diff --git a/src/client/init.rs b/src/client/init.rs
index 8d8b410..c1e4555 100644
--- a/src/client/init.rs
+++ b/src/client/init.rs
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ pub fn init_world(world: &mut World) {
         orientation: Rotation3::identity(),
         grid: VoxelGrid::new(Array3::from_shape_fn(dim, |(x, y, z)| {
             if y == 0 {
-                rand::random()
+                VoxelColor::random()
             } else if (y == dim.1 - 1) && (x == 0 || x == dim.0 - 1 || z == 0 || z == dim.2 - 1) {
                 VoxelColor {
                     r: 255,
diff --git a/src/client/mod.rs b/src/client/mod.rs
index 902f687..aecc805 100644
--- a/src/client/mod.rs
+++ b/src/client/mod.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ impl Client {
 
         init_world(&mut world);
         let state = ClientState::new();
-        // render_channel.send(RenderMessage::ViewUpdate(state.camera)).expect("GRRRR");
 
         Self {
             window,
@@ -70,6 +69,8 @@ impl Client {
 
         if self.exit {
             self.renderer.send(RenderMessage::Exit).expect("AAAA");
+            // you know I'd like to do a timeout here...
+            // only because I have an NVIDIA GPU HELP
             self.render_handle
                 .take()
                 .expect("uh oh")
diff --git a/src/client/render/util/buf.rs b/src/client/render/util/buf.rs
index 9a4801b..cb253b5 100644
--- a/src/client/render/util/buf.rs
+++ b/src/client/render/util/buf.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
-use wgpu::{BufferAddress, BufferUsages};
+use wgpu::{util::DeviceExt, BufferAddress, BufferUsages};
 
 pub struct ArrBuf<T: bytemuck::Pod> {
     len: usize,
@@ -74,6 +74,18 @@ impl<T: bytemuck::Pod> ArrBuf<T> {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn init_with(device: &wgpu::Device, label: &str, usage: BufferUsages, data: &[T]) -> Self {
+        let label = &(label.to_owned() + " Buffer");
+        Self {
+            len: data.len(),
+            buffer: Self::init_buf_with(device, label, usage, data),
+            label: label.to_string(),
+            typ: PhantomData,
+            usage,
+            moves: Vec::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
     fn init_buf(
         device: &wgpu::Device,
         label: &str,
@@ -91,6 +103,19 @@ impl<T: bytemuck::Pod> ArrBuf<T> {
         })
     }
 
+    fn init_buf_with(
+        device: &wgpu::Device,
+        label: &str,
+        usage: BufferUsages,
+        data: &[T],
+    ) -> wgpu::Buffer {
+        device.create_buffer_init(&wgpu::util::BufferInitDescriptor {
+            label: Some(label),
+            usage: usage | BufferUsages::COPY_DST | BufferUsages::COPY_SRC,
+            contents: bytemuck::cast_slice(data),
+        })
+    }
+
     pub fn buffer(&self) -> &wgpu::Buffer {
         &self.buffer
     }
diff --git a/src/client/render/util/storage.rs b/src/client/render/util/storage.rs
index 6bd6a94..afbf80f 100644
--- a/src/client/render/util/storage.rs
+++ b/src/client/render/util/storage.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,17 @@ impl<T: PartialEq + bytemuck::Pod> Storage<T> {
             binding,
         }
     }
+    pub fn init_with(device: &wgpu::Device, label: &str, binding: u32, data: &[T]) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            buf: ArrBuf::init_with(
+                device,
+                &(label.to_owned() + " Storage"),
+                BufferUsages::STORAGE,
+                data
+            ),
+            binding,
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl<T: PartialEq + bytemuck::Pod> Storage<T> {
diff --git a/src/client/render/voxel/color.rs b/src/client/render/voxel/color.rs
index 819cd72..4021376 100644
--- a/src/client/render/voxel/color.rs
+++ b/src/client/render/voxel/color.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use rand::distributions::{Distribution, Standard};
 
