diff --git a/TODO.txt b/TODO.txt
index 8cb2cba..2d7edfb 100644
--- a/TODO.txt
+++ b/TODO.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 =========== GENERAL ==============
 
-- add indication when CP is taken: in 1st man view it may be unclear if CP was
-  taken or not otherwise
+- maybe remove setting string from menu (like music: 1) and use popups instead
+  (have just music and show "on" or "off" in popup)
 - on 1st map the camera is obscured by the wall at the start, fix it somehow
   (not the best first impression)
 - culling is very slow now, it showed that distance bailout can accelerate it
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@
 - maybe each map could have a target time embedded: when beaten, the map would
   be marked as such
 - player name (modifiable via resource file)
-- popup messages? would be useful for several things: showing checkpoint times,
-  showing changes in menu etc.
 - make the racing module usable by itself, e.g. to allow making tools for
   verifying replays etc., i.e. make the module measure time, count checkpoints
   etc.
@@ -56,6 +54,10 @@
 
 =========== HANDLED ==============
 
+- add indication when CP is taken: in 1st man view it may be unclear if CP was
+  taken or not otherwise
+- popup messages? would be useful for several things: showing checkpoint times,
+  showing changes in menu etc.
 - allow stopping car rotation in air like in Trackmania
 - countdown and finish text sometimes seem to jump horizontally somehow
 - add argc/argv to gameInit? could be used to quickly start maps, verify
diff --git a/game.h b/game.h
index fc729a1..ba593ef 100644
--- a/game.h
+++ b/game.h
@@ -185,17 +185,17 @@ uint8_t LCR_gameGetNextAudioSample(void);
   #endif
 #endif
 
-#define LCR_CAMERA_MODE_DRIVE   0x00
-#define LCR_CAMERA_MODE_DRIVE2  0x01
-#define LCR_CAMERA_MODE_INSIDE  0x02
-#define LCR_CAMERA_MODE_FREE    0x03
+#define LCR_CAMERA_MODE_DRIVE       0x00
+#define LCR_CAMERA_MODE_DRIVE2      0x01
+#define LCR_CAMERA_MODE_INSIDE      0x02
+#define LCR_CAMERA_MODE_FREE        0x03
 
 #define LCR_GAME_STATE_MENU         0x00
 #define LCR_GAME_STATE_RUN_STARTING 0x01
 #define LCR_GAME_STATE_RUN          0x02
 #define LCR_GAME_STATE_RUN_FINISHED 0x03
 
-#define LCR_GAME_STATE_LOADING  0x04
+#define LCR_GAME_STATE_LOADING      0x04
 
 #define LCR_GAME_STATE_END          0xff
 
@@ -259,6 +259,8 @@ static inline void LCR_gameDrawPixelXYSafe(unsigned int x, unsigned int y,
   #define LCR_FREE_CAMERA_TURN_STEP 1
 #endif
 
+#define LCR_POPUP_STR_SIZE 16
+
 struct
 {
   uint8_t state;
@@ -275,6 +277,9 @@ struct
                                           continuously held. */ 
   uint32_t runTimeMS;                ///< Current time of the run
 
+  char popupStr[LCR_POPUP_STR_SIZE];
+  uint8_t popupCountdown;
+
   struct
   {
     uint8_t selectedTab;
@@ -340,6 +345,26 @@ void LCR_gameDrawPixel(unsigned long index, uint16_t color)
 #endif
 }
 
+void LCR_gamePopupMessage(const char *str)
+{
+  if (*str == 0)
+  {
+    LCR_game.popupCountdown = 0;
+    return;
+  }
+
+  for (uint8_t i = 0; i < LCR_POPUP_STR_SIZE - 1; ++i)
+  {
+    LCR_game.popupStr[i] = str[i];
+
+    if (str[i] == 0)
+      break; 
+  }
+
+  LCR_game.popupCountdown =
+    (LCR_SETTING_POPUP_DURATION * LCR_SETTING_FPS) / 1000;
+}
+
 void LCR_gameDrawPixelXYUnsafe(unsigned int x, unsigned int y,
   uint16_t color)
 {
@@ -886,6 +911,9 @@ void LCR_gameInit(int argc, const char **argv)
   LCR_game.menu.selectedTab = 0;
   LCR_game.menu.selectedItem = 0;
 
+  LCR_game.popupCountdown = 0;
+  LCR_game.popupStr[LCR_POPUP_STR_SIZE - 1] = 0;
+
   LCR_game.frame = 0;
   LCR_game.musicOn = LCR_SETTING_MUSIC;
   LCR_game.nextRenderFrameTime = 0;
@@ -1023,6 +1051,18 @@ void LCR_gameTimeToStr(uint32_t timeMS, char *str)
   str[1] = '0' + timeMS % 10;
   str[2] = '\'';
 }
+      
+LCR_gameDrawPopupMessage(void)
+{
+  int textH = LCR_rendererComputeTextHeight(4);
+  int textW = LCR_rendererComputeTextWidth(LCR_game.popupStr,4);
+
+  LCR_rendererDrawRect((LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_X - textW) / 2 - 6,4,
+    textW + 12,textH + 8,0xffff,1);
+
+  LCR_rendererDrawText(LCR_game.popupStr,(LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_X - textW)
+    / 2,8,0x0700,4);
+}
 
