diff --git a/doomsday/engine/include/resource/material.h b/doomsday/engine/include/resource/material.h
index 6e9c5b9915..40d4a76995 100644
--- a/doomsday/engine/include/resource/material.h
+++ b/doomsday/engine/include/resource/material.h
@@ -32,13 +32,11 @@ extern "C" {
 struct materialvariant_s;
 
 /**
- * Initialize. Note that Material expects that initialization is done
- * but once during construction and that the owner will not attempt to
- * re-initialize later on.
+ * Construct a new material.
  */
-void Material_Initialize(material_t* mat);
+material_t* Material_New();
 
-void Material_Destroy(material_t* mat);
+void Material_Delete(material_t* mat);
 
 /**
  * Process a system tick event.
diff --git a/doomsday/engine/src/resource/material.cpp b/doomsday/engine/src/resource/material.cpp
index 05a6df147d..60f40ff827 100644
--- a/doomsday/engine/src/resource/material.cpp
+++ b/doomsday/engine/src/resource/material.cpp
@@ -54,21 +54,22 @@ static void destroyVariants(material_t *mat)
     mat->_prepared = 0;
 }
 
-void Material_Initialize(material_t *mat)
+material_t *Material_New()
 {
-    DENG2_ASSERT(mat);
-    std::memset(mat, 0, sizeof *mat);
+    material_t *mat = (material_t *) M_Calloc(sizeof(*mat));
     mat->header.type = DMU_MATERIAL;
     mat->_envClass = MEC_UNKNOWN;
     mat->_size = Size2_New();
+    return mat;
 }
 
-void Material_Destroy(material_t *mat)
+void Material_Delete(material_t *mat)
 {
     DENG2_ASSERT(mat);
     Material_DestroyVariants(mat);
     Size2_Delete(mat->_size);
     mat->_size = 0;
+    M_Free(mat);
 }
 
 void Material_Ticker(material_t *mat, timespan_t time)
diff --git a/doomsday/engine/src/resource/materials.cpp b/doomsday/engine/src/resource/materials.cpp
index e47cee7658..c07fbc600b 100644
--- a/doomsday/engine/src/resource/materials.cpp
+++ b/doomsday/engine/src/resource/materials.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@
 #include <de/Log>
 #include <de/PathTree>
 #include <de/memory.h>
-#include <de/memoryblockset.h>
 #include <de/memoryzone.h>
 
 #include <cstring>
@@ -52,9 +51,6 @@
 #include "resource/materials.h"
 #include "resource/materialsnapshot.h"
 
-/// Number of materials to block-allocate.
-#define MATERIALS_BLOCK_ALLOC (32)
-
 /// Number of elements to block-allocate in the material index to materialbind map.
 #define MATERIALS_BINDINGMAP_BLOCK_ALLOC (32)
 
@@ -180,7 +176,6 @@ struct Materials::Instance
      * 5) Super-fast look up by public material identifier.
      * 6) Fast look up by material name (hashing is used).
      */
-    blockset_t *materialsBlockSet;
     MaterialList *materials;
     uint materialCount;
 
@@ -195,7 +190,6 @@ struct Materials::Instance
 
     Instance()
         :  numgroups(0), groups(0), variantSpecs(0), variantCacheQueue(0),
-           materialsBlockSet(BlockSet_New(sizeof(material_t), MATERIALS_BLOCK_ALLOC)),
            materials(0), materialCount(0),
            bindingCount(0), bindingIdMapSize(0), bindingIdMap(0)
     {}
@@ -223,16 +217,11 @@ struct Materials::Instance
         while(materials)
         {
             MaterialListNode *next = materials->next;
-            Material_Destroy(materials->mat);
+            Material_Delete(materials->mat);
             M_Free(materials);
             materials = next;
         }
 
-        if(materialsBlockSet)
-        {
-            BlockSet_Delete(materialsBlockSet); materialsBlockSet = 0;
-        }
-
         materialCount = 0;
     }
 
@@ -357,14 +346,6 @@ struct Materials::Instance
         return bindingIdMap[id-1];
     }
 
-    material_t *allocMaterial()
-    {
-        material_t *mat = (material_t *)BlockSet_Allocate(materialsBlockSet);
-        Material_Initialize(mat);
-        materialCount++;
-        return mat;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Link the material into the global list of materials.
      * @pre material is NOT already present in the global list.
@@ -718,12 +699,16 @@ material_t *Materials::newFromDef(ded_material_t *def)
     if(!tex) return 0;
 
     // A new Material.
-    material_t *mat = d->linkMaterialToGlobalList(d->allocMaterial());
-    mat->_flags = def->flags;
-    mat->_isCustom = tex->flags().testFlag(Texture::Custom);
-    mat->_def = def;
+    d->materialCount++;
+    material_t *mat = Material_New();
+
+    d->linkMaterialToGlobalList(mat);
+
+    mat->_flags     = def->flags;
+    mat->_isCustom  = tex->flags().testFlag(Texture::Custom);
+    mat->_def       = def;
     Size2_SetWidthHeight(mat->_size, MAX_OF(0, def->width), MAX_OF(0, def->height));
-    mat->_envClass = S_MaterialEnvClassForUri(reinterpret_cast<struct uri_s const *>(&uri));
+    mat->_envClass  = S_MaterialEnvClassForUri(reinterpret_cast<struct uri_s const *>(&uri));
 
     if(!bind)
     {