diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/media/tile/TileSet.java b/src/java/com/threerings/media/tile/TileSet.java
index 9cdf2c435..203f758ea 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/media/tile/TileSet.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/media/tile/TileSet.java
@@ -367,7 +367,9 @@ public abstract class TileSet
      */
     protected void initTile (Tile tile, int tileIndex, Colorization[] zations)
     {
-        tile.setImage(getTileMirage(tileIndex, zations));
+        if (_improv != null) {
+            tile.setImage(getTileMirage(tileIndex, zations));
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -387,6 +389,7 @@ public abstract class TileSet
     protected void reportCachePerformance ()
     {
         if (/* Log.getLevel() != Log.log.DEBUG || */
+            _improv == null ||
             _cacheStatThrottle.throttleOp()) {
             return;
         }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/media/tile/bundle/BundledTileSetRepository.java b/src/java/com/threerings/media/tile/bundle/BundledTileSetRepository.java
index 015821cd9..feaaf1135 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/media/tile/bundle/BundledTileSetRepository.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/media/tile/bundle/BundledTileSetRepository.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: BundledTileSetRepository.java,v 1.15 2004/08/27 02:12:42 mdb Exp $
+// $Id$
 //
 // Narya library - tools for developing networked games
 // Copyright (C) 2002-2004 Three Rings Design, Inc., All Rights Reserved
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ public class BundledTileSetRepository
      * @param rmgr the resource manager from which to obtain our resource
      * set.
      * @param imgr the image manager through which we will configure the
-     * tile sets to load their images.
+     * tile sets to load their images, or <code>null</code> if image tiles
+     * should not be loaded (only the tile metadata)
      * @param name the name of the resource set from which we will be
      * loading our tile data.
      */
@@ -141,7 +142,8 @@ public class BundledTileSetRepository
     protected void addBundle (HashIntMap idmap, HashMap namemap,
                               TileSetBundle bundle)
     {
-        IMImageProvider improv = new IMImageProvider(_imgr, bundle);
+        IMImageProvider improv = (_imgr == null) ?
+            null : new IMImageProvider(_imgr, bundle);
 
         // map all of the tilesets in this bundle
         for (Iterator iter = bundle.entrySet().iterator(); iter.hasNext(); ) {
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/stage/server/StageServer.java b/src/java/com/threerings/stage/server/StageServer.java
index 1e4c4985e..f7596d0b4 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/stage/server/StageServer.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/stage/server/StageServer.java
@@ -21,11 +21,8 @@
 
 package com.threerings.stage.server;
 
-import java.awt.Container;
-
 import com.threerings.resource.ResourceManager;
 
-import com.threerings.media.image.ImageManager;
 import com.threerings.media.tile.TileManager;
 import com.threerings.media.tile.bundle.BundledTileSetRepository;
 
@@ -45,9 +42,6 @@ public abstract class StageServer extends WhirledServer
      * the server and client). */
     public ResourceManager rsrcmgr;
 
-    /** Provides access to image resources. */
-    public static ImageManager imagemgr;
-        
     /** Provides access to our tile repository. */
     public static TileManager tilemgr;
 
@@ -62,11 +56,10 @@ public abstract class StageServer extends WhirledServer
         rsrcmgr = new ResourceManager("rsrc");
         rsrcmgr.initBundles(null, "config/resource/manager.properties", null);
 
-        // create our image manager, tile manager and repository
-        imagemgr = new ImageManager(rsrcmgr, null);
-        tilemgr = new TileManager(imagemgr);
+        // create our tile manager and repository
+        tilemgr = new TileManager(null);
         tilemgr.setTileSetRepository(
-            new BundledTileSetRepository(rsrcmgr, imagemgr,
+            new BundledTileSetRepository(rsrcmgr, null,
                                          StageCodes.TILESET_RSRC_SET));
 
         Log.info("Stage server initialized.");