diff --git a/src/client/game.cpp b/src/client/game.cpp
index 4a8ef996979a..e0f13307f434 100644
--- a/src/client/game.cpp
+++ b/src/client/game.cpp
@@ -4212,8 +4212,6 @@ void Game::updateShadows()
 
 	v3f sun_pos = light * offset_constant;
 
-	if (shadow->getDirectionalLightCount() == 0)
-		shadow->addDirectionalLight();
 	shadow->getDirectionalLight().setDirection(sun_pos);
 	shadow->setTimeOfDay(in_timeofday);
 
diff --git a/src/client/shadows/dynamicshadowsrender.cpp b/src/client/shadows/dynamicshadowsrender.cpp
index 740edfe21459..320a046cda0a 100644
--- a/src/client/shadows/dynamicshadowsrender.cpp
+++ b/src/client/shadows/dynamicshadowsrender.cpp
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ ShadowRenderer::ShadowRenderer(IrrlichtDevice *device, Client *client) :
 	m_shadow_map_colored = g_settings->getBool("shadow_map_color");
 	m_shadow_samples = g_settings->getS32("shadow_filters");
 	m_map_shadow_update_frames = g_settings->getS16("shadow_update_frames");
+
+	// add at least one light
+	addDirectionalLight();
 }
 
 ShadowRenderer::~ShadowRenderer()
@@ -157,11 +160,8 @@ size_t ShadowRenderer::getDirectionalLightCount() const
 
 f32 ShadowRenderer::getMaxShadowFar() const
 {
-	if (!m_light_list.empty()) {
-		float zMax = m_light_list[0].getFarValue();
-		return zMax;
-	}
-	return 0.0f;
+	float zMax = m_light_list[0].getFarValue();
+	return zMax;
 }
 
 void ShadowRenderer::setShadowIntensity(float shadow_intensity)
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ void ShadowRenderer::updateSMTextures()
 			node.node->setMaterialTexture(TEXTURE_LAYER_SHADOW, shadowMapTextureFinal);
 	}
 
-	if (!m_shadow_node_array.empty() && !m_light_list.empty()) {
+	if (!m_shadow_node_array.empty()) {
 		bool reset_sm_texture = false;
 
 		// detect if SM should be regenerated
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ void ShadowRenderer::update(video::ITexture *outputTarget)
 	}
 
 
-	if (!m_shadow_node_array.empty() && !m_light_list.empty()) {
+	if (!m_shadow_node_array.empty()) {
 
 		for (DirectionalLight &light : m_light_list) {
 			// Static shader values for entities are set in updateSMTextures