 #[repr(C)]
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, bytemuck::Zeroable, bytemuck::Pod)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, bytemuck::Zeroable)]
 pub struct VoxelColor {
     pub r: u8,
     pub g: u8,
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ pub struct VoxelColor {
     pub a: u8,
 }
 
+unsafe impl bytemuck::Pod for VoxelColor {}
+
 impl VoxelColor {
     pub fn none() -> Self {
         Self {
@@ -34,6 +36,9 @@ impl VoxelColor {
             a: 255,
         }
     }
+    pub fn random() -> Self {
+        rand::random()
+    }
 }
 
 impl Distribution<VoxelColor> for Standard {
diff --git a/src/client/render/voxel/light.rs b/src/client/render/voxel/light.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..643d06c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/client/render/voxel/light.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+use nalgebra::Vector3;
+
+#[repr(C, align(16))]
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, PartialEq, bytemuck::Zeroable)]
+pub struct GlobalLight {
+    pub direction: Vector3<f32>,
+}
+
+unsafe impl bytemuck::Pod for GlobalLight {}
diff --git a/src/client/render/voxel/mod.rs b/src/client/render/voxel/mod.rs
index d6a1d50..329954e 100644
--- a/src/client/render/voxel/mod.rs
+++ b/src/client/render/voxel/mod.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
-mod grid;
-mod view;
 mod color;
+mod grid;
 mod group;
+mod light;
+mod view;
 
 pub use color::*;
 
-use nalgebra::{Projective3, Transform3, Translation3, Vector2};
+use light::GlobalLight;
+use nalgebra::{Projective3, Transform3, Translation3, Vector2, Vector3};
 
-use {group::VoxelGroup, view::View};
 use crate::client::{
     camera::Camera,
     render::{
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ use crate::client::{
         CreateVoxelGrid,
     },
 };
+use {group::VoxelGroup, view::View};
 
 pub struct VoxelPipeline {
     pipeline: wgpu::RenderPipeline,
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@ pub struct VoxelPipeline {
     bind_group: wgpu::BindGroup,
     voxel_groups: Storage<VoxelGroup>,
     voxels: Storage<VoxelColor>,
+    global_lights: Storage<GlobalLight>,
 }
 
 impl VoxelPipeline {
@@ -33,9 +36,17 @@ impl VoxelPipeline {
             source: wgpu::ShaderSource::Wgsl(include_str!("shader.wgsl").into()),
         });
 
-        let view = Uniform::<View>::init(device, "view", 0);
+        let view = Uniform::init(device, "view", 0);
         let voxels = Storage::init(device, "voxels", 1);
         let voxel_groups = Storage::init(device, "voxel groups", 2);
+        let global_lights = Storage::init_with(
+            device,
+            "global lights",
+            3,
+            &[GlobalLight {
+                direction: Vector3::new(-0.5, -4.0, 2.0).normalize(),
+            }],
+        );
 
         // bind groups
         let bind_group_layout = device.create_bind_group_layout(&wgpu::BindGroupLayoutDescriptor {
@@ -43,6 +54,7 @@ impl VoxelPipeline {
                 view.bind_group_layout_entry(),
                 voxels.bind_group_layout_entry(),
                 voxel_groups.bind_group_layout_entry(),
+                global_lights.bind_group_layout_entry(),
             ],
             label: Some("tile_bind_group_layout"),
         });
@@ -53,6 +65,7 @@ impl VoxelPipeline {
                 view.bind_group_entry(),
                 voxels.bind_group_entry(),
                 voxel_groups.bind_group_entry(),
+                global_lights.bind_group_entry(),
             ],
             label: Some("tile_bind_group"),
         });
@@ -109,6 +122,7 @@ impl VoxelPipeline {
             bind_group_layout,
             voxels,
             voxel_groups,
+            global_lights,
         }
     }
 
