diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 7fad196cd0..17d36380ee 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -1735,6 +1735,7 @@ void Application::init() {
 
     _environment.init();
 
+    _deferredLightingEffect.init();
     _glowEffect.init();
     _ambientOcclusionEffect.init();
     _voxelShader.init();
@@ -2842,11 +2843,13 @@ void Application::displaySide(Camera& whichCamera, bool selfAvatarOnly) {
         }
         
         //  Draw voxels
+        bool deferredLightingRequired = false;
         if (Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::Voxels)) {
             PerformanceTimer perfTimer("voxels");
             PerformanceWarning warn(Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::PipelineWarnings),
                 "Application::displaySide() ... voxels...");
             _voxels.render();
+            deferredLightingRequired = true;
         }
 
         // also, metavoxels
@@ -2855,6 +2858,11 @@ void Application::displaySide(Camera& whichCamera, bool selfAvatarOnly) {
             PerformanceWarning warn(Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::PipelineWarnings),
                 "Application::displaySide() ... metavoxels...");
             _metavoxels.render();
+            deferredLightingRequired = true;
+        }
+
+        if (deferredLightingRequired) {
+            _deferredLightingEffect.render();
         }
 
         if (Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::BuckyBalls)) {
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.h b/interface/src/Application.h
index fbcc67cf80..aa7ef94c5b 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.h
+++ b/interface/src/Application.h
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@
 #include "entities/EntityTreeRenderer.h"
 #include "particles/ParticleTreeRenderer.h"
 #include "renderer/AmbientOcclusionEffect.h"
+#include "renderer/DeferredLightingEffect.h"
 #include "renderer/GeometryCache.h"
 #include "renderer/GlowEffect.h"
 #include "renderer/PointShader.h"
@@ -556,6 +557,7 @@ private:
     AnimationCache _animationCache;
     TextureCache _textureCache;
 
+    DeferredLightingEffect _deferredLightingEffect;
     GlowEffect _glowEffect;
     AmbientOcclusionEffect _ambientOcclusionEffect;
     VoxelShader _voxelShader;
diff --git a/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.cpp b/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.cpp
index 903e443cda..b3e31ce56e 100644
--- a/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.cpp
@@ -51,12 +51,6 @@ void MetavoxelSystem::init() {
         new BufferDataAttribute("voxelBuffer"));
     _voxelBufferAttribute->setLODThresholdMultiplier(
         AttributeRegistry::getInstance()->getVoxelColorAttribute()->getLODThresholdMultiplier());
-    
-    loadLightProgram("shaders/directional_light.frag", _directionalLight, _directionalLightLocations);
-    loadLightProgram("shaders/directional_light_shadow_map.frag", _directionalLightShadowMap,
-        _directionalLightShadowMapLocations);
-    loadLightProgram("shaders/directional_light_cascaded_shadow_map.frag", _directionalLightCascadedShadowMap,
-        _directionalLightCascadedShadowMapLocations);
 }
 
 MetavoxelLOD MetavoxelSystem::getLOD() {
@@ -138,8 +132,6 @@ void MetavoxelSystem::render() {
         viewFrustum->getFarBottomRight(), viewFrustum->getNearTopLeft(), viewFrustum->getNearTopRight(),
         viewFrustum->getNearBottomLeft(), viewFrustum->getNearBottomRight());
     
-    _needToLight = false;
-
     // clear the normal buffer
     glDrawBuffers(sizeof(NORMAL_DRAW_BUFFERS) / sizeof(NORMAL_DRAW_BUFFERS[0]), NORMAL_DRAW_BUFFERS);
     glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);
@@ -151,126 +143,6 @@ void MetavoxelSystem::render() {
     
