diff --git a/Sources/Engine/Base/Shell.cpp b/Sources/Engine/Base/Shell.cpp
index 396db23..bbdcb30 100644
--- a/Sources/Engine/Base/Shell.cpp
+++ b/Sources/Engine/Base/Shell.cpp
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ CShell::CShell(void)
 {
   // allocate undefined symbol
   _shell_istUndeclared = _shell_ast.Allocate();
+  pwoCurrentWorld = NULL;
 };
 CShell::~CShell(void)
 {
@@ -704,7 +705,6 @@ INDEX CShell::GetINDEX(const CTString &strName)
     return -666;
   } 
   // get it
-  STUBBED("64-bit issue"); // the return value is used as a pointer a lot!
   return *(INDEX*)pss->ss_pvValue;
 }
 
diff --git a/Sources/Engine/Base/Shell.h b/Sources/Engine/Base/Shell.h
index 035cb06..d21c4a5 100644
--- a/Sources/Engine/Base/Shell.h
+++ b/Sources/Engine/Base/Shell.h
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ public:
   CTCriticalSection sh_csShell; // critical section for access to shell data
   CDynamicArray<CShellSymbol> sh_assSymbols;  // all defined symbols
 
+  CWorld* pwoCurrentWorld;
+
   // Get a shell symbol by its name.
   CShellSymbol *GetSymbol(const CTString &strName, BOOL bDeclaredOnly);
   // Report error in shell script processing.
@@ -59,13 +61,23 @@ public:
   // get/set symbols
   FLOAT GetFLOAT(const CTString &strName);
   void SetFLOAT(const CTString &strName, FLOAT fValue);
-  INDEX GetINDEX(const CTString &strName); // FIXME DG: maybe this should return size_t or uintptr_t? return value is casted to ptr all the time!
+  INDEX GetINDEX(const CTString &strName);
   void SetINDEX(const CTString &strName, INDEX iValue);
   CTString GetString(const CTString &strName);
   void SetString(const CTString &strName, const CTString &strValue);
 
   CTString GetValue(const CTString &strName);
   void SetValue(const CTString &strName, const CTString &strValue);
+
+  void SetCurrentWorld(CWorld* pwo)
+  {
+    pwoCurrentWorld = pwo;
+  }
+
+  CWorld* GetCurrentWorld(void)
+  {
+    return pwoCurrentWorld;
+  }
 };
 
 // pointer to global shell object
diff --git a/Sources/Engine/Network/Network.cpp b/Sources/Engine/Network/Network.cpp
index 2a0f71e..2ec22f0 100644
--- a/Sources/Engine/Network/Network.cpp
+++ b/Sources/Engine/Network/Network.cpp
@@ -86,8 +86,6 @@ BOOL _bTempNetwork = FALSE;  // set while using temporary second network object
 extern BOOL con_bCapture;
 extern CTString con_strCapture;
 
-static CWorld *_pwoCurrentWorld = NULL;
-
 static FLOAT _bStartDemoRecordingNextTime = FALSE;
 static FLOAT _bStopDemoRecordingNextTime = FALSE;
 static INDEX dem_iRecordedNumber = 0;
@@ -254,8 +252,7 @@ extern void CacheShadows(void)
 {
   // mute all sounds
   _pSound->Mute();
-  STUBBED("64-bit issue"); // GetINDEX() returns int32!
-  CWorld *pwo = (CWorld*)_pShell->GetINDEX("pwoCurrentWorld");
+  CWorld *pwo = _pShell->GetCurrentWorld();
   if( pwo!=NULL) {
     pwo->wo_baBrushes.CacheAllShadowmaps();
     CPrintF( TRANS("All shadows recached"));
@@ -523,8 +520,7 @@ static void StockInfo(void)
   INDEX ctEntities=0, ctShadowLayers=0, ctPolys=0,    ctPlanes=0,   ctEdges=0,    ctVertices=0, ctSectors=0;
   SLONG slEntBytes=0, slLyrBytes=0,     slPlyBytes=0, slPlnBytes=0, slEdgBytes=0, slVtxBytes=0, slSecBytes=0;
   SLONG slCgrBytes=0;
-  STUBBED("64-bit issue"); // GetINDEX() returns int32!
-  CWorld *pwo = (CWorld*)_pShell->GetINDEX("pwoCurrentWorld");
+  CWorld *pwo = _pShell->GetCurrentWorld();
 
   if( pwo!=NULL)
   {
@@ -899,7 +895,6 @@ void CNetworkLibrary::Init(const CTString &strGameID)
   _pShell->DeclareSymbol("persistent user CTString ga_strMSLegacy;", (void *)&ga_strMSLegacy);
   _pShell->DeclareSymbol("persistent user INDEX ga_bMSLegacy;", (void *)&ga_bMSLegacy);
 
-  _pShell->DeclareSymbol("INDEX pwoCurrentWorld;", (void *)&_pwoCurrentWorld);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -1041,8 +1036,7 @@ void CNetworkLibrary::StartPeerToPeer_t(const CTString &strSessionName,
     throw;
   }
   // remember the world pointer
-  STUBBED("64-bit issue");
-  _pShell->SetINDEX("pwoCurrentWorld", (INDEX)(size_t)&ga_World);
+  _pShell->SetCurrentWorld(&ga_World);
 
   SetProgressDescription(TRANS("starting server"));
   CallProgressHook_t(0.0f);
@@ -1279,8 +1273,7 @@ void CNetworkLibrary::JoinSession_t(const CNetworkSession &nsSesssion, INDEX ctL
   }
 
