diff --git a/libraries/model/src/model/Stage.cpp b/libraries/model/src/model/Stage.cpp
index 6a1e95936b..c976e5c396 100644
--- a/libraries/model/src/model/Stage.cpp
+++ b/libraries/model/src/model/Stage.cpp
@@ -142,6 +142,8 @@ SunSkyStage::SunSkyStage() :
     _skybox(std::make_shared<Skybox>())
 {
     _sunLight->setType(Light::SUN);
+    // Default ambient sphere (for lack of skybox)
+    _sunLight->setAmbientSpherePreset(gpu::SphericalHarmonics::Preset::OLD_TOWN_SQUARE);
  
     setSunIntensity(1.0f);
     setSunAmbientIntensity(0.5f);
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/DeferredLightingEffect.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/DeferredLightingEffect.cpp
index e0cbab67bc..c1c7240f20 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/DeferredLightingEffect.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/DeferredLightingEffect.cpp
@@ -87,14 +87,11 @@ void DeferredLightingEffect::init() {
     _allocatedLights.push_back(std::make_shared<model::Light>());
 
     model::LightPointer lp = _allocatedLights[0];
+    lp->setType(model::Light::SUN);
+
     // Add the global light to the light stage (for later shadow rendering)
     _lightStage.addLight(lp);
 
-    lp->setDirection(-glm::vec3(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f));
-    lp->setColor(glm::vec3(1.0f));
-    lp->setIntensity(1.0f);
-    lp->setType(model::Light::SUN);
-    lp->setAmbientSpherePreset(gpu::SphericalHarmonics::Preset(_ambientLightMode % gpu::SphericalHarmonics::NUM_PRESET));
 }
 
 void DeferredLightingEffect::addPointLight(const glm::vec3& position, float radius, const glm::vec3& color,
@@ -560,7 +557,13 @@ static void loadLightProgram(const char* vertSource, const char* fragSource, boo
 }
 
 void DeferredLightingEffect::setGlobalLight(const model::LightPointer& light, const gpu::TexturePointer& skyboxTexture) {
-    _allocatedLights.front() = light;
+    auto globalLight = _allocatedLights.front();
+    globalLight->setDirection(light->getDirection());
+    globalLight->setColor(light->getColor());
+    globalLight->setIntensity(light->getIntensity());
+    globalLight->setAmbientIntensity(light->getAmbientIntensity());
+    globalLight->setAmbientSphere(light->getAmbientSphere());
+
     _skyboxTexture = skyboxTexture;
 }