diff --git a/assets/voxygen/shaders/include/light.glsl b/assets/voxygen/shaders/include/light.glsl
index a6ac745fc2..2567109c10 100644
--- a/assets/voxygen/shaders/include/light.glsl
+++ b/assets/voxygen/shaders/include/light.glsl
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ struct Light {
 
 layout (std140, set = 0, binding = 3)
 uniform u_lights {
-    Light lights[31];
+    // TODO: insert light max count constant here when loading the shaders
+    Light lights[20];
 };
 
 struct Shadow {
diff --git a/assets/voxygen/shaders/include/lod.glsl b/assets/voxygen/shaders/include/lod.glsl
index c710ab3899..a14170a536 100644
--- a/assets/voxygen/shaders/include/lod.glsl
+++ b/assets/voxygen/shaders/include/lod.glsl
@@ -136,7 +136,8 @@ float alt_at_real(vec2 pos) {
 // #if (FLUID_MODE == FLUID_MODE_CHEAP)
 //  return alt_at(pos);
 // #elif (FLUID_MODE == FLUID_MODE_SHINY)
-    return (/*round*/(utextureBicubic(t_alt, s_alt, pos_to_tex(pos)).r * (/*1300.0*//*1278.7266845703125*/view_distance.w)) + /*140.0*/view_distance.z - focus_off.z);
+    const float U16_MAX = 65535.0;
+    return (/*round*/(utextureBicubic(t_alt, s_alt, pos_to_tex(pos)).r / U16_MAX * (/*1300.0*//*1278.7266845703125*/view_distance.w)) + /*140.0*/view_distance.z - focus_off.z);
 // #endif
         //+ (texture(t_noise, pos * 0.002).x - 0.5) * 64.0;
 
diff --git a/assets/voxygen/shaders/include/shadows.glsl b/assets/voxygen/shaders/include/shadows.glsl
index a95110d5c3..517a45db53 100644
--- a/assets/voxygen/shaders/include/shadows.glsl
+++ b/assets/voxygen/shaders/include/shadows.glsl
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ struct ShadowLocals {
 
 layout (std140, set = 0, binding = 9)
 uniform u_light_shadows {
-    ShadowLocals shadowMats[/*MAX_LAYER_FACES*/192];
+    ShadowLocals shadowMats[/*MAX_LAYER_FACES*//*192*/126];
 };
 
 // Use with sampler2DShadow
diff --git a/voxygen/src/render/pipelines/mod.rs b/voxygen/src/render/pipelines/mod.rs
index d601fd64c0..4f6d2bf7eb 100644
--- a/voxygen/src/render/pipelines/mod.rs
+++ b/voxygen/src/render/pipelines/mod.rs
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ impl Default for Shadow {
 
 // Global scene data spread across several arrays.
 pub struct GlobalModel {
+    // TODO: enforce that these are the lengths in the shaders??
     pub globals: Consts<Globals>,
     pub lights: Consts<Light>,
     pub shadows: Consts<Shadow>,
diff --git a/voxygen/src/scene/particle.rs b/voxygen/src/scene/particle.rs
index 4fceee67fb..3e5f2a87da 100644
--- a/voxygen/src/scene/particle.rs
+++ b/voxygen/src/scene/particle.rs
@@ -236,15 +236,18 @@ impl ParticleMgr {
             self.maintain_shockwave_particles(scene_data);
             self.maintain_aura_particles(scene_data);
             self.maintain_buff_particles(scene_data);
+
+            self.upload_particles(renderer);
         } else {
             // remove all particle lifespans
-            self.particles.clear();
+            if !self.particles.is_empty() {
+                self.particles.clear();
+                self.upload_particles(renderer);
+            }
 
             // remove all timings
             self.scheduler.clear();
         }
-
-        self.upload_particles(renderer);
     }
 
     fn maintain_body_particles(&mut self, scene_data: &SceneData) {
diff --git a/voxygen/src/scene/simple.rs b/voxygen/src/scene/simple.rs
index aa75a5a3c1..5766f1467b 100644
--- a/voxygen/src/scene/simple.rs
+++ b/voxygen/src/scene/simple.rs
@@ -107,8 +107,8 @@ impl Scene {
 
         let data = GlobalModel {
             globals: renderer.create_consts(&[Globals::default()]),
-            lights: renderer.create_consts(&[Light::default(); 32]),
-            shadows: renderer.create_consts(&[Shadow::default(); 32]),
+            lights: renderer.create_consts(&[Light::default(); 20]),
+            shadows: renderer.create_consts(&[Shadow::default(); 24]),
             shadow_mats: renderer.create_consts(&[ShadowLocals::default(); 6]),
         };
         let lod = LodData::dummy(renderer);