     // give external parties a chance to join in
     emit rendering();
-    
-    if (!_needToLight) {
-        return; // skip lighting if not needed
-    }
-    
-    // perform deferred lighting, rendering to free fbo
-    glPushMatrix();
-    glLoadIdentity();
-    
-    glMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION);
-    glPushMatrix();
-    glLoadIdentity();
-    
-    glDisable(GL_BLEND);
-    glDisable(GL_LIGHTING);
-    glDisable(GL_DEPTH_TEST);
-    glDepthMask(false);
-    
-    QOpenGLFramebufferObject* primaryFBO = Application::getInstance()->getTextureCache()->getPrimaryFramebufferObject();
-    primaryFBO->release();
-    
-    QOpenGLFramebufferObject* freeFBO = Application::getInstance()->getGlowEffect()->getFreeFramebufferObject();
-    freeFBO->bind();
-    glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);
-    
-    glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, primaryFBO->texture());
-    
-    glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE1);
-    glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, Application::getInstance()->getTextureCache()->getPrimaryNormalTextureID());
-    
-    // get the viewport side (left, right, both)
-    int viewport[4];
-    glGetIntegerv(GL_VIEWPORT, viewport);
-    const int VIEWPORT_X_INDEX = 0;
-    const int VIEWPORT_WIDTH_INDEX = 2;
-    float sMin = viewport[VIEWPORT_X_INDEX] / (float)primaryFBO->width();
-    float sWidth = viewport[VIEWPORT_WIDTH_INDEX] / (float)primaryFBO->width();
-        
-    if (Menu::getInstance()->getShadowsEnabled()) {
-        glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE2);
-        glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, Application::getInstance()->getTextureCache()->getPrimaryDepthTextureID());
-        
-        glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE3);
-        glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, Application::getInstance()->getTextureCache()->getShadowDepthTextureID());
-        
-        ProgramObject* program = &_directionalLightShadowMap;
-        const LightLocations* locations = &_directionalLightShadowMapLocations;
-        if (Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::CascadedShadows)) {
-            program = &_directionalLightCascadedShadowMap;
-            locations = &_directionalLightCascadedShadowMapLocations;
-            _directionalLightCascadedShadowMap.bind();
-            _directionalLightCascadedShadowMap.setUniform(locations->shadowDistances,
-                Application::getInstance()->getShadowDistances());
-        
-        } else {
-            program->bind();
-        }
-        program->setUniformValue(locations->shadowScale,
-            1.0f / Application::getInstance()->getTextureCache()->getShadowFramebufferObject()->width());
-        
-        float left, right, bottom, top, nearVal, farVal;
-        glm::vec4 nearClipPlane, farClipPlane;
-        Application::getInstance()->computeOffAxisFrustum(
-            left, right, bottom, top, nearVal, farVal, nearClipPlane, farClipPlane);
-        program->setUniformValue(locations->nearLocation, nearVal);
-        program->setUniformValue(locations->depthScale, (farVal - nearVal) / farVal);
-        float nearScale = -1.0f / nearVal;
-        float sScale = 1.0f / sWidth;
-        float depthTexCoordScaleS = (right - left) * nearScale * sScale;
-        program->setUniformValue(locations->depthTexCoordOffset, left * nearScale - sMin * depthTexCoordScaleS,
-            bottom * nearScale);
-        program->setUniformValue(locations->depthTexCoordScale, depthTexCoordScaleS, (top - bottom) * nearScale);
-        
-        renderFullscreenQuad(sMin, sMin + sWidth);
-        
-        program->release();
-        
-        glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0);
-        
-        glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE2);
-        glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0);
-        
-        glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE1);
-    
-    } else {
-        _directionalLight.bind();
-        renderFullscreenQuad(sMin, sMin + sWidth);
-        _directionalLight.release();        
-    }
-    
-    glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0);
-    glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE0);
-    
-    freeFBO->release();
-    
-    // now transfer the lit region to the primary fbo
-    glEnable(GL_BLEND);
-    
-    primaryFBO->bind();
-    
-    glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, freeFBO->texture());
-    glEnable(GL_TEXTURE_2D);
-    
-    glColor4f(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f);
-    
-    renderFullscreenQuad(sMin, sMin + sWidth);
-    
-    glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0);
-    glDisable(GL_TEXTURE_2D);
-    
-    glEnable(GL_LIGHTING);
-    glEnable(GL_DEPTH_TEST);
-    glDepthMask(true);
-    
-    glDisable(GL_ALPHA_TEST);
-    
-    glPopMatrix();
-    
-    glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
-    glPopMatrix();
 }
 
 class RayHeightfieldIntersectionVisitor : public RayIntersectionVisitor {
@@ -630,24 +502,6 @@ void MetavoxelSystem::guideToAugmented(MetavoxelVisitor& visitor, bool render) {
     }
 }
 
