diff --git a/sp/src/game/server/ai_hint.h b/sp/src/game/server/ai_hint.h
index 25fd4fdb..60052ded 100644
--- a/sp/src/game/server/ai_hint.h
+++ b/sp/src/game/server/ai_hint.h
@@ -289,6 +289,11 @@ public:
 	void				SetHintType( int hintType, bool force = false );
 	string_t			HintActivityName( void ) const	{ return m_NodeData.iszActivityName; }
 	int					GetTargetNode( void ) const		{ return m_nTargetNodeID; }
+#ifdef MAPBASE
+	// HACKHACK: This is for when target nodes need to be accessed before being sorted into engine IDs
+	int					GetTargetWCNodeID( void ) const	{ return m_NodeData.nTargetWCNodeID; }
+	int					GetWCNodeID( void ) const		{ return m_NodeData.nWCNodeID; }
+#endif
 	bool				IsDisabled( void ) const		{ return (m_NodeData.iDisabled != 0); }
 	void				SetDisabled( bool bDisabled	)	{ m_NodeData.iDisabled = bDisabled; }
 	void				DisableForSeconds( float flSeconds );
@@ -319,7 +324,9 @@ public:
 	const char*			ScriptGetHintActivity() { return STRING( HintActivityName() ); }
 #endif
 
+#ifndef MAPBASE
 private:
+#endif
 	void				Spawn( void );
 	virtual void		Activate();
 	virtual void		UpdateOnRemove( void );
diff --git a/sp/src/game/server/ai_initutils.cpp b/sp/src/game/server/ai_initutils.cpp
index 8c476719..62d5c6ec 100644
--- a/sp/src/game/server/ai_initutils.cpp
+++ b/sp/src/game/server/ai_initutils.cpp
@@ -227,7 +227,11 @@ int CNodeEnt::Spawn( const char *pMapData )
 	// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 	CAI_Hint *pHint = NULL;
 
-	if ( ClassMatches( "info_node_hint" ) || ClassMatches( "info_node_air_hint" ) )
+	if ( ClassMatches( "info_node_hint" ) || ClassMatches( "info_node_air_hint" )
+#ifdef MAPBASE
+		|| ClassMatches( "info_node_climb" ) // Climb nodes contain hint data in the FGD
+#endif
+		 )
 	{
 		if ( m_NodeData.nHintType || m_NodeData.strGroup != NULL_STRING || m_NodeData.strEntityName != NULL_STRING )
 		{
diff --git a/sp/src/game/server/ai_networkmanager.cpp b/sp/src/game/server/ai_networkmanager.cpp
index 8f470a47..0d1f71e4 100644
--- a/sp/src/game/server/ai_networkmanager.cpp
+++ b/sp/src/game/server/ai_networkmanager.cpp
@@ -3059,6 +3059,16 @@ int CAI_NetworkBuilder::ComputeConnection( CAI_Node *pSrcNode, CAI_Node *pDestNo
 		}
 		else
 		{
+#ifdef MAPBASE
+			// This is kind of a hack since target node IDs are designed to be used *after* the nodegraph is generated.
+			// However, for the purposes of forcing a climb connection outside of regular lineup bounds, it works.
+			if (pSrcNode->GetHint() && pDestNode->GetHint() &&
+				(pSrcNode->GetHint()->GetTargetWCNodeID() == pDestNode->GetHint()->GetWCId() || pDestNode->GetHint()->GetTargetWCNodeID() == pSrcNode->GetHint()->GetWCId()))
+			{
+				DebugConnectMsg( srcId, destId, "      Ignoring climbing lineup due to manual target ID linkage\n" );
+			}
+			else
+#endif
 			if ( !IsInLineForClimb(srcPos, UTIL_YawToVector( pSrcNode->m_flYaw ), destPos, UTIL_YawToVector( pDestNode->m_flYaw ) ) )
 			{
 				Assert( !IsInLineForClimb(destPos, UTIL_YawToVector( pDestNode->m_flYaw ), srcPos, UTIL_YawToVector( pSrcNode->m_flYaw ) ) );