diff --git a/panda/src/putil/cycleDataReader.I b/panda/src/putil/cycleDataReader.I
index cd9b80433d..75ae81c88e 100644
--- a/panda/src/putil/cycleDataReader.I
+++ b/panda/src/putil/cycleDataReader.I
@@ -16,9 +16,12 @@
 //
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+#ifdef DO_PIPELINING
+// This is the implementation for full support of pipelining (as well
+// as the sanity-check only implementation).
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//     Function: CycleDataReader::Constructor
+//     Function: CycleDataReader::Constructor (full)
 //       Access: Public
 //  Description:
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -32,7 +35,7 @@ CycleDataReader(const PipelineCycler<CycleDataType> &cycler) :
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//     Function: CycleDataReader::Copy Constructor
+//     Function: CycleDataReader::Copy Constructor (full)
 //       Access: Public
 //  Description:
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -51,7 +54,7 @@ CycleDataReader(const CycleDataReader<CycleDataType> &copy) :
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//     Function: CycleDataReader::Destructor
+//     Function: CycleDataReader::Destructor (full)
 //       Access: Public
 //  Description:
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -69,7 +72,7 @@ INLINE CycleDataReader<CycleDataType>::
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//     Function: CycleDataReader::operator ->
+//     Function: CycleDataReader::operator -> (full)
 //       Access: Public
 //  Description: This provides an indirect member access to the actual
 //               CycleData data.
@@ -82,7 +85,7 @@ operator -> () const {
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//     Function: CycleDataReader::Typecast pointer
+//     Function: CycleDataReader::Typecast pointer (full)
 //       Access: Public
 //  Description: This allows the CycleDataReader to be passed to any
 //               function that expects a const CycleDataType pointer.
@@ -95,7 +98,7 @@ operator const CycleDataType * () const {
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//     Function: CycleDataReader::take_pointer
+//     Function: CycleDataReader::take_pointer (full)
 //       Access: Public
 //  Description: This is intended to be called only from
 //               CycleDataWriter when it elevates the pointer from
@@ -115,7 +118,7 @@ take_pointer() {
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//     Function: CycleDataReader::elevate_to_write
+//     Function: CycleDataReader::elevate_to_write (full)
 //       Access: Public
 //  Description: Call this to permanently elevate the readable pointer
 //               to a writable pointer.  This returns a writable
@@ -132,3 +135,95 @@ elevate_to_write(PipelineCycler<CycleDataType> &cycler) {
   }
   return _write_pointer;
 }
+
+#else  // !DO_PIPELINING
+// This is the trivial, do-nothing implementation.
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CycleDataReader::Constructor (trivial)
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description:
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE CycleDataReader<CycleDataType>::
+CycleDataReader(const PipelineCycler<CycleDataType> &cycler) {
+  _pointer = cycler.read();
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CycleDataReader::Copy Constructor (trivial)
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description:
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE CycleDataReader<CycleDataType>::
+CycleDataReader(const CycleDataReader<CycleDataType> &copy) :
+  _pointer(copy._pointer)
+{
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CycleDataReader::Destructor (trivial)
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description:
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE CycleDataReader<CycleDataType>::
+~CycleDataReader() {
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CycleDataReader::operator -> (trivial)
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: This provides an indirect member access to the actual
+//               CycleData data.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE const CycleDataType *CycleDataReader<CycleDataType>::
+operator -> () const {
+  return _pointer;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CycleDataReader::Typecast pointer (trivial)
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: This allows the CycleDataReader to be passed to any
+//               function that expects a const CycleDataType pointer.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE CycleDataReader<CycleDataType>::
+operator const CycleDataType * () const {
+  return _pointer;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CycleDataReader::take_pointer (trivial)
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: This is intended to be called only from
+//               CycleDataWriter when it elevates the pointer from
+//               read to write status.  This function returns the
+//               reader's pointer and relinquishes ownership of the
+//               pointer, rendering the reader invalid for future
+//               reads.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE const CycleDataType *CycleDataReader<CycleDataType>::
+take_pointer() {
+  return _pointer;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CycleDataReader::elevate_to_write (trivial)
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: Call this to permanently elevate the readable pointer
+//               to a writable pointer.  This returns a writable
+//               pointer; subsequent calls to the same function will
+//               trivially return the same writable pointer.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE CycleDataType *CycleDataReader<CycleDataType>::
+elevate_to_write(PipelineCycler<CycleDataType> &cycler) {
+  return (CycleDataType *)_pointer;
+}
+
+#endif  // DO_PIPELINING
diff --git a/panda/src/putil/cycleDataReader.h b/panda/src/putil/cycleDataReader.h
index 62dcf51cc6..c2ec6ea1f8 100644
--- a/panda/src/putil/cycleDataReader.h
+++ b/panda/src/putil/cycleDataReader.h
@@ -51,9 +51,15 @@ public:
   INLINE CycleDataType *elevate_to_write(PipelineCycler<CycleDataType> &cycler);
 
 private:
+#ifdef DO_PIPELINING
+  // This is the data stored for a real pipelining implementation.
   const PipelineCycler<CycleDataType> &_cycler;
   const CycleDataType *_pointer;
   CycleDataType *_write_pointer;
+#else  // !DO_PIPELINING
+  // This is all we need for the trivial, do-nothing implementation.
+  const CycleDataType *_pointer;
+#endif  // DO_PIPELINING
 };
 