-void MetavoxelSystem::loadLightProgram(const char* name, ProgramObject& program, LightLocations& locations) {
-    program.addShaderFromSourceFile(QGLShader::Fragment, Application::resourcesPath() + name);
-    program.link();
-    
-    program.bind();
-    program.setUniformValue("diffuseMap", 0);
-    program.setUniformValue("normalMap", 1);
-    program.setUniformValue("depthMap", 2);
-    program.setUniformValue("shadowMap", 3);
-    locations.shadowDistances = program.uniformLocation("shadowDistances");
-    locations.shadowScale = program.uniformLocation("shadowScale");
-    locations.nearLocation = program.uniformLocation("near");
-    locations.depthScale = program.uniformLocation("depthScale");
-    locations.depthTexCoordOffset = program.uniformLocation("depthTexCoordOffset");
-    locations.depthTexCoordScale = program.uniformLocation("depthTexCoordScale");
-    program.release();
-}
-
 MetavoxelSystemClient::MetavoxelSystemClient(const SharedNodePointer& node, MetavoxelUpdater* updater) :
     MetavoxelClient(node, updater) {
 }
@@ -1077,8 +931,6 @@ void HeightfieldBuffer::render(bool cursor) {
     
     bufferPair.first.release();
     bufferPair.second.release();
-    
-    Application::getInstance()->getMetavoxels()->noteNeedToLight();
 }
 
 QHash<int, HeightfieldBuffer::BufferPair> HeightfieldBuffer::_bufferPairs;
@@ -1245,8 +1097,6 @@ void VoxelBuffer::render(bool cursor) {
     
     _vertexBuffer.release();
     _indexBuffer.release();
-    
-    Application::getInstance()->getMetavoxels()->noteNeedToLight();
 }
 
 BufferDataAttribute::BufferDataAttribute(const QString& name) :
diff --git a/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.h b/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.h
index f3b9a02117..f99a5834c9 100644
--- a/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.h
+++ b/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.h
@@ -52,8 +52,6 @@ public:
 
     Q_INVOKABLE void deleteTextures(int heightID, int colorID, int textureID);
 
-    void noteNeedToLight() { _needToLight = true; }
-
 signals:
 
     void rendering();
@@ -66,18 +64,6 @@ private:
     
     void guideToAugmented(MetavoxelVisitor& visitor, bool render = false);
     
-    class LightLocations {
-    public:
-        int shadowDistances;
-        int shadowScale;
-        int nearLocation;
-        int depthScale;
-        int depthTexCoordOffset;
-        int depthTexCoordScale;
-    };
-    
-    static void loadLightProgram(const char* name, ProgramObject& program, LightLocations& locations);
-    
     AttributePointer _pointBufferAttribute;
     AttributePointer _heightfieldBufferAttribute;
     AttributePointer _voxelBufferAttribute;
@@ -85,14 +71,6 @@ private:
     MetavoxelLOD _lod;
     QReadWriteLock _lodLock;
     Frustum _frustum;
-    bool _needToLight;
-    
-    ProgramObject _directionalLight;
-    LightLocations _directionalLightLocations;
-    ProgramObject _directionalLightShadowMap;
-    LightLocations _directionalLightShadowMapLocations;
-    ProgramObject _directionalLightCascadedShadowMap;
-    LightLocations _directionalLightCascadedShadowMapLocations;
 };
 
