diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index ccfcd975..cc0f57fb 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ liblol_a_SOURCES = \
     timer.cpp timer.h bitfield.h profiler.cpp profiler.h input.h input.cpp \
     world.cpp world.h sample.cpp sample.h sampler.cpp sampler.h \
     text.cpp text.h emitter.cpp emitter.h numeric.h hash.cpp hash.h \
-    worldentity.cpp worldentity.h gradient.cpp gradient.h \
+    worldentity.cpp worldentity.h gradient.cpp gradient.h half.cpp half.h \
     platform.cpp platform.h sprite.cpp sprite.h \
     \
     eglapp.cpp eglapp.h \
diff --git a/src/core.h b/src/core.h
index 5741c042..895f9f7c 100644
--- a/src/core.h
+++ b/src/core.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 // Base types
 #include "matrix.h"
 #include "numeric.h"
+#include "half.h"
 #include "timer.h"
 
 // Static classes
diff --git a/src/half.cpp b/src/half.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..70de00f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/half.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+//
+// Lol Engine
+//
+// Copyright: (c) 2010-2011 Sam Hocevar <sam@hocevar.net>
+//   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+//   modify it under the terms of the Do What The Fuck You Want To
+//   Public License, Version 2, as published by Sam Hocevar. See
+//   http://sam.zoy.org/projects/COPYING.WTFPL for more details.
+//
+
+#if defined HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#   include "config.h"
+#endif
+
+#include "core.h"
+
+using namespace std;
+
+#define S4(x)    S1(4*(x)),  S1(4*(x)+1),  S1(4*(x)+2),  S1(4*(x)+3)
+#define S16(x)   S4(4*(x)),  S4(4*(x)+1),  S4(4*(x)+2),  S4(4*(x)+3)
+#define S64(x)  S16(4*(x)), S16(4*(x)+1), S16(4*(x)+2), S16(4*(x)+3)
+#define S256(x) S64(4*(x)), S64(4*(x)+1), S64(4*(x)+2), S64(4*(x)+3)
+
+namespace lol
+{
+
+half half::makefast(float f)
+{
+    /* Lookup table-based algorithm from “Fast Half Float Conversions”
+     * by Jeroen van der Zijp, November 2008. No rounding is performed. */
+    static uint16_t const basetable[512] =
+    {
+#define S1(i) (((i) < 103) ? 0x0000: \
+               ((i) < 113) ? 0x0400 >> (113 - (i)) : \
+               ((i) < 143) ? ((i) - 112) << 10 : 0x7c00)
+        S256(0),
+#undef S1
+#define S1(i) (0x8000 | (((i) < 103) ? 0x0000 : \
+                         ((i) < 113) ? 0x0400 >> (113 - (i)): \
+                         ((i) < 143) ? ((i) - 112) << 10 : 0x7c00))
+        S256(0),
+#undef S1
+    };
+
+    static uint8_t const shifttable[512] =
+    {
+#define S1(i) (((i) < 103) ? 24 : \
+               ((i) < 113) ? 126 - (i) : \
+               ((i) < 143 || (i) == 255) ? 13 : 24)
+        S256(0), S256(0),
+#undef S1
+    };
+
+    union { float f; uint32_t x; } u = { f };
+
+    uint16_t bits = basetable[(u.x >> 23) & 0x1ff];
+    bits |= (u.x & 0x007fffff) >> shifttable[(u.x >> 23) & 0x1ff];
+    return makebits(bits);
+}
+
+half half::makeslow(float f)
+{
+    union { float f; uint32_t x; } u = { f };
+
+    uint16_t bits = (u.x >> 16) & 0x8000; /* Get the sign */
+    uint16_t m = (u.x >> 12) & 0x07ff; /* Keep one extra bit for rounding */
+    unsigned int e = (u.x >> 23) & 0xff; /* Using int is faster here */
+
+    /* If zero, or denormal, or exponent underflows too much for a denormal,
+     * return signed zero */
+    if (e < 103)
+        return makebits(bits);
+
+    /* If NaN, Inf or exponent overflow, return NaN or Inf */
+    if (e > 142)
+    {
+        bits |= 0x7c00u;
+        bits |= e == 255 && (u.x & 0x007fffffu);
+        return makebits(bits);
+    }
+
+    /* If exponent underflows but not too much, return a denormal */
+    if (e < 113)
+    {
+        m |= 0x0800u;
+        bits |= (m >> (114 - e)) + ((m >> (113 - e)) & 1);
+        return makebits(bits);
+    }
+
+    bits |= ((e - 112) << 10) | (m >> 1);
+    bits += m & 1; /* Overflows here are expected and handled */
+    return makebits(bits);
+}
+
+} /* namespace lol */
+
diff --git a/src/half.h b/src/half.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..741679cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/half.h
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+//
+// Lol Engine
+//
+// Copyright: (c) 2010-2011 Sam Hocevar <sam@hocevar.net>
+//   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+//   modify it under the terms of the Do What The Fuck You Want To
+//   Public License, Version 2, as published by Sam Hocevar. See
+//   http://sam.zoy.org/projects/COPYING.WTFPL for more details.
+//
+
+//
+// The Half class
+// --------------
+//
+
+#if !defined __LOL_HALF_H__
+#define __LOL_HALF_H__
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+namespace lol
+{
+
+class half
+{
+private:
+    uint16_t m_bits;
+
+public:
+    inline half() { }
+
+    inline half(float f)
+    {
+        *this = makefast(f);
+    }
+
+    static half makeslow(float f);
+    static half makefast(float f);
+
+    static inline half makebits(uint16_t x)
+    {
+        half ret;
+        ret.m_bits = x;
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    inline operator float() const
+    {
+        int s = m_bits & 0x8000u;
+        int e = m_bits & 0x7c00u;
+        int m = m_bits & 0x03ffu;
+
+        union { float f; uint32_t x; } u;
+        u.x = 0;
+        u.x |= s << 16;
+        u.x |= (-15 + (e >> 10) + 127) << 23;
+        u.x |= m << 13;
+
+        return u.f;
+    }
+
+    inline uint16_t bits()
+    {
+        return m_bits;
+    }
+};
+
+} /* namespace lol */
+
+#endif // __LOL_HALF_H__
+