diff --git a/Gui.py b/Gui.py
index 39ce2292..e197100d 100644
--- a/Gui.py
+++ b/Gui.py
@@ -456,7 +456,8 @@ class SpriteSelector(object):
 
             try:
                 task.update_status("Downloading official sprites list")
-                sprites_arr = json.loads(temp_sprites_json)
+                with urlopen('http://vt.alttp.run/sprites') as response:
+                    sprites_arr = json.load(response)
             except Exception as e:
                 resultmessage = "Error getting list of official sprites. Sprites not updated.\n\n%s: %s" % (type(e).__name__, e)
                 successful = False
@@ -468,7 +469,8 @@ class SpriteSelector(object):
                 current_sprites = [os.path.basename(file) for file in glob(self.official_sprite_dir+'/*')]
                 official_sprites = [(sprite['file'], os.path.basename(urlparse(sprite['file']).path)) for sprite in sprites_arr]
                 needed_sprites = [(sprite_url, filename) for (sprite_url, filename) in official_sprites if filename not in current_sprites]
-                bundled_sprites = []
+                bundled_sprites = [os.path.basename(file) for file in glob(self.local_official_sprite_dir+'/*')]
+                # todo: eventually use the above list to avoid downloading any sprites that we already have cached in the bundle.
 
                 official_filenames = [filename for (_, filename) in official_sprites]
                 obsolete_sprites = [sprite for sprite in current_sprites if sprite not in official_filenames]
@@ -653,7 +655,5 @@ def get_image_for_sprite(sprite):
 
     return image.zoom(2)
 
-temp_sprites_json = '''[{"name":"Link","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/link.1.spr"},{"name":"Four Swords Link","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/4slink-armors.1.spr"},{"name":"Boo","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/boo.2.spr"},{"name":"Boy","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/boy.2.spr"},{"name":"Cactuar","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/cactuar.1.spr"},{"name":"Cat","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/cat.1.spr"},{"name":"Cat Boo","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/catboo.1.spr"},{"name":"Cirno","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/cirno.1.spr"},{"name":"Dark Boy","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/darkboy.2.spr"},{"name":"Dark Girl","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/darkgirl.1.spr"},{"name":"Dark Link","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/darklink.1.spr"},{"name":"Dark Maple Queen","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/shadowsaku.1.spr"},{"name":"Dark Swatchy","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/darkswatchy.1.spr"},{"name":"Dark Zelda","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/darkzelda.1.spr"},{"name":"Dark Zora","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/darkzora.2.spr"},{"name":"Decidueye","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/decidueye.1.spr"},{"name":"Demon Link","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/demonlink.1.spr"},{"name":"Frog","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/froglink.2.spr"},{"name":"Ganondorf","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/ganondorf.1.spr"},{"name":"Garfield","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/garfield.1.spr"},{"name":"Girl","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/girl.2.spr"},{"name":"Headless Link","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/headlesslink.1.spr"},{"name":"Invisible Man","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/invisibleman.1.spr"},{"name":"Inkling","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/inkling.1.spr"},{"name":"Kirby","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/kirby-meta.2.spr"},{"name":"Kore8","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/kore8.1.spr"},{"name":"Pony","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/littlepony.1.spr"},{"name":"Luigi","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/luigi.1.spr"},{"name":"Maiden","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/maiden.2.spr"},{"name":"Maple Queen","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/maplequeen.1.spr"},{"name":"Mario","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/mario-classic.1.spr"},{"name":"Marisa","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/marisa.1.spr"},{"name":"Mike Jones","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/mikejones.2.spr"},{"name":"Minish Cap Link","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/minishcaplink.3.spr"},{"name":"Modern Link","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/modernlink.1.spr"},{"name":"Mog","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/mog.1.spr"},{"name":"Mouse","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/mouse.1.spr"},{"name":"Nature Link","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/naturelink.1.spr"},{"name":"Negative Link","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/negativelink.1.spr"},{"name":"Neon Link","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/neonlink.1.spr"},{"name":"Old Man","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/oldman.1.spr"},{"name":"Pink Ribbon Link","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/pinkribbonlink.1.spr"},{"name":"Popoi","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/popoi.1.spr"},{"name":"Pug","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/pug.2.spr"},{"name":"Purple Chest","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/purplechest-bottle.2.spr"},{"name":"Roy Koopa","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/roykoopa.1.spr"},{"name":"Rumia","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/rumia.1.spr"},{"name":"Samus","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/samus.4.spr"},{"name":"Soda Can","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/sodacan.1.spr"},{"name":"Static Link","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/staticlink.1.spr"},{"name":"Santa Link","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/santalink.1.spr"},{"name":"Super Bunny","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/superbunny.1.spr"},{"name":"Swatchy","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/swatchy.1.spr"},{"name":"Tingle","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/tingle.1.spr"},{"name":"Toad","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/toad.1.spr"},{"name":"Valeera","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/valeera.1.spr"},{"name":"Vitreous","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/vitreous.1.spr"},{"name":"Vivi","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/vivi.1.spr"},{"name":"Will","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/will.1.spr"},{"name":"Wizzrobe","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/wizzrobe.4.spr"},{"name":"Yunica","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/yunica.1.spr"},{"name":"Zelda","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/zelda.2.spr"},{"name":"Zero Suit Samus","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/zerosuitsamus.1.spr"},{"name":"Zora","file":"http:\/\/spr.beegunslingers.com\/zora.1.spr"}]'''
-
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     guiMain()
diff --git a/Plando.py b/Plando.py
index 3908c06c..64a72afd 100644
--- a/Plando.py
+++ b/Plando.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import sys
 from BaseClasses import World
 from Regions import create_regions
 from EntranceShuffle import link_entrances, connect_entrance, connect_two_way, connect_exit
-from Rom import patch_rom, LocalRom, write_string_to_rom
+from Rom import patch_rom, LocalRom, Sprite, write_string_to_rom
 from Rules import set_rules
 from Dungeons import create_dungeons
 from Items import ItemFactory
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def main(args):
     logger.info('Patching ROM.')
 
