diff --git a/interface/resources/shaders/metavoxel_point.vert b/interface/resources/shaders/metavoxel_point.vert
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..be04462375
--- /dev/null
+++ b/interface/resources/shaders/metavoxel_point.vert
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#version 120
+
+//
+//  metavoxel_point.vert
+//  vertex shader
+//
+//  Created by Andrzej Kapolka on 12/12/13.
+//  Copyright (c) 2013 High Fidelity, Inc. All rights reserved.
+//
+
+uniform float pointScale;
+
+void main(void) {
+
+    // pass along the vertex color
+    gl_FrontColor = gl_Color;
+    
+    // extract the first four components of the vertex for position
+    gl_Position = gl_ModelViewProjectionMatrix * vec4(gl_Vertex.xyz, 1.0);
+    
+    gl_PointSize = pointScale * gl_Vertex.w / gl_Position.w;
+}
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/MetavoxelSystem.cpp b/interface/src/renderer/MetavoxelSystem.cpp
index 7cb5987bb7..c5c8ab327f 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/MetavoxelSystem.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/MetavoxelSystem.cpp
@@ -8,41 +8,112 @@
 
 #include <QtDebug>
 
+#include <SharedUtil.h>
+
+#include "Application.h"
 #include "MetavoxelSystem.h"
 
-class PointVisitor : public MetavoxelVisitor {
-public:
-    
-    virtual bool visit(const MetavoxelInfo& info);
-};
+ProgramObject MetavoxelSystem::_program;
+int MetavoxelSystem::_pointScaleLocation;
 
-bool PointVisitor::visit(const MetavoxelInfo& info) {
-    QRgb color = info.attributeValues.at(0).getInlineValue<QRgb>();
-    QRgb normal = info.attributeValues.at(1).getInlineValue<QRgb>();
-    
-    return true;
+MetavoxelSystem::MetavoxelSystem() :
+    _buffer(QOpenGLBuffer::VertexBuffer),
+    _pointVisitor(_points) {
 }
 
 void MetavoxelSystem::init() {
+    if (!_program.isLinked()) {
+        switchToResourcesParentIfRequired();
+        _program.addShaderFromSourceFile(QGLShader::Vertex, "resources/shaders/metavoxel_point.vert");
+        _program.link();
+       
+        _pointScaleLocation = _program.uniformLocation("pointScale");
+    }
+    
     MetavoxelPath p1;
-    p1 += 0;
-    p1 += 1;
-    p1 += 2;
+    p1 += 7;
+    p1 += 7;
+    p1 += 7;
     
     AttributePointer color = AttributeRegistry::getInstance()->getAttribute("color");
     
     void* white = encodeInline(qRgba(0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF));
     _data.setAttributeValue(p1, AttributeValue(color, &white));
+    
+    _buffer.setUsagePattern(QOpenGLBuffer::DynamicDraw);
+    _buffer.create();
 }
 
 void MetavoxelSystem::simulate(float deltaTime) {
+    _points.clear();
+    
     QVector<AttributePointer> attributes;
     attributes << AttributeRegistry::getInstance()->getColorAttribute();
     attributes << AttributeRegistry::getInstance()->getNormalAttribute();
-    PointVisitor visitor;
-    _data.visitVoxels(attributes, visitor);
+    _data.visitVoxels(attributes, _pointVisitor);
+    
+    _buffer.bind();
+    int bytes = _points.size() * sizeof(Point);
+    if (_buffer.size() < bytes) {
+        _buffer.allocate(_points.constData(), bytes);
+    } else {
+        _buffer.write(0, _points.constData(), bytes);
+    }
+    _buffer.release();
 }
 
 void MetavoxelSystem::render() {
+    int viewport[4];
+    glGetIntegerv(GL_VIEWPORT, viewport);
+    const int VIEWPORT_WIDTH_INDEX = 2;
+    const int VIEWPORT_HEIGHT_INDEX = 3;
+    float viewportWidth = viewport[VIEWPORT_WIDTH_INDEX];
+    float viewportHeight = viewport[VIEWPORT_HEIGHT_INDEX];
+    float viewportDiagonal = sqrtf(viewportWidth*viewportWidth + viewportHeight*viewportHeight);
+    float worldDiagonal = glm::distance(Application::getInstance()->getViewFrustum()->getNearBottomLeft(),
+        Application::getInstance()->getViewFrustum()->getNearTopRight());
+
+    _program.bind();
+    _program.setUniformValue(_pointScaleLocation, viewportDiagonal *
+        Application::getInstance()->getViewFrustum()->getNearClip() / worldDiagonal);
+        
+    _buffer.bind();
+
+    Point* pt = 0;
+    glVertexPointer(4, GL_FLOAT, sizeof(Point), &pt->vertex);
+    glColorPointer(4, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, sizeof(Point), &pt->color);
+    glNormalPointer(GL_BYTE, sizeof(Point), &pt->normal);    
+
+    glEnableClientState(GL_VERTEX_ARRAY);
+    glEnableClientState(GL_COLOR_ARRAY);
+    glEnableClientState(GL_NORMAL_ARRAY);
+
+    glEnable(GL_VERTEX_PROGRAM_POINT_SIZE_ARB);
     
