diff --git a/assets/voxygen/shaders/sprite-vert.glsl b/assets/voxygen/shaders/sprite-vert.glsl
index 214b66a460..f22018bef3 100644
--- a/assets/voxygen/shaders/sprite-vert.glsl
+++ b/assets/voxygen/shaders/sprite-vert.glsl
@@ -4,9 +4,8 @@
 #include <srgb.glsl>
 
 in vec3 v_pos;
-in vec3 v_norm;
-in vec3 v_col;
-in float v_ao;
+in uint v_col;
+in uint v_norm_ao;
 in vec4 inst_mat0;
 in vec4 inst_mat1;
 in vec4 inst_mat2;
@@ -41,10 +40,13 @@ void main() {
 		0.0
 	) * pow(abs(v_pos.z) * SCALE, 1.3) * 0.2;
 
-	f_norm = (inst_mat * vec4(v_norm, 0)).xyz;
+	// First 3 normals are negative, next 3 are positive
+	vec3 normals[6] = vec3[](vec3(-1,0,0), vec3(1,0,0), vec3(0,-1,0), vec3(0,1,0), vec3(0,0,-1), vec3(0,0,1));
+	f_norm = (inst_mat * vec4(normals[(v_norm_ao >> 0) & 0x7u], 0)).xyz;
 
-	f_col = srgb_to_linear(v_col) * srgb_to_linear(inst_col);
-	f_ao = v_ao;
+	vec3 col = vec3((uvec3(v_col) >> uvec3(0, 8, 16)) & uvec3(0xFFu)) / 255.0;
+	f_col = srgb_to_linear(col) * srgb_to_linear(inst_col);
+	f_ao = float((v_norm_ao >> 3) & 0x3u) / 4.0;
 
 	// Select glowing
 	if (select_pos.w > 0 && select_pos.xyz == floor(sprite_pos)) {
diff --git a/voxygen/src/render/pipelines/sprite.rs b/voxygen/src/render/pipelines/sprite.rs
index 74091e3bd5..08d2004a18 100644
--- a/voxygen/src/render/pipelines/sprite.rs
+++ b/voxygen/src/render/pipelines/sprite.rs
@@ -12,9 +12,12 @@ use vek::*;
 gfx_defines! {
     vertex Vertex {
         pos: [f32; 3] = "v_pos",
-        norm: [f32; 3] = "v_norm",
-        col: [f32; 3] = "v_col",
-        ao: f32 = "v_ao",
+        // ____BBBBBBBBGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRR
+        col: u32 = "v_col",
+        // ...AANNN
+        // A = AO
+        // N = Normal
+        norm_ao: u32 = "v_norm_ao",
     }
 
     vertex Instance {
@@ -43,11 +46,18 @@ gfx_defines! {
 
 impl Vertex {
     pub fn new(pos: Vec3<f32>, norm: Vec3<f32>, col: Rgb<f32>, ao: f32) -> Self {
+        let norm_bits = if norm.x != 0.0 {
+            if norm.x < 0.0 { 0 } else { 1 }
+        } else if norm.y != 0.0 {
+            if norm.y < 0.0 { 2 } else { 3 }
+        } else {
+            if norm.z < 0.0 { 4 } else { 5 }
+        };
+
         Self {
             pos: pos.into_array(),
-            col: col.into_array(),
-            norm: norm.into_array(),
-            ao,
+            col: col.map2(Rgb::new(0, 8, 16), |e, shift| ((e * 255.0) as u32) << shift).reduce_bitor(),
+            norm_ao: norm_bits | (((ao * 3.9999) as u32) << 3),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/voxygen/src/session.rs b/voxygen/src/session.rs
index 9c63cf3895..c0e725a43e 100644
--- a/voxygen/src/session.rs
+++ b/voxygen/src/session.rs
@@ -569,7 +569,8 @@ impl PlayState for SessionState {
                         global_state.settings.save_to_file_warn();
                     },
                     HudEvent::AdjustSpriteRenderDistance(sprite_render_distance) => {
-                        global_state.settings.graphics.sprite_render_distance = sprite_render_distance;
+                        global_state.settings.graphics.sprite_render_distance =
+                            sprite_render_distance;
                         global_state.settings.save_to_file_warn();
                     },
                     HudEvent::CrosshairTransp(crosshair_transp) => {
@@ -714,7 +715,8 @@ impl PlayState for SessionState {
                     thread_pool: client.thread_pool(),
                     gamma: global_state.settings.graphics.gamma,
                     mouse_smoothing: global_state.settings.gameplay.smooth_pan_enable,
-                    sprite_render_distance: global_state.settings.graphics.sprite_render_distance as f32,
+                    sprite_render_distance: global_state.settings.graphics.sprite_render_distance
+                        as f32,
                 };
 
                 // Runs if either in a multiplayer server or the singleplayer server is unpaused
@@ -732,7 +734,13 @@ impl PlayState for SessionState {
                 // Clear the screen
                 renderer.clear();
                 // Render the screen using the global renderer
-                self.scene.render(renderer, client.state(), client.entity(), client.get_tick(), &scene_data);
+                self.scene.render(
+                    renderer,
+                    client.state(),
+                    client.entity(),
+                    client.get_tick(),
+                    &scene_data,
+                );
                 // Draw the UI to the screen
                 self.hud.render(renderer, self.scene.globals());
                 // Finish the frame