 /// Describes contents of a point in a point buffer.
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/DeferredLightingEffect.cpp b/interface/src/renderer/DeferredLightingEffect.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..95df2d5c72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/DeferredLightingEffect.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+//
+//  DeferredLightingEffect.cpp
+//  interface/src/renderer
+//
+//  Created by Andrzej Kapolka on 9/11/14.
+//  Copyright 2014 High Fidelity, Inc.
+//
+//  Distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
+//  See the accompanying file LICENSE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
+//
+
+// include this before QOpenGLFramebufferObject, which includes an earlier version of OpenGL
+#include "InterfaceConfig.h"
+
+#include <QOpenGLFramebufferObject>
+
+#include "Application.h"
+#include "DeferredLightingEffect.h"
+#include "RenderUtil.h"
+
+void DeferredLightingEffect::init() {
+    loadLightProgram("shaders/directional_light.frag", _directionalLight, _directionalLightLocations);
+    loadLightProgram("shaders/directional_light_shadow_map.frag", _directionalLightShadowMap,
+        _directionalLightShadowMapLocations);
+    loadLightProgram("shaders/directional_light_cascaded_shadow_map.frag", _directionalLightCascadedShadowMap,
+        _directionalLightCascadedShadowMapLocations);
+}
+
+void DeferredLightingEffect::render() {
+    // perform deferred lighting, rendering to free fbo
+    glPushMatrix();
+    glLoadIdentity();
+    
+    glMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION);
+    glPushMatrix();
+    glLoadIdentity();
+    
+    glDisable(GL_BLEND);
+    glDisable(GL_LIGHTING);
+    glDisable(GL_DEPTH_TEST);
+    glDepthMask(false);
+    
+    QOpenGLFramebufferObject* primaryFBO = Application::getInstance()->getTextureCache()->getPrimaryFramebufferObject();
+    primaryFBO->release();
+    
+    QOpenGLFramebufferObject* freeFBO = Application::getInstance()->getGlowEffect()->getFreeFramebufferObject();
+    freeFBO->bind();
+    glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT);
+    
+    glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, primaryFBO->texture());
+    
+    glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE1);
+    glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, Application::getInstance()->getTextureCache()->getPrimaryNormalTextureID());
+    
+    // get the viewport side (left, right, both)
+    int viewport[4];
+    glGetIntegerv(GL_VIEWPORT, viewport);
+    const int VIEWPORT_X_INDEX = 0;
+    const int VIEWPORT_WIDTH_INDEX = 2;
+    float sMin = viewport[VIEWPORT_X_INDEX] / (float)primaryFBO->width();
+    float sWidth = viewport[VIEWPORT_WIDTH_INDEX] / (float)primaryFBO->width();
+        
+    if (Menu::getInstance()->getShadowsEnabled()) {
+        glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE2);
+        glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, Application::getInstance()->getTextureCache()->getPrimaryDepthTextureID());
+        
+        glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE3);
+        glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, Application::getInstance()->getTextureCache()->getShadowDepthTextureID());
+        
+        ProgramObject* program = &_directionalLightShadowMap;
+        const LightLocations* locations = &_directionalLightShadowMapLocations;
+        if (Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::CascadedShadows)) {
+            program = &_directionalLightCascadedShadowMap;
+            locations = &_directionalLightCascadedShadowMapLocations;
+            _directionalLightCascadedShadowMap.bind();
+            _directionalLightCascadedShadowMap.setUniform(locations->shadowDistances,
+                Application::getInstance()->getShadowDistances());
+        
+        } else {
+            program->bind();
+        }
+        program->setUniformValue(locations->shadowScale,
+            1.0f / Application::getInstance()->getTextureCache()->getShadowFramebufferObject()->width());
+        
+        float left, right, bottom, top, nearVal, farVal;
+        glm::vec4 nearClipPlane, farClipPlane;
+        Application::getInstance()->computeOffAxisFrustum(
+            left, right, bottom, top, nearVal, farVal, nearClipPlane, farClipPlane);
+        program->setUniformValue(locations->nearLocation, nearVal);
