diff --git a/hecl/blender/BlenderConnection.cpp b/hecl/blender/BlenderConnection.cpp
index 623b0c958..93f74ebce 100644
--- a/hecl/blender/BlenderConnection.cpp
+++ b/hecl/blender/BlenderConnection.cpp
@@ -360,6 +360,17 @@ BlenderConnection::BlenderConnection(int verbosityLevel)
         }
         _writeLine("ACK");
 
+        _readLine(lineBuf, 7);
+        if (!strcmp(lineBuf, "SLERP0"))
+            m_hasSlerp = false;
+        else if (!strcmp(lineBuf, "SLERP1"))
+            m_hasSlerp = true;
+        else
+        {
+            _closePipe();
+            BlenderLog.report(logvisor::Fatal, "read '%s' from blender; expected 'SLERP(0|1)'", lineBuf);
+        }
+
         break;
     }
 }
diff --git a/hecl/blender/BlenderConnection.hpp b/hecl/blender/BlenderConnection.hpp
index f77eb23f8..c958c1de7 100644
--- a/hecl/blender/BlenderConnection.hpp
+++ b/hecl/blender/BlenderConnection.hpp
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ private:
 #endif
     int m_readpipe[2];
     int m_writepipe[2];
+    bool m_hasSlerp;
     BlendType m_loadedType = BlendType::None;
     bool m_loadedRigged = false;
     ProjectPath m_loadedBlend;
@@ -69,6 +70,8 @@ public:
     BlenderConnection(int verbosityLevel=1);
     ~BlenderConnection();
 
+    bool hasSLERP() const {return m_hasSlerp;}
+
     bool createBlend(const ProjectPath& path, BlendType type);
     BlendType getBlendType() const {return m_loadedType;}
     bool getRigged() const {return m_loadedRigged;}
@@ -267,6 +270,7 @@ public:
         {
             return ANIMOutStream(m_parent);
         }
+        BlenderConnection& getConnection() {return *m_parent;}
     };
     PyOutStream beginPythonOut(bool deleteOnError=false)
     {
diff --git a/hecl/blender/hecl/sact/SACTAction.py b/hecl/blender/hecl/sact/SACTAction.py
index 85a50c784..e05021043 100644
--- a/hecl/blender/hecl/sact/SACTAction.py
+++ b/hecl/blender/hecl/sact/SACTAction.py
@@ -167,13 +167,13 @@ class SACTAction_load(bpy.types.Operator):
                     bpy.context.scene.render.fps = 60
                     bpy.context.scene.render.frame_map_old = action_obj.hecl_fps
                     bpy.context.scene.render.frame_map_new = 60
-                    bpy.context.scene.frame_start = 2
+                    bpy.context.scene.frame_start = 0
                     bpy.context.scene.frame_end = action_obj.frame_range[1] * (60 / action_obj.hecl_fps)
                 else:
                     bpy.context.scene.render.fps = action_obj.hecl_fps
                     bpy.context.scene.render.frame_map_old = action_obj.hecl_fps
                     bpy.context.scene.render.frame_map_new = action_obj.hecl_fps
-                    bpy.context.scene.frame_start = 1
+                    bpy.context.scene.frame_start = 0
                     bpy.context.scene.frame_end = action_obj.frame_range[1]
 
                 # Events
diff --git a/hecl/blender/hecl_blendershell.py b/hecl/blender/hecl_blendershell.py
index dc5e4e891..bfd450553 100644
--- a/hecl/blender/hecl_blendershell.py
+++ b/hecl/blender/hecl_blendershell.py
@@ -66,6 +66,12 @@ ackbytes = readpipeline()
 if ackbytes != b'ACK':
     quitblender()
 
+# slerp branch check
+if b'quat-slerp' in bpy.app.build_branch:
+    writepipeline(b'SLERP1')
+else:
+    writepipeline(b'SLERP0')
+
 # Count brackets
 def count_brackets(linestr):
     bracket_count = 0