     if args.sprite is not None:
-        sprite = bytearray(open(args.sprite, 'rb').read())
+        sprite = Sprite(args.sprite)
     else:
         sprite = None
 
diff --git a/Rom.py b/Rom.py
index eb860b55..ffe1b593 100644
--- a/Rom.py
+++ b/Rom.py
@@ -114,8 +114,8 @@ class Sprite(object):
         if len(filedata) == 0x7000:
             # sprite file with graphics and without palette data
             self.sprite = filedata[:0x7000]
-            self.palette = None
-            self.glove_palette = None
+            self.palette = list(self.default_palette)
+            self.glove_palette = list(self.default_glove_palette)
         elif len(filedata) == 0x7078:
             # sprite file with graphics and palette data
             self.sprite = filedata[:0x7000]
@@ -142,11 +142,11 @@ class Sprite(object):
                 return
             self.sprite = sprite
             if len(palette) == 0:
-                self.palette = None
-                self.glove_palette = None
+                self.palette = list(self.default_palette)
+                self.glove_palette = list(self.default_glove_palette)
             elif len(palette) == 0x78:
                 self.palette = palette
-                self.glove_palette = None
+                self.glove_palette = list(self.default_glove_palette)
             elif len(palette) == 0x7C:
                 self.palette = palette[:0x78]
                 self.glove_palette = palette[0x78:]
@@ -849,10 +849,8 @@ def write_sprite(rom, sprite):
     if not sprite.valid:
         return
     rom.write_bytes(0x80000, sprite.sprite)
-    if sprite.palette is not None:
-        rom.write_bytes(0xDD308, sprite.palette)
-    if sprite.glove_palette is not None:
-        rom.write_bytes(0xDEDF5, sprite.glove_palette)
+    rom.write_bytes(0xDD308, sprite.palette)
+    rom.write_bytes(0xDEDF5, sprite.glove_palette)
 
 
 def write_string_to_rom(rom, target, string):
diff --git a/Zelda.sprite b/Zelda.sprite
deleted file mode 100644
index 201e4c0e..00000000
Binary files a/Zelda.sprite and /dev/null differ