diff --git a/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp b/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp
index a3796f68c1..d578bb3504 100644
--- a/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp
@@ -638,11 +638,18 @@ void VoxelSystem::render() {
     _perlinModulateProgram->bind();
     glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, _permutationNormalTextureID);
 
+    // for performance, disable blending and enable backface culling
+    glDisable(GL_BLEND);
+    glEnable(GL_CULL_FACE);
+
     // draw the number of voxels we have
     glBindBuffer(GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER, _vboIndicesID);
     glScalef(TREE_SCALE, TREE_SCALE, TREE_SCALE);
     glDrawElements(GL_TRIANGLES, 36 * _voxelsInReadArrays, GL_UNSIGNED_INT, 0);
 
+    glEnable(GL_BLEND);
+    glDisable(GL_CULL_FACE);
+
     _perlinModulateProgram->release();
     glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0);