diff --git a/OpenRA.FileFormats/Map/TileSet.cs b/OpenRA.FileFormats/Map/TileSet.cs
index 946e8495e2..3a25ec431e 100644
--- a/OpenRA.FileFormats/Map/TileSet.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.FileFormats/Map/TileSet.cs
@@ -61,14 +61,20 @@ namespace OpenRA.FileFormats
 	
 	public class TileSet
 	{
+		public readonly string Name;
+		public readonly string Id;
+		public readonly string TileSuffix;
 		public readonly Dictionary<string, TerrainTypeInfo> Terrain = new Dictionary<string, TerrainTypeInfo>();
 		public readonly Dictionary<ushort, Terrain> Tiles = new Dictionary<ushort, Terrain>();
 		public readonly Dictionary<ushort, TileTemplate> Templates = new Dictionary<ushort, TileTemplate>();
 		
-		public TileSet( string tilesetFile, string suffix )
+		public TileSet( string filepath )
 		{
-			var yaml = MiniYaml.FromFile(tilesetFile);
+			var yaml = MiniYaml.FromFile(filepath);
 			
+			// General info
+			FieldLoader.Load(this, yaml["General"]);
+
 			// TerrainTypes
 			foreach (var tt in yaml["Terrain"].Nodes)
 			{
@@ -84,13 +90,27 @@ namespace OpenRA.FileFormats
 				Templates.Add(t.Id, t);
 				
 				// Artwork
-				using( Stream s = FileSystem.Open( t.Image + "." + suffix ) )
+				using( Stream s = FileSystem.Open( t.Image + "." + TileSuffix ) )
 				{
 					if( !Tiles.ContainsKey( t.Id ) )
 						Tiles.Add( t.Id, new Terrain( s ) );
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		
+		public void LoadTiles()
+		{
+			// Templates
+			foreach (var t in Templates)
+			{
+				// Artwork
+				using( Stream s = FileSystem.Open( t.Value.Image + "." + TileSuffix ) )
+				{
+					if( !Tiles.ContainsKey( t.Key ) )
+						Tiles.Add( t.Key, new Terrain( s ) );
+				}
+			}
+		}
 				
 		public byte[] GetBytes(TileReference<ushort,byte> r)
 		{
diff --git a/OpenRA.FileFormats/Session.cs b/OpenRA.FileFormats/Session.cs
index 5bd59eceeb..3536732637 100644
--- a/OpenRA.FileFormats/Session.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.FileFormats/Session.cs
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.FileFormats
 		public readonly string[] 
 			Folders, Packages, Rules, 
 			Sequences, Chrome, Assemblies, ChromeLayout, 
-			Weapons, Voices, Music, Terrain;
+			Weapons, Voices, Music, TileSets;
 		
 		public readonly string ShellmapUid;
 
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ namespace OpenRA.FileFormats
 			Weapons = YamlList(yaml, "Weapons");
 			Voices = YamlList(yaml, "Voices");
 			Music = YamlList(yaml, "Music");
-			Terrain = YamlList(yaml, "Terrain");
-			
+			TileSets = YamlList(yaml, "TileSets");
+						
 			ShellmapUid = yaml["ShellmapUid"].Value;
 		}
 
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Chrome.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Chrome.cs
index 1ad6d8ad92..6ebdc111fd 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Chrome.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Chrome.cs
@@ -144,8 +144,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 				new int2(mapContainer.Left + mapContainer.Width / 2, y), Color.White);
 			y += 20;
 