 void LCR_gameDraw3DView(void)
 {
@@ -1071,17 +1111,6 @@ void LCR_gameDraw3DView(void)
 
   switch (LCR_game.state)
   {
-    case LCR_GAME_STATE_RUN_STARTING:
-      str[0] = '0' + LCR_SETTING_COUNTDOWN_SECONDS -
-        (LCR_game.time - LCR_game.stateStartTime) / 1000;
-      str[1] = 0;
-
-      LCR_rendererDrawText(str,
-        (LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_X - LCR_rendererComputeTextWidth(str,8)) / 2,
-          LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_Y / 2
-          ,0x0707,8);
-      break;
-
     default:
     {
       int val = LCR_carSpeedKMH();
@@ -1280,7 +1309,17 @@ void LCR_gameHandleInput(void)
     case LCR_GAME_STATE_RUN_STARTING:
       if (LCR_game.time - LCR_game.stateStartTime
         >= 1000 * LCR_SETTING_COUNTDOWN_SECONDS)
+      {
         LCR_gameSetState(LCR_GAME_STATE_RUN);      
+        LCR_gamePopupMessage("");
+      }
+      else
+      {
+        LCR_game.popupStr[0] = '0' + LCR_SETTING_COUNTDOWN_SECONDS -
+          (LCR_game.time - LCR_game.stateStartTime) / 1000;
+        LCR_game.popupStr[1] = 0;
+        LCR_gamePopupMessage(LCR_game.popupStr);
+      }
 
       // fall through
     default:
@@ -1343,7 +1382,7 @@ void LCR_gameHandleInput(void)
       LCR_checkBeatenMaps();
   }
 }
-
+      
 uint8_t LCR_gameStep(uint32_t time)
 {
   LCR_LOG2("game step (start)");
@@ -1393,11 +1432,14 @@ uint8_t LCR_gameStep(uint32_t time)
     if (events & LCR_RACING_EVENT_CP_TAKEN)
     {
       int carBlock[3];
+      char str[10];
 
       LCR_LOG1("CP taken");
       LCR_racingGetCarBlockCoords(carBlock);
       LCR_rendererMarkTakenCP(carBlock[0],carBlock[1],carBlock[2]);
       LCR_audioPlaySound(LCR_SOUND_CLICK);
+      LCR_gameTimeToStr(LCR_game.runTimeMS,str);
+      LCR_gamePopupMessage(str);
     }
     else if (events & LCR_RACING_EVENT_FINISHED &&
       LCR_game.state != LCR_GAME_STATE_RUN_FINISHED)
@@ -1453,6 +1495,12 @@ LCR_replayOutputStr(_LCR_gameDataCharWrite);
         LCR_game.menu.itemCount + 1,LCR_game.menu.selectedItem);
     else
       LCR_gameDraw3DView(); 
+
+    if (LCR_game.popupCountdown)
+    {
+      LCR_gameDrawPopupMessage();
+      LCR_game.popupCountdown--;
+    }
   }
   else
   {
@@ -1464,25 +1512,9 @@ LCR_replayOutputStr(_LCR_gameDataCharWrite);
   {
     // show the "loading" screen
 
-    LCR_rendererDrawRect(
-      LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_X / 8 - 2,
-      LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_Y / 3 - 2,
-      LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_X - LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_X / 4 + 4,
-      LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_Y - 2 * LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_Y / 3 + 4,
-      0x0000,0);
-
-    LCR_rendererDrawRect(
-      LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_X / 8,
-      LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_Y / 3,
-      LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_X - LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_X / 4,
-      LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_Y - 2 * LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_Y / 3,
-      0xffff,0);
-
-    LCR_rendererDrawText(LCR_texts[LCR_TEXTS_LOADING],
-      (LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_X -
-        LCR_rendererComputeTextWidth(LCR_texts[LCR_TEXTS_LOADING],4)) / 2,
-      (LCR_EFFECTIVE_RESOLUTION_Y -
-       LCR_rendererComputeTextHeight(4)) / 2,0x0000,4);
+    LCR_gamePopupMessage(LCR_texts[LCR_TEXTS_LOADING]);
+    LCR_game.popupCountdown = 2;
+    LCR_gameDrawPopupMessage();
   }
 
   if (sleep)
diff --git a/settings.h b/settings.h
index bdb09f7..a26ff16 100644
--- a/settings.h
+++ b/settings.h
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@
 
 #ifndef LCR_SETTING_COUNTDOWN_SECONDS
   /** Run start countdown length in seconds. */
-  #define LCR_SETTING_COUNTDOWN_SECONDS 1 // for release make 3
+  #define LCR_SETTING_COUNTDOWN_SECONDS 3 // for release make 3
 #endif
 
 #ifndef LCR_SETTING_MAP_CHUNK_RELOAD_INTERVAL
@@ -228,4 +228,9 @@
   #define LCR_SETTING_CRASH_SOUNDS 1
 #endif
 
+#ifndef LCR_SETTING_POPUP_DURATION
+  /** Duration of popup messages in milliseconds. */
+  #define LCR_SETTING_POPUP_DURATION 2500
+#endif
+
 #endif // guard