #include "post_maya_include.h"
 
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: MayaToEggConverter::Constructor
 //       Access: Public
diff --git a/pandatool/src/mayaprogs/mayaCopy.cxx b/pandatool/src/mayaprogs/mayaCopy.cxx
index 9295838a9b..a21ca0ecf8 100644
--- a/pandatool/src/mayaprogs/mayaCopy.cxx
+++ b/pandatool/src/mayaprogs/mayaCopy.cxx
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ copy_maya_file(const Filename &source, const Filename &dest,
   // Get the set of externally referenced Maya files.
   MStringArray refs;
   MStatus status = MFileIO::getReferences(refs);
-  if (!status) {
+  if (status != MStatus::kSuccess) {
     status.perror("MItDag constructor");
     return false;
   }
@@ -207,21 +207,13 @@ copy_maya_file(const Filename &source, const Filename &dest,
   unsigned int ref_index;
   maya_cat.info() << "num_refs = " << num_refs << endl;
   for (ref_index = 0; ref_index < num_refs; ref_index++) {
-    // one thing we need to do is rename the path to the base file
-    // that it is referencing to. This will guarantee that the
-    // refencing will stay in the copied directory. Only way I could
-    // make it work properly is through following MEL command. the
-    // pear character is used as an example. The maya API calls of
-    // removeReference and reference didn't work for the animations
-    // file -loadReference "mtpRN" -type "mayaBinary" -options "v=0"
-    // "m_t_pear_zero.mb";
+    maya_cat.info() << "curr_idx " << _curr_idx << endl;
     string lookup = refs[ref_index].asChar();
-
     string blah = "file -q -referenceNode \"" + lookup + "\";";
-    //maya_cat.info() << blah << endl;
+    maya_cat.info() << blah << endl;
     MString result;
     status = MGlobal::executeCommand(MString(blah.c_str()), result);
-    //maya_cat.info() << "result = " << result.asChar() << endl;
+    maya_cat.info() << "result = " << result.asChar() << endl;
 
     // for multiple reference of the same model. maya throws in a {#} at the end, ignore that
     size_t dup = lookup.find('{');
@@ -236,14 +228,46 @@ copy_maya_file(const Filename &source, const Filename &dest,
       _tree.choose_directory(filename.get_basename(), dir, _force, _interactive);
     Filename new_filename = path.get_rel_from(dir);
 
-    //maya_cat.info() << "curr_idx " << _curr_idx << endl;
+    if (maya_cat.is_spam()) {
+      maya_cat.spam() << "cvs dir " << dir->get_fullpath().to_os_generic() << endl;
+      maya_cat.spam() << "cvs path " << path.get_fullpath().to_os_generic() << endl;
+    }
+    MString result2;
+
+    if (maya_cat.is_debug()) {
+      string cmdStr = "pwd";
+      MString result3;
+      status  = MGlobal::executeCommand(MString(cmdStr.c_str()), result3);
+      maya_cat.debug() << "result = " << result3.asChar() << "\n";
+    }
     _exec_string.push_back("file -loadReference \"" + string(result.asChar()) + "\" -type \"mayaBinary\" -options \"v=0\" \"" + new_filename.to_os_generic() + "\";");
-    maya_cat.info() << "executing command: " << _exec_string[_curr_idx] << "\n";
     //MGlobal::executeCommand("file -loadReference \"mtpRN\" -type \"mayaBinary\" -options \"v=0\" \"m_t_pear_zero.mb\";");
+    maya_cat.info() << "executing command: " << _exec_string[_curr_idx] << "\n";
     status  = MGlobal::executeCommand(MString(_exec_string[ref_index].c_str()));
-    if (!status) {
+    if (status != MStatus::kSuccess) {
       status.perror("loadReference failed");
     }
+    /*
+    Filename filename = 
+      _path_replace->convert_path(Filename::from_os_specific(lookup));
+
+    CVSSourceTree::FilePath path =
+      _tree.choose_directory(filename.get_basename(), dir, _force, _interactive);
+    Filename new_filename = path.get_rel_from(dir);
+
+    maya_cat.info() << "lookup filename: " << filename.to_os_generic() << "\n";
+    string cmdStr = "chdir " + string(dir->get_fullpath().to_os_generic().c_str()) + ";";
+    maya_cat.info() << "new filename (relative): " << new_filename.to_os_generic() << "\n";
+    //maya_cat.info() << "new filename (absolute): " << path.get_fullpath().to_os_generic() << "\n";
+    MString loadedFilename = MFileIO::loadReference(MString(new_filename.to_os_generic().c_str()), &status);
+    //MString loadedFilename = MFileIO::loadReference(MString(path.get_fullpath().to_os_generic().c_str()), &status);
+    //MString loadedFilename = MFileIO::loadReferenceByNode(result, &status);
+    maya_cat.info() << "loaded filename: " << loadedFilename << "\n";
+
+    if (status != MStatus::kSuccess) {
+      status.perror("loadReference failed");
+    }
+    */
     _curr_idx++;
   }
 
@@ -362,7 +386,7 @@ collect_shaders() {
   MStatus status;
 
   MItDag dag_iterator(MItDag::kDepthFirst, MFn::kTransform, &status);
-  if (!status) {
+  if (status != MStatus::kSuccess) {
     status.perror("MItDag constructor");
     return false;
   }
@@ -374,7 +398,7 @@ collect_shaders() {
   while (!dag_iterator.isDone()) {
     MDagPath dag_path;
     status = dag_iterator.getPath(dag_path);
-    if (!status) {
+    if (status != MStatus::kSuccess) {
       status.perror("MItDag::getPath");
     } else {
       if (!collect_shader_for_node(dag_path)) {
@@ -403,7 +427,7 @@ bool MayaCopy::
 collect_shader_for_node(const MDagPath &dag_path) {
   MStatus status;
   MFnDagNode dag_node(dag_path, &status);
-  if (!status) {
+  if (status != MStatus::kSuccess) {
     status.perror("MFnDagNode constructor");
     return false;
   }
diff --git a/pandatool/src/mayaprogs/mayapath.cxx b/pandatool/src/mayaprogs/mayapath.cxx
index 2ec5f54fa7..312b54f03b 100755
--- a/pandatool/src/mayaprogs/mayapath.cxx
+++ b/pandatool/src/mayaprogs/mayapath.cxx
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   // Now look up $MAYA_LOCATION.  We insist that it be set and
   // pointing to an actual Maya installation.
   Filename maya_location = Filename::expand_from("$MAYA_LOCATION");
+  cerr << "MAYA_LOCATION: " << maya_location << endl;
   if (maya_location.empty()) {
     cerr << "$MAYA_LOCATION is not set!\n";
     exit(1);