diff --git a/GameSettings.cpp b/GameSettings.cpp
index 7dd9b2c1..369a10ae 100644
--- a/GameSettings.cpp
+++ b/GameSettings.cpp
@@ -763,41 +763,7 @@ void LoadGameExternalOptions()
 	gGameExternalOptions.fBackGround					= iniReader.ReadBoolean("Data File Settings", "BACKGROUNDS", TRUE );
 	
 	//################# Merc Recruitment Settings #################
-
-	// WDS: Allow flexible numbers of IMPs of each sex
-	// SANDRO - moved to the game itself
-	gGameExternalOptions.iMaxIMPCharacters		= iniReader.ReadInteger("Recruitment Settings","MAX_IMP_CHARACTERS",1, 1, NUM_PROFILES);
 	
-	//
-	// Note: put -1 between male/female slots and -1 at end.	This allows everything to be
-	// counted dynamically quite easily.	Note that all the code assumes there is AT
-	// LEAST ONE slot for each sex.	If that changes the code will have to be updated.
-	//
-	// Because errors in these values can really goof things up we will try to fix up bad
-	// values and use the defaults instead.
-	//
-	char caIMPCountStr[] = "IMP_%d";
-	char caCountStr[20];
-
-	gGameExternalOptions.iaIMPSlots = (INT32*)MemAlloc( (gGameExternalOptions.iMaxIMPCharacters) * sizeof( UINT32 ) );
-	for (int idx = 0; idx < gGameExternalOptions.iMaxIMPCharacters; ++idx)
-	{
-		sprintf( caCountStr, caIMPCountStr, idx+1);
-		gGameExternalOptions.iaIMPSlots[idx] = iniReader.ReadInteger("Recruitment Settings",caCountStr, -1, -1, NUM_PROFILES-1);
-		if (gGameExternalOptions.iaIMPSlots[idx] < 0)
-		{
-			if (idx < COUNT_STANDARD_MALE_SLOTS)
-			{
-				gGameExternalOptions.iaIMPSlots[idx] = FIRST_STANDARD_MALE_SLOT+idx;
-			}
-			else if ( idx < COUNT_STANDARD_FEMALE_SLOTS )
-			{
-				// This is bad so just use the last standard slot #
-				gGameExternalOptions.iaIMPSlots[idx] = FIRST_STANDARD_MALE_SLOT+COUNT_STANDARD_MALE_SLOTS-1;
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
 	// silversurfer: read early recruitment options 1=immediately (control Omerta), 2=early (control 1, 2, 3 towns including Omerta)
 	// 3=normal (control 3, 4, 5 towns including Omerta), 4=after liberating Omerta and solving the "Deliver Food Quest" for Miguel
 	gGameExternalOptions.ubEarlyRebelsRecruitment[0]	= iniReader.ReadInteger("Recruitment Settings","EARLY_REBELS_RECRUITMENT", 3, 1, 4);
@@ -3777,8 +3743,6 @@ void LoadCreaturesSettings()
 
 void FreeGameExternalOptions()
 {
-	if (gGameExternalOptions.iaIMPSlots != NULL) // OJW - 20081129 - Fix memory leak when calling LoadGameExternalOptions twice
-	MemFree( gGameExternalOptions.iaIMPSlots);
 }
 
 BOOLEAN GetCDLocation( )
diff --git a/GameSettings.h b/GameSettings.h
index ce5b0b6c..2a29fb31 100644
--- a/GameSettings.h
+++ b/GameSettings.h
@@ -291,14 +291,7 @@ typedef struct
 
 	BOOLEAN fSellAll;
 	INT16 iPriceModifier;
-	
-	// Flugente: max number of IMPs, regardless of gender
-	INT32 iMaxIMPCharacters;		// Limit of how many to allow
-	//
-	// iaIMPSlots is an array of the slots (in prof.dat) to use for IMPs.
-	//
-	INT32 *iaIMPSlots;
-
+		
 	// SANDRO was here - some changes done
 	INT32 iIMPProfileCost;
 	BOOLEAN fDynamicIMPProfileCost;
diff --git a/Laptop/IMP MainPage.cpp b/Laptop/IMP MainPage.cpp
index 0fc74ad5..e8dfd41d 100644
--- a/Laptop/IMP MainPage.cpp	
+++ b/Laptop/IMP MainPage.cpp	
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ INT32 iCurrentProfileMode = IMP__REGISTRY;
 
 BOOLEAN IsIMPSlotFree(INT32 iIMPId)
 {
-	if ((iIMPId >= 0) && (iIMPId < NUM_PROFILES) &&
+	if ((iIMPId >= 0) && (iIMPId < NUM_PROFILES) && (iIMPId != NO_PROFILE) &&
+		( gMercProfiles[iIMPId].Type == PROFILETYPE_IMP ) &&
 		((wcscmp(gMercProfiles[iIMPId].zName, L"") == 0) ||
 		(gMercProfiles[iIMPId].bMercStatus == MERC_IS_DEAD)))
 	{
@@ -750,10 +751,10 @@ INT32 CountFilledIMPSlots()
 	INT32 iCount = 0;
 	
 	// Count the used slots
-	for ( INT32 i = 0; i < gGameExternalOptions.iMaxIMPCharacters; ++i)
+	for ( int i = 0; i < NUM_PROFILES; ++i )
 	{
-		if ((gGameExternalOptions.iaIMPSlots[i] != -1) &&
-			(!IsIMPSlotFree(gGameExternalOptions.iaIMPSlots[i])))
+		if ( (gMercProfiles[i].Type == PROFILETYPE_IMP ) && ( i != NO_PROFILE ) && 
+			!IsIMPSlotFree(i) )
 		{
 			++iCount;
 		}
@@ -768,9 +769,9 @@ INT32 CountEmptyIMPSlots()
 	INT32 iCount = 0;
 	
 	// Count the free slots
-	for ( INT32 i = 0; i < gGameExternalOptions.iMaxIMPCharacters; ++i)
+	for ( int i = 0; i < NUM_PROFILES; ++i )
 	{
-		if (IsIMPSlotFree(gGameExternalOptions.iaIMPSlots[i]))
+		if (IsIMPSlotFree(i))
 		{
 			++iCount;
 		}
@@ -794,12 +795,12 @@ INT32 GetFreeIMPSlot(INT32 iDefaultIMPId)
 	// The default IMP id is already used, find next free imp id
 
 	// Find a free imp slot
-	for (INT32 i = 0; i < gGameExternalOptions.iMaxIMPCharacters; ++i)
+	for (int i = 0; i < NUM_PROFILES; ++i)
 	{
 		// Found a free imp slot
-		if (IsIMPSlotFree(gGameExternalOptions.iaIMPSlots[i]))
+		if (IsIMPSlotFree(i))
 		{
-			return gGameExternalOptions.iaIMPSlots[i];
+			return i;
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/Tactical/Soldier Profile.cpp b/Tactical/Soldier Profile.cpp
index e107dbdd..2be79c6f 100644
--- a/Tactical/Soldier Profile.cpp	
+++ b/Tactical/Soldier Profile.cpp	
@@ -284,6 +284,12 @@ BOOLEAN LoadNewSystemMercsToSaveGameFile( HWFILE hFile )
 		}
 	}
 	
+	// for whatever bizarre reason, this function is called way after the profiles themselves are loaded - so we now have to overwrite the types in there
+	for ( int i = 0; i < NUM_PROFILES; ++i )
+	{
+		gMercProfiles[i].Type = gProfileType[i];
+	}
+	
 	return( TRUE );
 }