diff --git a/tools/quake3/q3map2/q3map2.h b/tools/quake3/q3map2/q3map2.h
index 4872402e..62699959 100644
--- a/tools/quake3/q3map2/q3map2.h
+++ b/tools/quake3/q3map2/q3map2.h
@@ -971,13 +971,6 @@ struct mapDrawSurface_t : public mapDrawSurface_t_params
 };
 
 
-struct drawSurfRef_t
-{
-	drawSurfRef_t    *nextRef;
-	int outputNum;
-};
-
-
 struct epair_t
 {
 	CopiedString key, value;
@@ -1072,7 +1065,7 @@ struct node_t
 	int cluster;                        /* for portalfile writing */
 	int area;                           /* for areaportals */
 	brushlist_t          brushlist;     /* fragments of all brushes in this leaf */
-	drawSurfRef_t       *drawSurfReferences;
+	std::vector<int>     drawSurfReferences; /* int outputNum of bspDrawSurface_t*/
 
 	int occupied;                       /* 1 or greater can reach entity */
 	const entity_t      *occupant;      /* for leak file testing */
diff --git a/tools/quake3/q3map2/surface.cpp b/tools/quake3/q3map2/surface.cpp
index bfdb77f1..92c76d24 100644
--- a/tools/quake3/q3map2/surface.cpp
+++ b/tools/quake3/q3map2/surface.cpp
@@ -1455,28 +1455,19 @@ void ClipSidesIntoTree( entity_t& e, const tree_t& tree ){
  */
 
 static int AddReferenceToLeaf( mapDrawSurface_t& ds, node_t *node ){
-	drawSurfRef_t   *dsr;
-	const int numBSPDrawSurfaces = bspDrawSurfaces.size();
-
-
 	/* dummy check */
 	if ( node->planenum != PLANENUM_LEAF || node->opaque ) {
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	const int numBSPDrawSurfaces = bspDrawSurfaces.size();
+
 	/* try to find an existing reference */
-	for ( dsr = node->drawSurfReferences; dsr; dsr = dsr->nextRef )
-	{
-		if ( dsr->outputNum == numBSPDrawSurfaces ) {
-			return 0;
-		}
-	}
+	if( std::ranges::find( node->drawSurfReferences, numBSPDrawSurfaces ) != node->drawSurfReferences.cend() )
+		return 0;
 
 	/* add a new reference */
-	dsr = safe_malloc( sizeof( *dsr ) );
-	dsr->outputNum = numBSPDrawSurfaces;
-	dsr->nextRef = node->drawSurfReferences;
-	node->drawSurfReferences = dsr;
+	node->drawSurfReferences.push_back( numBSPDrawSurfaces );
 
 	/* ydnar: sky/skybox surfaces */
 	if ( node->skybox ) {
diff --git a/tools/quake3/q3map2/writebsp.cpp b/tools/quake3/q3map2/writebsp.cpp
index 9f1bc67b..dd94a055 100644
--- a/tools/quake3/q3map2/writebsp.cpp
+++ b/tools/quake3/q3map2/writebsp.cpp
@@ -142,10 +142,8 @@ static void EmitLeaf( node_t *node ){
 
 	/* add the drawSurfRef_t drawsurfs */
 	leaf.firstBSPLeafSurface = bspLeafSurfaces.size();
-	for ( const drawSurfRef_t *dsr = node->drawSurfReferences; dsr; dsr = dsr->nextRef )
-	{
-		bspLeafSurfaces.push_back( dsr->outputNum );
-	}
+
+	bspLeafSurfaces.insert( bspLeafSurfaces.cend(), node->drawSurfReferences.cbegin(), node->drawSurfReferences.cend() );
 
 	leaf.numBSPLeafSurfaces = bspLeafSurfaces.size() - leaf.firstBSPLeafSurface;
 }