diff --git a/Starsphere.cpp b/Starsphere.cpp
index 45f7d838f665cc072defb8190de4cea90e0e96cc..3501d9e888bdb2a812fdc97510288b5ec84db932 100644
--- a/Starsphere.cpp
+++ b/Starsphere.cpp
@@ -441,11 +441,12 @@ void Starsphere::resize(const int width, const int height)
  */
 void Starsphere::initialize(const int width, const int height, const Resource *font)
 {
-	gfx_width = width;
-	gfx_height = height;
-	aspect = gfx_width / gfx_height;
+	// store font resource
 	this->m_FontResource = font;
 	
+	// setup initial dimensions
+	resize(width, height);
+	
 	// create font instance using font resource (base address + size)
 	m_PolygonFont = new FTGLPolygonFont((&m_FontResource->data()->at(0)), m_FontResource->data()->size());
 	
@@ -621,7 +622,10 @@ void Starsphere::render(const double timeOfDay)
 		//    static GLfloat yOffset = (font->Ascender() + font->Descender());
 		static GLfloat yOffsetLarge = 0.02;
 		static GLfloat yOffsetMedium = 0.015;
-	
+
+		// disable depth testing since we're in 2D mode
+		glDisable(GL_DEPTH_TEST);
+		
 		// enable FSAA
 		glEnable(GL_MULTISAMPLE_ARB);
 		
@@ -636,93 +640,81 @@ void Starsphere::render(const double timeOfDay)
 	
 		if (isFeature(LOGO)) {
 			glPushMatrix();
+			
 			glColor3f(1.0, 1.0, 0.0);
 			glTranslatef(xStartPosLeft, yStartPosTop, 0);
 			glScalef(fontScaleLargeX, fontScaleLargeY, 1.0);
 			m_PolygonFont->Render("Einstein@Home");
-			glPopMatrix();
-	
-			glPushMatrix();
+
 			glLoadIdentity();
 			glColor4f(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.5);
 			glTranslatef(xStartPosLeft, yStartPosTop - yOffsetLarge, 0);
 			glScalef(fontScaleMediumX, fontScaleMediumY, 1.0);
 			m_PolygonFont->Render("World Year of Physics 2005");
+			
 			glPopMatrix();
 		}
 		if (isFeature(SEARCHINFO)) {
 			// left info block      
 			glPushMatrix();
+			
 			glColor3f(1.0, 1.0, 0.0);
 			glTranslatef(xStartPosLeft, yStartPosBottom, 0);
 			glScalef(fontScaleMediumX, fontScaleMediumY, 1.0);
 			m_PolygonFont->Render("BOINC Statistics");
-			glPopMatrix();
-	
-			glPushMatrix();
+
 			glLoadIdentity();
 			glColor4f(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.5);
 			glTranslatef(xStartPosLeft, yStartPosBottom - yOffsetMedium, 0);
 			glScalef(fontScaleSmallX, fontScaleSmallY, 1.0);
 			m_PolygonFont->Render("User: Oliver");
-			glPopMatrix();
-	
-			glPushMatrix();
+
 			glLoadIdentity();
 			glTranslatef(xStartPosLeft, yStartPosBottom - 2*yOffsetMedium, 0);
 			glScalef(fontScaleSmallX, fontScaleSmallY, 1.0);
 			m_PolygonFont->Render("Team: Albert-Einstein-Institut");
-			glPopMatrix();
-	
-			glPushMatrix();
+
 			glLoadIdentity();
 			glTranslatef(xStartPosLeft, yStartPosBottom - 3*yOffsetMedium, 0);
 			glScalef(fontScaleSmallX, fontScaleSmallY, 1.0);
 			m_PolygonFont->Render("Project credits: 12.000");
-			glPopMatrix();
-	
-			glPushMatrix();
+
 			glLoadIdentity();
 			glTranslatef(xStartPosLeft, yStartPosBottom - 4*yOffsetMedium, 0);
 			glScalef(fontScaleSmallX, fontScaleSmallY, 1.0);
 			m_PolygonFont->Render("Project RAC: 145.00");
+			
 			glPopMatrix();
 	
 			// right info block
 			glPushMatrix();
+			
 			glColor3f(1.0, 1.0, 0.0);
 			glTranslatef(xStartPosRight, yStartPosBottom, 0);
 			glScalef(fontScaleMediumX, fontScaleMediumY, 1.0);
 			m_PolygonFont->Render("Search Information");
-			glPopMatrix();
-	
-			glPushMatrix();
+
 			glLoadIdentity();
 			glColor4f(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.5);
 			glTranslatef(xStartPosRight, yStartPosBottom - yOffsetMedium, 0);
 			glScalef(fontScaleSmallX, fontScaleSmallY, 1.0);
 			m_PolygonFont->Render("Right ascension: 180.00 deg");
-			glPopMatrix();
-	
-			glPushMatrix();
+
 			glLoadIdentity();
 			glTranslatef(xStartPosRight, yStartPosBottom - 2*yOffsetMedium, 0);
 			glScalef(fontScaleSmallX, fontScaleSmallY, 1.0);
 			m_PolygonFont->Render("Declination: 45.00 deg");
-			glPopMatrix();
-	
-			glPushMatrix();
+
 			glLoadIdentity();
 			glTranslatef(xStartPosRight, yStartPosBottom - 3*yOffsetMedium, 0);
 			glScalef(fontScaleSmallX, fontScaleSmallY, 1.0);
 			m_PolygonFont->Render("Frequency: 850.05 Hz");
-			glPopMatrix();
-	
-			glPushMatrix();
+
 			glLoadIdentity();
 			glTranslatef(xStartPosRight, yStartPosBottom - 4*yOffsetMedium, 0);
 			glScalef(fontScaleSmallX, fontScaleSmallY, 1.0);
 			m_PolygonFont->Render("Spindown rate: 3.25 * 10^-10 Hz/s");
+			
 			glPopMatrix();
 		}
 	
@@ -734,6 +726,9 @@ void Starsphere::render(const double timeOfDay)
 		
 		// disable FSAA
 		glDisable(GL_MULTISAMPLE_ARB);
+		
+		// enable depth testing since we're leaving 2D mode
+		glEnable(GL_DEPTH_TEST);
 	}
 
 	glFlush();