diff --git a/overviewer.py b/overviewer.py
index 9860fa6..5206ef7 100755
--- a/overviewer.py
+++ b/overviewer.py
@@ -420,11 +420,12 @@ dir but you forgot to put quotes around the directory, since it contains spaces.
         tilesets.append(tset)
 
    
-    # non-multiprocessing dispatcher
-    dispatch = dispatcher.Dispatcher()
+    # multiprocessing dispatcher
+    dispatch = dispatcher.MultiprocessingDispatcher()
     def print_status(*args):
         logging.info("Status callback: %r", args)
     dispatch.render_all(tilesets, print_status)
+    dispatch.close()
 
 
     sys.exit("early abort")
diff --git a/overviewer_core/dispatcher.py b/overviewer_core/dispatcher.py
index 685d6db..8f9b7f8 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/dispatcher.py
+++ b/overviewer_core/dispatcher.py
@@ -48,13 +48,14 @@ class Dispatcher(object):
         """
         # TODO use status callback
         
-        # setup tilesetlist
-        self.setup_tilesets(tilesetlist)
-        
         # preprocessing
         for tileset in tilesetlist:
             tileset.do_preprocessing()
         
+        # setup tilesetlist
+        self.setup_tilesets(tilesetlist)
+        
+        
         # iterate through all possible phases
         num_phases = [tileset.get_num_phases() for tileset in tilesetlist]
         for phase in xrange(max(num_phases)):
@@ -350,7 +351,7 @@ class MultiprocessingDispatcher(Dispatcher):
             finished_jobs += self._handle_messages()
         return finished_jobs
     
-    def _handle_messages(self, timeout=1.0):
+    def _handle_messages(self, timeout=0.01):
         # work function: takes results out of the result queue and
         # keeps track of how many outstanding jobs remain
         finished_jobs = []
diff --git a/overviewer_core/textures.py b/overviewer_core/textures.py
index b031516..d9b5739 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/textures.py
+++ b/overviewer_core/textures.py
@@ -46,10 +46,25 @@ class Textures(object):
         self.texture_size = 24
         self.texture_dimensions = (self.texture_size, self.texture_size)
         
-        # these are filled in in generate()
-        self.terrain_images = None
-        self.blockmap = []
-        self.biome_grass_texture = None
+        # this is set in in generate()
+        self.generated = False
+    
+    ##
+    ## pickle support
+    ##
+    
+    def __getstate__(self):
+        # we must get rid of the huge image lists, and other images
+        attributes = self.__dict__.copy()
+        for attr in ['terrain_images', 'blockmap', 'biome_grass_texture', 'watertexture', 'lavatexture']:
+            del attributes[attr]
+        return attributes
+    def __setstate__(self, attrs):
+        # regenerate textures, if needed
+        for attr, val in attrs.iteritems():
+            setattr(self, attr, val)
+        if self.generated:
+            self.generate()
     
     ##
     ## The big one: generate()
@@ -82,6 +97,8 @@ class Textures(object):
                 block = tex[0]
                 scaled_block = block.resize(self.texture_dimensions, Image.ANTIALIAS)
                 blockmap[i] = self.generate_texture_tuple(scaled_block)
+        
+        self.generated = True
     
     ##
     ## Helpers for opening textures