-			var theaterInfo = Rules.Info["world"].Traits.WithInterface<TheaterInfo>().FirstOrDefault(t => t.Theater == currentMap.Tileset);
-			DrawCentered("Theater: {0}".F(theaterInfo.Name),
+			DrawCentered("Theater: {0}".F(Rules.TileSets[currentMap.Tileset].Name),
 				new int2(mapContainer.Left + mapContainer.Width / 2, y), Color.White);
 			y += 20;
 			DrawCentered("Spawnpoints: {0}".F(currentMap.PlayerCount),
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/Rules.cs b/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/Rules.cs
index 6ceb192b9e..8a79214a18 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/Rules.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/GameRules/Rules.cs
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		public static Dictionary<string, WeaponInfo> Weapons;
 		public static Dictionary<string, VoiceInfo> Voices;
 		public static Dictionary<string, MusicInfo> Music;
-		
+		public static Dictionary<string, TileSet> TileSets;
+
 		public static void LoadRules(Manifest m, Map map)
 		{
 			Log.Write("debug", "Using rules files: ");
@@ -47,6 +48,14 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			Weapons = LoadYamlRules(m.Weapons, map.Weapons, (k, _) => new WeaponInfo(k.Key.ToLowerInvariant(), k.Value));
 			Voices = LoadYamlRules(m.Voices, map.Voices, (k, _) => new VoiceInfo(k.Value));
 			Music = LoadYamlRules(m.Music, map.Music, (k, _) => new MusicInfo(k.Value));
+			
+			TileSets = new Dictionary<string, TileSet>();
+			foreach (var file in m.TileSets)
+			{
+				var t = new TileSet(file);
+				TileSets.Add(t.Id,t);
+			}
+			
 			TechTree = new TechTree();
 		}
 		
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Graphics/SpriteSheetBuilder.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Graphics/SpriteSheetBuilder.cs
index 9cc53b8b24..8746e01348 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Graphics/SpriteSheetBuilder.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Graphics/SpriteSheetBuilder.cs
@@ -26,15 +26,10 @@ namespace OpenRA.Graphics
 {
 	static class SpriteSheetBuilder
 	{
-		static TheaterInfo GetTheater(Map map)
-		{	// todo: move this somewhere else
-			return Rules.Info["world"].Traits.WithInterface<TheaterInfo>().FirstOrDefault(t => t.Theater == map.Theater);
-		}
-
-		public static void Initialize( Map map )
+		public static void Initialize( TileSet tileset )
 		{
 			/* .tem: hack to allow incomplete theaters (interior) to work, falling back to temperate for the missing art */
-			exts = new[] { "." + GetTheater(map).Suffix, ".shp", ".tem" };
+			exts = new[] { "." + tileset.TileSuffix, ".shp", ".tem" };
 			sprites = new Cache<string, Sprite[]>( LoadSprites );
 		}
 
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj b/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj
index 841980b6f7..5d207956df 100755
--- a/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/OpenRA.Game.csproj
@@ -218,7 +218,6 @@
     <Compile Include="Traits\Player\EvaAlerts.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Traits\World\ScreenShaker.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Traits\LineBuild.cs" />
-    <Compile Include="Traits\World\Theater.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Widgets\WidgetLoader.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Widgets\ButtonWidget.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Widgets\Widget.cs" />
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Traits/World/Theater.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Traits/World/Theater.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index 2fc31dbb36..0000000000
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Traits/World/Theater.cs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-#region Copyright & License Information
-/*
- * Copyright 2007,2009,2010 Chris Forbes, Robert Pepperell, Matthew Bowra-Dean, Paul Chote, Alli Witheford.
- * This file is part of OpenRA.
- * 
- *  OpenRA is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
- *  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
- *  the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
- *  (at your option) any later version.
- * 
- *  OpenRA is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
- *  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
- *  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
- *  GNU General Public License for more details.
- * 
- *  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
- *  along with OpenRA.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
- */
-#endregion
-
-namespace OpenRA.Traits
-{
-	public class TheaterInfo : TraitInfo<Theater> 
-	{
-		public readonly string Name = null;
-		public readonly string Theater = null;
-		public readonly string Suffix = null;
-		public readonly string Tileset = null;
-	}
-
-	public class Theater {}
-}
diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/World.cs b/OpenRA.Game/World.cs
index a0a5c44311..4509af5281 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/World.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/World.cs
@@ -75,14 +75,13 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			Timer.Time( "----World.ctor" );
 			Map = map;
 			