@@ -156,6 +170,7 @@ impl VoxelPipeline {
                 self.view.bind_group_entry(),
                 self.voxels.bind_group_entry(),
                 self.voxel_groups.bind_group_entry(),
+                self.global_lights.bind_group_entry(),
             ],
             label: Some("tile_bind_group"),
         });
diff --git a/src/client/render/voxel/shader.wgsl b/src/client/render/voxel/shader.wgsl
index fd22094..087a443 100644
--- a/src/client/render/voxel/shader.wgsl
+++ b/src/client/render/voxel/shader.wgsl
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 // Vertex shader
 
+struct GlobalLight {
+    dir: vec3<f32>,
+};
+
 struct VertexOutput {
     @builtin(position) clip_position: vec4<f32>,
     @location(0) tex_coords: vec2<f32>,
@@ -26,6 +30,8 @@ var<uniform> view: View;
 var<storage, read> voxels: array<u32>;
 @group(0) @binding(2)
 var<storage, read> voxel_groups: array<VoxelGroup>;
+@group(0) @binding(3)
+var<storage, read> global_lights: array<GlobalLight>;
 
 @vertex
 fn vs_main(
@@ -62,7 +68,7 @@ fn fs_main(
     let dir = view.transform * vec4<f32>(normalize(pixel_pos), 0.0);
 
     var color = trace_full(pos, dir);
-    let light_mult = clamp((-dot(dir.xyz, normalize(GLOBAL_LIGHT)) - 0.99) * 200.0, 0.0, 1.0);
+    let light_mult = clamp((-dot(dir.xyz, global_lights[0].dir) - 0.99) * 200.0, 0.0, 1.0);
     let sky_color = light_mult * vec3<f32>(1.0, 1.0, 1.0);
     color += vec4<f32>(sky_color * (1.0 - color.a), 1.0 - color.a);
     color.a = 1.0;
@@ -73,7 +79,6 @@ const ZERO3F = vec3<f32>(0.0);
 const ZERO2F = vec2<f32>(0.0);
 const DEPTH = 16u;
 const FULL_ALPHA = 0.9999;
-const GLOBAL_LIGHT = vec3<f32>(-0.5, -4.0, 2.0);
 
 fn trace_full(pos: vec4<f32>, dir: vec4<f32>) -> vec4<f32> {
     // GPUs hate this
@@ -124,7 +129,6 @@ fn apply_group(
         (group.transform * vec4<f32>(0.0, 0.0, dir_if.z, 0.0)).xyz,
     );
     var next_normal = vec3<f32>(0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
-    let norm_light = normalize(GLOBAL_LIGHT);
 
     // find where ray intersects with group
     let plane_point = (vec3<f32>(1.0) - dir_if) / 2.0 * dim_f;
@@ -204,10 +208,10 @@ fn apply_group(
 
             // lighting
             let light = trace_light(full_pos);
-            let diffuse = max(dot(norm_light, normal) * ((dot(dir_view.xyz, normal) + 1.0) / 2.0 * .7 + .3) * 1.3 + 0.1, 0.0);
+            let diffuse = max(dot(global_lights[0].dir, normal) * ((dot(dir_view.xyz, normal) + 1.0) / 2.0 * .7 + .3) * 1.3 + 0.1, 0.0);
             let ambient = 0.2;
             let specular = (exp(max(
-                -(dot(reflect(dir_view.xyz, normal), norm_light) + 0.90) * 4.0, 0.0
+                -(dot(reflect(dir_view.xyz, normal), global_lights[0].dir) + 0.90) * 4.0, 0.0
             )) - 1.0) * light;
             let lighting = max(diffuse * light.a, ambient);
             let new_rgb = min(vcolor.xyz * lighting + specular.xyz + light.xyz * vcolor.xyz, vec3<f32>(1.0));
@@ -233,7 +237,7 @@ fn apply_group(
 fn trace_light(
     pos: vec4<f32>
 ) -> vec4<f32> {
-    let dir = vec4<f32>(-normalize(GLOBAL_LIGHT), 0.0);
+    let dir = vec4<f32>(-global_lights[0].dir, 0.0);
     var mask = vec4<f32>(0.0);
     let start = pos + dir * .001;
     for (var gi: u32 = 0; gi < arrayLength(&voxel_groups); gi = gi + 1) {