 #include "cycleDataReader.I"
diff --git a/panda/src/putil/cycleDataWriter.I b/panda/src/putil/cycleDataWriter.I
index a11429cdfe..36aba39a6c 100644
--- a/panda/src/putil/cycleDataWriter.I
+++ b/panda/src/putil/cycleDataWriter.I
@@ -16,9 +16,12 @@
 //
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+#ifdef DO_PIPELINING
+// This is the implementation for full support of pipelining (as well
+// as the sanity-check only implementation).
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//     Function: CycleDataWriter::Constructor
+//     Function: CycleDataWriter::Constructor (full)
 //       Access: Public
 //  Description:
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -31,7 +34,7 @@ CycleDataWriter(PipelineCycler<CycleDataType> &cycler) :
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//     Function: CycleDataWriter::Constructor
+//     Function: CycleDataWriter::Constructor (full)
 //       Access: Public
 //  Description: This is a lot like a copy constructor, in that the
 //               new CycleDataWriter object gets a handle to the same
@@ -51,7 +54,7 @@ CycleDataWriter(PipelineCycler<CycleDataType> &cycler,
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//     Function: CycleDataWriter::Constructor
+//     Function: CycleDataWriter::Constructor (full)
 //       Access: Public
 //  Description: This flavor of the constructor elevates the pointer
 //               from the CycleDataReader from a read to a write
@@ -67,7 +70,7 @@ CycleDataWriter(PipelineCycler<CycleDataType> &cycler,
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//     Function: CycleDataWriter::Destructor
+//     Function: CycleDataWriter::Destructor (full)
 //       Access: Public
 //  Description:
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -80,7 +83,7 @@ INLINE CycleDataWriter<CycleDataType>::
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//     Function: CycleDataWriter::operator ->
+//     Function: CycleDataWriter::operator -> (full)
 //       Access: Public
 //  Description: This provides an indirect member access to the actual
 //               CycleData data.
@@ -93,7 +96,7 @@ operator -> () {
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//     Function: CycleDataWriter::operator ->
+//     Function: CycleDataWriter::operator -> (full)
 //       Access: Public
 //  Description: This provides an indirect member access to the actual
 //               CycleData data.
@@ -106,7 +109,7 @@ operator -> () const {
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-//     Function: CycleDataWriter::Typecast pointer
+//     Function: CycleDataWriter::Typecast pointer (full)
 //       Access: Public
 //  Description: This allows the CycleDataWriter to be passed to any
 //               function that expects a CycleDataType pointer.
@@ -117,3 +120,97 @@ operator CycleDataType * () {
   nassertr(_pointer != (CycleDataType *)NULL, _cycler.cheat());
   return _pointer;
 }
+
+#else  // !DO_PIPELINING
+// This is the trivial, do-nothing implementation.
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CycleDataWriter::Constructor (trivial)
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description:
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE CycleDataWriter<CycleDataType>::
+CycleDataWriter(PipelineCycler<CycleDataType> &cycler) {
+  _pointer = cycler.write();
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CycleDataWriter::Constructor (trivial)
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: This is a lot like a copy constructor, in that the
+//               new CycleDataWriter object gets a handle to the same
+//               pointer held by the old CycleDataWriter object.
+//               However, since only one write pointer may be active
+//               at a time, this invalidates the old object.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE CycleDataWriter<CycleDataType>::
+CycleDataWriter(PipelineCycler<CycleDataType> &, 
+                CycleDataWriter<CycleDataType> &take_from) :
+  _pointer(take_from.take_pointer())
+{
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CycleDataWriter::Constructor (trivial)
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: This flavor of the constructor elevates the pointer
+//               from the CycleDataReader from a read to a write
+//               pointer (and invalidates the reader).
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE CycleDataWriter<CycleDataType>::
+CycleDataWriter(PipelineCycler<CycleDataType> &,
+                CycleDataReader<CycleDataType> &take_from) :
+  _pointer((CycleDataType *)take_from.take_pointer())
+{
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CycleDataWriter::Destructor (trivial)
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description:
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE CycleDataWriter<CycleDataType>::
+~CycleDataWriter() {
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CycleDataWriter::operator -> (trivial)
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: This provides an indirect member access to the actual
+//               CycleData data.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE CycleDataType *CycleDataWriter<CycleDataType>::
+operator -> () {
+  return _pointer;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CycleDataWriter::operator -> (trivial)
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: This provides an indirect member access to the actual
+//               CycleData data.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE const CycleDataType *CycleDataWriter<CycleDataType>::
+operator -> () const {
+  return _pointer;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CycleDataWriter::Typecast pointer (trivial)
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: This allows the CycleDataWriter to be passed to any
+//               function that expects a CycleDataType pointer.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+template<class CycleDataType>
+INLINE CycleDataWriter<CycleDataType>::
+operator CycleDataType * () {
+  return _pointer;
+}
+
+#endif  // DO_PIPELINING
diff --git a/panda/src/putil/cycleDataWriter.h b/panda/src/putil/cycleDataWriter.h
index 5c82a77024..469dc5ac18 100644
--- a/panda/src/putil/cycleDataWriter.h
+++ b/panda/src/putil/cycleDataWriter.h
@@ -51,8 +51,14 @@ public:
   INLINE operator CycleDataType * ();
 
 private:
+#ifdef DO_PIPELINING
+  // This is the data stored for a real pipelining implementation.
   PipelineCycler<CycleDataType> &_cycler;
   CycleDataType *_pointer;
+#else  // !DO_PIPELINING
+  // This is all we need for the trivial, do-nothing implementation.
+  CycleDataType *_pointer;
+#endif  // DO_PIPELINING
 };
 
 #include "cycleDataWriter.I"