diff --git a/code/entity_decode.js b/code/entity_decode.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..76fdd26f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/entity_decode.js
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+// decode the on-network array entity format into an object format closer to that used before
+// makes much more sense as an object, means that existing code didn't need to change, and it's what the
+// stock intel site does internally too (the array format is only on the network)
+
+
+// anonymous wrapper function
+(function(){
+  window.decodeArray = function(){};
+
+
+  function parseMod(arr) {
+    if(arr == null) { return null; }
+    return {
+      owner: arr[0],
+      name: arr[1],
+      rarity: arr[2],
+      stats: arr[3],
+    };
+  }
+  function parseResonator(arr) {
+    if(arr == null) { return null; }
+    return {
+      owner: arr[0],
+      level: arr[1],
+      energy: arr[2],
+    };
+  }
+
+
+  var summaryArrayLength = undefined;
+
+
+  function basePortalData(a) {
+    return {
+      // a[0] == type (always 'p')
+      team:          a[1],
+      latE6:         a[2],
+      lngE6:         a[3],
+      level:         a[4],
+      health:        a[5],
+      resCount:      a[6],
+      image:         a[7],
+      title:         a[8],
+      ornaments:     a[9],
+      mission:       a[10],
+      mission50plus: a[11]
+    };
+  };
+
+  window.decodeArray.portalSummary = function(a) {
+    if (!a) return undefined;
+
+    if (a[0] != 'p') throw 'Error: decodeArray.portalSUmmary - not a portal';
+
+    if (summaryArrayLength===undefined) summaryArrayLength = a.length;
+    if (summaryArrayLength!=a.length) console.warn('decodeArray.portalSUmmary: inconsistant map data portal array lengths');
+
+    return basePortalData(a);
+  }
+
+  window.decodeArray.portalDetail = function(a) {
+    if (!a) return undefined;
+
+    if (a[0] != 'p') throw 'Error: decodeArray.portalDetail - not a portal';
+
+    if (summaryArrayLength===undefined) throw 'Error: decodeArray.portalDetail - not yet seen any portal summary data - cannot decode!';
+
+    // the portal details array is just an extension of the portal summary array
+    // to allow for niantic adding new items into the array before the extended details start,
+    // use the length of the summary array
+    return $.extend(basePortalData(a),{
+      mods:      a[summaryArrayLength+0].map(parseMod),
+      resonators:a[summaryArrayLength+1].map(parseResonator),
+      owner:     a[summaryArrayLength+2]
+    });
+    
+  }
+
+
+})();
diff --git a/code/map_data_render.js b/code/map_data_render.js
index 0f14793d..a113620b 100644
--- a/code/map_data_render.js
+++ b/code/map_data_render.js
@@ -295,20 +295,7 @@ window.Render.prototype.createPortalEntity = function(ent) {
 
   var latlng = L.latLng(ent[2][2]/1E6, ent[2][3]/1E6);
 
-  var data = {
-   // ent[2][0] is type - not needed as we know we're a portal
-    team:      ent[2][1],
-    latE6:     ent[2][2],
-    lngE6:     ent[2][3],
-    level:     ent[2][4],
-    health:    ent[2][5],
-    resCount:  ent[2][6],
-    image:     ent[2][7],
-    title:     ent[2][8],
-    ornaments: ent[2][9],
-    mission:   ent[2][10],
-    mission50plus: ent[2][11],
-  };
+  var data = decodeArray.portalSummary(ent[2]);
 
   var dataOptions = {
     level: portalLevel,
diff --git a/code/portal_detail.js b/code/portal_detail.js
index 811fcdcb..8e8f80a7 100644
--- a/code/portal_detail.js
+++ b/code/portal_detail.js
@@ -32,47 +32,12 @@ window.portalDetail.isFresh = function(guid) {
 var handleResponse = function(guid, data, success) {
   delete requestQueue[guid];
 
-  function parseMod(arr) {
-    if(arr == null) { return null; }
-    return {
-      owner: arr[0],
-      name: arr[1],
-      rarity: arr[2],
-      stats: arr[3],
-    };
-  }
-  function parseResonator(arr) {
-    if(arr == null) { return null; }
-    return {
-      owner: arr[0],
-      level: arr[1],
-      energy: arr[2],
-    };
-  }
-
   if (!data || data.error || !data.result) {
     success = false;
   }
 
   if (success) {
-    var dict = {
-//      raw:       data.result,
-      // result[0] is type - not needed (always a portal!)
-      team:      data.result[1],
-      latE6:     data.result[2],
-      lngE6:     data.result[3],
-      level:     data.result[4],
-      health:    data.result[5],
-      resCount:  data.result[6],
-      image:     data.result[7],
-      title:     data.result[8],
-      ornaments: data.result[9],
-      mission:   data.result[10],
-      mission50plus: data.result[11],
-      mods:      data.result[12].map(parseMod),
-      resonators:data.result[13].map(parseResonator),
-      owner:     data.result[14],
-    };
+    var dict = decodeArray.portalDetail(data.result);
 
     cache.store(guid,dict);