diff --git a/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs b/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs
index cbf8cf2d9f..38e7f32e01 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Server/Server.cs
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 						Index = newConn.PlayerIndex,
 						PaletteIndex = ChooseFreePalette(),
 						Name = "Player {0}".F(1 + newConn.PlayerIndex),
-						Race = 1,
+						Race = "allies",		/* hack */
 						State = Session.ClientState.NotReady
 					});
 
@@ -249,14 +249,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 							return true;
 						}
 
-						int race;
-						if (!int.TryParse(s, out race) || race < 0 || race > 1)
-						{
-							Console.WriteLine("Invalid race: {0}", s);
-							return false;
-						}
-
-						GetClient(conn).Race = 1 + race;
+						GetClient(conn).Race = s;
 						SyncLobbyInfo();
 						return true;
 					}},	
diff --git a/OpenRa.FileFormats/Session.cs b/OpenRa.FileFormats/Session.cs
index a89080cc33..87a459764a 100644
--- a/OpenRa.FileFormats/Session.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.FileFormats/Session.cs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.FileFormats
 		{
 			public int Index;
 			public int PaletteIndex;
-			public int Race;
+			public string Race;
 			public int SpawnPoint;
 			public string Name;
 			public ClientState State;
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Chrome.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Chrome.cs
index 0d4c6a5606..c4ce21670d 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Chrome.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Chrome.cs
@@ -153,10 +153,10 @@ namespace OpenRa
 		{
 			DrawDownloadBar();
 
-			chromeCollection = (world.LocalPlayer.Race == Race.Allies) ? "chrome-allies" : "chrome-soviet";
-			radarCollection = (world.LocalPlayer.Race == Race.Allies) ? "radar-allies" : "radar-soviet";
-			paletteCollection = (world.LocalPlayer.Race == Race.Allies) ? "palette-allies" : "palette-soviet";
-			digitCollection = (world.LocalPlayer.Race == Race.Allies) ? "digits-allies" : "digits-soviet";
+			chromeCollection = "chrome-" + world.LocalPlayer.Race;
+			radarCollection = "radar-" + world.LocalPlayer.Race;
+			paletteCollection = "palette-" + world.LocalPlayer.Race;
+			digitCollection = "digits-" + world.LocalPlayer.Race;
 
 			buttons.Clear();
 
@@ -362,8 +362,9 @@ namespace OpenRa
 
 		void CycleRace(bool left)
 		{
-			Game.IssueOrder(
-				Order.Chat("/race " + (((int)Game.world.LocalPlayer.Race - 1) ^ 1)));
+			// hack
+			var newRace = Game.world.LocalPlayer.Race == RaceUtil.Allies ? RaceUtil.Soviet : RaceUtil.Allies;
+			Game.IssueOrder(Order.Chat("/race " + newRace));
 		}
 
 		void CycleReady(bool left)
@@ -466,7 +467,7 @@ namespace OpenRa
 															paletteRect.Bottom+Game.viewport.Location.Y - 5),
 													Player.PlayerColors[client.PaletteIndex].c);
 				lineRenderer.Flush();
-				renderer.DrawText(((Race)client.Race).ToString(), new int2(r.Left + 220, y), Color.White);
+				renderer.DrawText(client.Race, new int2(r.Left + 220, y), Color.White);
 				renderer.DrawText(client.State.ToString(), new int2(r.Left + 290, y), Color.White);
 				renderer.DrawText((client.SpawnPoint == 0)? "-" : client.SpawnPoint.ToString(), new int2(r.Left + 410, y), Color.White);
 				y += 30;
@@ -568,7 +569,7 @@ namespace OpenRa
 				string[] tabKeys = { "normal", "ready", "selected" };
 				var producing = queue.CurrentItem(groupName);
 				var index = q.Key == currentTab ? 2 : (producing != null && producing.Done) ? 1 : 0;
-				var race = (world.LocalPlayer.Race == Race.Allies) ? "allies" : "soviet";
+				var race = world.LocalPlayer.Race;
 				rgbaRenderer.DrawSprite(ChromeProvider.GetImage(renderer,"tabs-"+tabKeys[index], race+"-"+q.Key), new float2(x, y), "chrome");
 