   // remember the world pointer
-  STUBBED("64-bit issue");
-  _pShell->SetINDEX("pwoCurrentWorld", (INDEX)(size_t)&ga_World);
+  _pShell->SetCurrentWorld(&ga_World);
 
   // eventually cache all shadowmaps in world (memory eater!)
   if( shd_bCacheAll) ga_World.wo_baBrushes.CacheAllShadowmaps();
@@ -1352,8 +1345,7 @@ void CNetworkLibrary::StartDemoPlay_t(const CTFileName &fnDemo)  // throw char *
   _bNeedPretouch = TRUE;
 
   // remember the world pointer
-  STUBBED("64-bit issue");
-  _pShell->SetINDEX("pwoCurrentWorld", (INDEX)(size_t)&ga_World);
+  _pShell->SetCurrentWorld(&ga_World);
 
   // demo synchronization starts at the beginning initially
   ga_fDemoTimer = 0.0f;
@@ -1562,7 +1554,7 @@ void CNetworkLibrary::StopGame(void)
   ga_aplsPlayers.Clear();
   ga_aplsPlayers.New(NET_MAXLOCALPLAYERS);
   // remember the world pointer
-  _pShell->SetINDEX("pwoCurrentWorld", (INDEX)NULL);
+  _pShell->SetCurrentWorld(NULL);
 
   // rewind the timer
   _pTimer->SetCurrentTick(0.0f);
@@ -1686,8 +1678,7 @@ void CNetworkLibrary::ChangeLevel_internal(void)
     // remember the world filename
     ga_fnmWorld = ga_fnmNextLevel;
     // remember the world pointer
-    STUBBED("64-bit issue");
-    _pShell->SetINDEX("pwoCurrentWorld", (INDEX)(size_t)&ga_World);
+    _pShell->SetCurrentWorld(&ga_World);
   // if there is remembered level
   } else {
     // restore it
@@ -2392,8 +2383,7 @@ extern void NET_MakeDefaultState_t(
     _pNetwork->ga_fnmWorld = fnmWorld;
     _pNetwork->ga_fnmNextLevel = CTString("");
     // remember the world pointer
-    STUBBED("64-bit issue");
-    _pShell->SetINDEX("pwoCurrentWorld", (INDEX)(size_t)&_pNetwork->ga_World);
+    _pShell->SetCurrentWorld(&_pNetwork->ga_World);
 
     // reset random number generator
     _pNetwork->ga_sesSessionState.ResetRND();
diff --git a/Sources/Entities/WorldBase.es b/Sources/Entities/WorldBase.es
index b7abc26..a66dc19 100644
--- a/Sources/Entities/WorldBase.es
+++ b/Sources/Entities/WorldBase.es
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ EntityStats *FindStats(const CTString &strName)
 static void MakeWorldStatistics(void)
 {
   // get the world pointer
-  CWorld *pwo = (CWorld *)_pShell->GetINDEX("pwoCurrentWorld");
+  CWorld *pwo = _pShell->GetCurrentWorld();
   // if there is no current world
   if (pwo==NULL) {
     CPrintF("No current world.\n");
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ static void MakeWorldStatistics(void)
 static void ReoptimizeAllBrushes(void)
 {
   // get the world pointer
-  CWorld *pwo = (CWorld *)_pShell->GetINDEX("pwoCurrentWorld");
+  CWorld *pwo = _pShell->GetCurrentWorld();
   // if there is no current world
   if (pwo==NULL) {
     CPrintF("No current world.\n");
diff --git a/Sources/EntitiesMP/WorldBase.es b/Sources/EntitiesMP/WorldBase.es
index a7f070d..8cbfb8f 100644
--- a/Sources/EntitiesMP/WorldBase.es
+++ b/Sources/EntitiesMP/WorldBase.es
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ EntityStats *FindStats(const CTString &strName)
 static void MakeWorldStatistics(void)
 {
   // get the world pointer
-  CWorld *pwo = (CWorld *)_pShell->GetINDEX("pwoCurrentWorld");
+  CWorld *pwo = _pShell->GetCurrentWorld();
   // if there is no current world
   if (pwo==NULL) {
     CPrintF("No current world.\n");
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ static void MakeWorldStatistics(void)
 static void ReoptimizeAllBrushes(void)
 {
   // get the world pointer
-  CWorld *pwo = (CWorld *)_pShell->GetINDEX("pwoCurrentWorld");
+  CWorld *pwo = _pShell->GetCurrentWorld();
   // if there is no current world
   if (pwo==NULL) {
     CPrintF("No current world.\n");
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ static void DoLevelSafetyChecks()
   CPrintF("\n****  BEGIN Level safety checking  ****\n\n");
   
   // get the world pointer
-  CWorld *pwo = (CWorld *)_pShell->GetINDEX("pwoCurrentWorld");
+  CWorld *pwo = _pShell->GetCurrentWorld();
   // if there is no current world
   if (pwo==NULL) {
     CPrintF("Error - no current world.\n");
diff --git a/Sources/WorldEditor/WorldEditor.cpp b/Sources/WorldEditor/WorldEditor.cpp
index cac325f..e1ba27c 100644
--- a/Sources/WorldEditor/WorldEditor.cpp
+++ b/Sources/WorldEditor/WorldEditor.cpp
@@ -2098,7 +2098,7 @@ BOOL CWorldEditorApp::OnIdle(LONG lCount)
     if (pvCurrent!=NULL) {
       CWorldEditorDoc *pdocCurrent = pvCurrent->GetDocument();
       if (pdocCurrent!=NULL) {
-        _pShell->SetINDEX("pwoCurrentWorld", (INDEX)&pdocCurrent->m_woWorld);
+        _pShell->SetCurrentWorld(&pdocCurrent->m_woWorld);
       }
     }