+        program->setUniformValue(locations->depthScale, (farVal - nearVal) / farVal);
+        float nearScale = -1.0f / nearVal;
+        float sScale = 1.0f / sWidth;
+        float depthTexCoordScaleS = (right - left) * nearScale * sScale;
+        program->setUniformValue(locations->depthTexCoordOffset, left * nearScale - sMin * depthTexCoordScaleS,
+            bottom * nearScale);
+        program->setUniformValue(locations->depthTexCoordScale, depthTexCoordScaleS, (top - bottom) * nearScale);
+        
+        renderFullscreenQuad(sMin, sMin + sWidth);
+        
+        program->release();
+        
+        glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0);
+        
+        glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE2);
+        glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0);
+        
+        glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE1);
+    
+    } else {
+        _directionalLight.bind();
+        renderFullscreenQuad(sMin, sMin + sWidth);
+        _directionalLight.release();        
+    }
+    
+    glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0);
+    glActiveTexture(GL_TEXTURE0);
+    
+    freeFBO->release();
+    
+    // now transfer the lit region to the primary fbo
+    glEnable(GL_BLEND);
+    
+    primaryFBO->bind();
+    
+    glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, freeFBO->texture());
+    glEnable(GL_TEXTURE_2D);
+    
+    glColor4f(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f);
+    
+    renderFullscreenQuad(sMin, sMin + sWidth);
+    
+    glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0);
+    glDisable(GL_TEXTURE_2D);
+    
+    glEnable(GL_LIGHTING);
+    glEnable(GL_DEPTH_TEST);
+    glDepthMask(true);
+    
+    glDisable(GL_ALPHA_TEST);
+    
+    glPopMatrix();
+    
+    glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
+    glPopMatrix();
+}
+
+void DeferredLightingEffect::loadLightProgram(const char* name, ProgramObject& program, LightLocations& locations) {
+    program.addShaderFromSourceFile(QGLShader::Fragment, Application::resourcesPath() + name);
+    program.link();
+    
+    program.bind();
+    program.setUniformValue("diffuseMap", 0);
+    program.setUniformValue("normalMap", 1);
+    program.setUniformValue("depthMap", 2);
+    program.setUniformValue("shadowMap", 3);
+    locations.shadowDistances = program.uniformLocation("shadowDistances");
+    locations.shadowScale = program.uniformLocation("shadowScale");
+    locations.nearLocation = program.uniformLocation("near");
+    locations.depthScale = program.uniformLocation("depthScale");
+    locations.depthTexCoordOffset = program.uniformLocation("depthTexCoordOffset");
+    locations.depthTexCoordScale = program.uniformLocation("depthTexCoordScale");
+    program.release();
+}
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/DeferredLightingEffect.h b/interface/src/renderer/DeferredLightingEffect.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e67b3b9153
--- /dev/null
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/DeferredLightingEffect.h
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+//
+//  DeferredLightingEffect.h
+//  interface/src/renderer
+//
+//  Created by Andrzej Kapolka on 9/11/14.
+//  Copyright 2014 High Fidelity, Inc.
+//
+//  Distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
+//  See the accompanying file LICENSE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
+//
+
+#ifndef hifi_DeferredLightingEffect_h
+#define hifi_DeferredLightingEffect_h
+
+#include "ProgramObject.h"
+
+/// Handles deferred lighting for the bits that require it (voxels, metavoxels...)
+class DeferredLightingEffect {
+public:
+    
+    void init();
+    void render();
+
+private:
+
+    class LightLocations {
+    public:
+        int shadowDistances;
+        int shadowScale;
+        int nearLocation;
+        int depthScale;
+        int depthTexCoordOffset;
+        int depthTexCoordScale;
+    };
+    
+    static void loadLightProgram(const char* name, ProgramObject& program, LightLocations& locations);
+        
+    ProgramObject _directionalLight;
+    LightLocations _directionalLightLocations;
+    ProgramObject _directionalLightShadowMap;
+    LightLocations _directionalLightShadowMapLocations;
+    ProgramObject _directionalLightCascadedShadowMap;
+    LightLocations _directionalLightCascadedShadowMapLocations;
+};
+
+#endif // hifi_DeferredLightingEffect_h