 				buttons.Add(Pair.New(new RectangleF(x, y, tabWidth, tabHeight),
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Combat.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Combat.cs
index 7146fe1fc8..469d78abe4 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Combat.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Combat.cs
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 using System;
-using System.Collections.Generic;
-using System.Linq;
-using System.Text;
-using OpenRa.GameRules;
 using OpenRa.Effects;
+using OpenRa.GameRules;
 using OpenRa.Traits;
 
 namespace OpenRa
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/VoiceInfo.cs b/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/VoiceInfo.cs
index 8505ecaf26..4526dd09db 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/VoiceInfo.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/GameRules/VoiceInfo.cs
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
-using System;
-using System.Collections.Generic;
-using System.Linq;
-using System.Text;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
 using IjwFramework.Types;
-using IjwFramework.Collections;
 
 namespace OpenRa.GameRules
 {
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Player.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Player.cs
index 613f8d92a3..86c1233cab 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Player.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Player.cs
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 using System;
-using System.Linq;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
-using OpenRa.GameRules;
-using OpenRa.Graphics;
-using OpenRa.Traits;
-using OpenRa.FileFormats;
 using System.Drawing;
+using System.Linq;
+using OpenRa.FileFormats;
+using OpenRa.Traits;
 
 namespace OpenRa
 {
@@ -18,7 +16,7 @@ namespace OpenRa
 		public int Kills;
 		public string PlayerName;
 		public string InternalName;
-		public Race Race;
+		public string Race;
 		public readonly int Index;
 		public int Cash = 10000;
 		public int Ore = 0;
@@ -64,7 +62,7 @@ namespace OpenRa
 
 			this.PaletteIndex = client != null ? client.PaletteIndex : index;
 			this.PlayerName = client != null ? client.Name : "Player {0}".F(index+1);
-			this.Race = client != null ? (Race)client.Race : Race.Allies;
+			this.Race = client != null ? client.Race : RaceUtil.Allies;
 		}
 	
 		void UpdatePower()
@@ -179,10 +177,10 @@ namespace OpenRa
 				PlayerName = client.Name;
 			}
 
-			if (Race != (Race)client.Race)
+			if (Race != client.Race)
 			{
-				Game.chat.AddLine(this, "is now playing {0}".F((Race)client.Race));
-				Race = (Race)client.Race;
+				Game.chat.AddLine(this, "is now playing {0}".F(client.Race));
+				Race = client.Race;
 			}
 
 			if (PaletteIndex != client.PaletteIndex)
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Race.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Race.cs
index c83771921d..77d39f1c65 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Race.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Race.cs
@@ -2,11 +2,20 @@ using System;
 
 namespace OpenRa
 {
-	[Flags]
-	public enum Race
+	public static class RaceUtil
 	{
-		None = 0,
-		Allies = 1,
-		Soviet = 2
+		/* just while we do the transition */
+		public static readonly string Allies = "allies";
+		public static readonly string Soviet = "soviet";
+
+		public static readonly string DefaultRace = Allies;
 	}
+
+	//[Flags]
+	//public enum Race
+	//{
+	//    None = 0,
+	//    Allies = 1,
+	//    Soviet = 2
+	//}
 }
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Sound.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Sound.cs
index c5ee0417bc..fac9cd4b96 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Sound.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Sound.cs
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
 using IjwFramework.Collections;
 using OpenRa.FileFormats;
-using OpenRa.Traits;
 using OpenRa.Support;
-using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
-using System.Collections.Generic;
+using OpenRa.Traits;
 
 namespace OpenRa
 {
@@ -110,7 +109,7 @@ namespace OpenRa
 				return;
 			}
 
-			var variants = (voicedUnit.Owner.Race == Race.Soviet)
+			var variants = (voicedUnit.Owner.Race == RaceUtil.Soviet)
 							? vi.SovietVariants : vi.AlliedVariants;
 
 			var variant = variants[voicedUnit.ActorID % variants.Length];
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Buildable.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Buildable.cs
index 28c6d408e3..51e91269bd 100755
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Buildable.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Buildable.cs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Traits
 		public readonly int TechLevel = -1;
 		public readonly string[] Prerequisites = { };
 		public readonly string[] BuiltAt = { };
-		public readonly Race[] Owner = { };
+		public readonly string[] Owner = { };
 		public readonly int Cost = 0;
 		public readonly string Description = "";
 		public readonly string LongDesc = "";