diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/LightClusterGrid_shared.slh b/libraries/render-utils/src/LightClusterGrid_shared.slh
index ed0ed8d04d..50499cf31a 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/LightClusterGrid_shared.slh
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/LightClusterGrid_shared.slh
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ float frustumGrid_eyeToVolumeDepth(float eposZ, float rangeNear, float rangeFar)
     return (-eposZ - rangeNear) / (rangeFar - rangeNear);
 }
 
-
 vec3 frustumGrid_eyeToVolume(vec3 epos, mat4 projection, float rangeNear, float rangeFar) {
     vec4 clipPos = vec4(epos.x * projection[0][0] + epos.z * projection[2][0],
         epos.y * projection[1][1] + epos.z * projection[2][1],
@@ -126,15 +125,11 @@ int frustumGrid_eyeDepthToClusterLayer(float eyeZ) {
 }
 
 ivec3 frustumGrid_eyeToClusterPos(vec3 eyePos) {
-    if ((eyePos.z > -frustumGrid.frustumNear) || (eyePos.z < -frustumGrid.frustumFar)) {
-        return ivec3(-2);
-    }
-    
-    if (eyePos.z > -frustumGrid.rangeNear) {
-        return ivec3(0,0,-1);
-    }
-    
-    vec3 volumePos = frustumGrid_eyeToVolume(eyePos, frustumGrid.eyeToGridProj, frustumGrid.rangeNear, frustumGrid.rangeFar);
+
+    // make sure the frontEyePos is always in the front to eval the grid pos correctly
+    vec3 frontEyePos = eyePos;
+    frontEyePos.z = (eyePos.z > 0.0f ? -eyePos.z : eyePos.z);
+    vec3 volumePos = frustumGrid_eyeToVolume(frontEyePos, frustumGrid.eyeToGridProj, frustumGrid.rangeNear, frustumGrid.rangeFar);
 
 
     vec3 gridPos = frustumGrid_volumeToGrid(volumePos, frustumGrid.dims);
@@ -143,10 +138,20 @@ ivec3 frustumGrid_eyeToClusterPos(vec3 eyePos) {
         gridPos.z = frustumGrid.dims.z;
     }
 
+    ivec3 igridPos = ivec3(floor(gridPos));
 
-    return ivec3(floor(gridPos));
+    if ((eyePos.z > -frustumGrid.frustumNear) || (eyePos.z < -frustumGrid.frustumFar)) {
+        return ivec3(igridPos.x, igridPos.y, - 2);
+    }
+
+    if (eyePos.z > -frustumGrid.rangeNear) {
+        return ivec3(igridPos.x, igridPos.y, -1);
+    }
+
+    return igridPos;
 }
 
+
 int frustumGrid_eyeToClusterDirH(vec3 eyeDir) {
     if (eyeDir.z >= 0.0f) {
         return (eyeDir.x > 0 ? frustumGrid.dims.x : -1);
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/LightClusters.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/LightClusters.cpp
index 8dc95da65b..b9ba309fd5 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/LightClusters.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/LightClusters.cpp
@@ -279,6 +279,7 @@ uint32_t scanLightVolumeSphere(FrustumGrid& grid, const FrustumGrid::Planes plan
 
     // FInd the light origin cluster
     auto centerCluster = grid.frustumGrid_eyeToClusterPos(glm::vec3(eyePosRadius));
+
     int center_z = centerCluster.z;
     int center_y = centerCluster.y;