+    glDrawArrays(GL_POINTS, 0, _points.size());
+    
+    glDisable(GL_VERTEX_PROGRAM_POINT_SIZE_ARB);
+    
+    glDisableClientState(GL_VERTEX_ARRAY);
+    glDisableClientState(GL_COLOR_ARRAY);
+    glDisableClientState(GL_NORMAL_ARRAY);
+    
+    _buffer.release();
+    
+    _program.release();
+}
+
+bool MetavoxelSystem::PointVisitor::visit(const MetavoxelInfo& info) {
+    if (!info.isLeaf) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    QRgb color = info.attributeValues.at(0).getInlineValue<QRgb>();
+    QRgb normal = info.attributeValues.at(1).getInlineValue<QRgb>();
+    int alpha = qAlpha(color);
+    if (alpha > 0) {
+        Point point = { glm::vec4(info.minimum + glm::vec3(info.size, info.size, info.size) * 0.5f, info.size),
+            { qRed(color), qGreen(color), qBlue(color), alpha }, { qRed(normal), qGreen(normal), qBlue(normal) } };
+        _points.append(point);
+    }
+    return false;
 }
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/MetavoxelSystem.h b/interface/src/renderer/MetavoxelSystem.h
index ffb73290f3..4eaa4aaa95 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/MetavoxelSystem.h
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/MetavoxelSystem.h
@@ -9,20 +9,51 @@
 #ifndef __interface__MetavoxelSystem__
 #define __interface__MetavoxelSystem__
 
+#include <QOpenGLBuffer>
+#include <QVector>
+
+#include <glm/glm.hpp>
+
 #include <MetavoxelData.h>
 
+#include "ProgramObject.h"
+
 /// Renders a metavoxel tree.
 class MetavoxelSystem {
 public:
 
+    MetavoxelSystem();
+
     void init();
     
     void simulate(float deltaTime);
     void render();
     
 private:
+
+    class Point {
+    public:
+        glm::vec4 vertex;
+        quint8 color[4];
+        quint8 normal[3];
+    };
     
-    MetavoxelData _data;    
+    class PointVisitor : public MetavoxelVisitor {
+    public:
+        PointVisitor(QVector<Point>& points) : _points(points) { }
+        virtual bool visit(const MetavoxelInfo& info);
+    
+    protected:
+        QVector<Point>& _points;
+    };
+    
+    static ProgramObject _program;
+    static int _pointScaleLocation;
+    
+    MetavoxelData _data;
+    QVector<Point> _points;
+    PointVisitor _pointVisitor;
+    QOpenGLBuffer _buffer;
 };
 
 #endif /* defined(__interface__MetavoxelSystem__) */
diff --git a/libraries/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelData.cpp b/libraries/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelData.cpp
index c99364aaa9..874dfbcf84 100644
--- a/libraries/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelData.cpp
+++ b/libraries/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelData.cpp
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ const int Y_MAXIMUM_FLAG = 2;
 const int Z_MAXIMUM_FLAG = 4;
 
 void Visitation::apply() {
-    if (!visitor.visit(info) || allNodesLeaves()) {
+    info.isLeaf = allNodesLeaves();
+    if (!visitor.visit(info) || info.isLeaf) {
         return;
     }
     Visitation nextVisitation = { visitor, QVector<MetavoxelNode*>(nodes.size()),
diff --git a/libraries/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelData.h b/libraries/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelData.h
index bbdf17c99c..adc4d1341c 100644
--- a/libraries/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelData.h
+++ b/libraries/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelData.h
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ public:
     glm::vec3 minimum; ///< the minimum extent of the area covered by the voxel
     float size; ///< the size of the voxel in all dimensions
     QVector<AttributeValue> attributeValues;
+    bool isLeaf;
 };
 
 /// Interface for visitors to metavoxels.