+
 			Rules.LoadRules(manifest,Map);
 			Timer.Time( "load rules: {0}" );
-				
-			var theaterInfo = Rules.Info["world"].Traits.WithInterface<TheaterInfo>()
-				.FirstOrDefault(t => t.Theater == Map.Theater);
-			TileSet = new TileSet(theaterInfo.Tileset, theaterInfo.Suffix);
-			
-			SpriteSheetBuilder.Initialize( Map );
+
+			TileSet = Rules.TileSets[Map.Tileset];
+			SpriteSheetBuilder.Initialize( TileSet );
+			TileSet.LoadTiles();
 			Timer.Time( "Tileset: {0}" );
 
 			WorldRenderer = new WorldRenderer(this, Game.renderer);
@@ -124,7 +123,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 
 			Timer.Time( "----end World.ctor" );
 		}
-
+		
 		public Actor CreateActor( string name, int2 location, Player owner )
 		{
 			var a = new Actor( this, name, location, owner );
diff --git a/mods/cnc/mod.yaml b/mods/cnc/mod.yaml
index d93d3b2590..3960e2bb52 100644
--- a/mods/cnc/mod.yaml
+++ b/mods/cnc/mod.yaml
@@ -49,4 +49,9 @@ Weapons:
 Voices:
 	mods/cnc/voices.yaml:
 
+TileSets:
+	mods/cnc/tileset-des.yaml: Desert
+	mods/cnc/tileset-win.yaml: Winter
+	mods/cnc/tileset-tem.yaml: Temperate
+
 ShellmapUid:a0e5a8a3cb4e7fb82a08e8d768c32d480f0ec152
diff --git a/mods/cnc/system.yaml b/mods/cnc/system.yaml
index 4c379bf8f1..970b4c6207 100644
--- a/mods/cnc/system.yaml
+++ b/mods/cnc/system.yaml
@@ -50,21 +50,6 @@ World:
 	AircraftInfluence:
 	HazardLayer:
 #	BridgeLoadHook:
-	Theater@DESERT:
-		Name:Desert
-		Theater:DESERT
-		Suffix:des
-		Tileset:mods/cnc/tileset-des.yaml
-	Theater@WINTER:
-		Name:Winter
-		Theater:WINTER
-		Suffix:win
-		Tileset:mods/cnc/tileset-win.yaml
-	Theater@TEMPERAT:
-		Name:Temperate
-		Theater:TEMPERAT
-		Suffix:tem
-		Tileset:mods/cnc/tileset-tem.yaml
 	PaletteFromFile@terrain_desert:
 		Name: terrain
 		Theater: desert
diff --git a/mods/cnc/tileset-des.yaml b/mods/cnc/tileset-des.yaml
index 23e30fccb1..cc8c715f63 100644
--- a/mods/cnc/tileset-des.yaml
+++ b/mods/cnc/tileset-des.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+General:
+	Name: Desert
+	Id: DESERT
+	TileSuffix: des
+
 Terrain:
 	TerrainType@Clear:
 		Type: Clear
diff --git a/mods/cnc/tileset-tem.yaml b/mods/cnc/tileset-tem.yaml
index 65dfc849d9..04d75fdf42 100644
--- a/mods/cnc/tileset-tem.yaml
+++ b/mods/cnc/tileset-tem.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+General:
+	Name: Temperate
+	Id: TEMPERAT
+	TileSuffix: tem
+
 Terrain:
 	TerrainType@Clear:
 		Type: Clear
diff --git a/mods/cnc/tileset-win.yaml b/mods/cnc/tileset-win.yaml
index 4df9bb9d05..543ec5cde5 100644
--- a/mods/cnc/tileset-win.yaml
+++ b/mods/cnc/tileset-win.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+General:
+	Name: Winter
+	Id: WINTER
+	TileSuffix: win
+
 Terrain:
 	TerrainType@Clear:
 		Type: Clear