diff --git a/src/engine/renderer/gl_shader.cpp b/src/engine/renderer/gl_shader.cpp
index ca637ff625..a4825e8729 100644
--- a/src/engine/renderer/gl_shader.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/renderer/gl_shader.cpp
@@ -694,7 +694,6 @@ std::string     GLShaderManager::BuildGPUShaderText( Str::StringRef mainShaderNa
 
 	AddDefine( env, "r_AmbientScale", r_ambientScale->value );
 	AddDefine( env, "r_SpecularScale", r_specularScale->value );
-	AddDefine( env, "r_NormalScale", r_normalScale->value );
 	AddDefine( env, "r_zNear", r_znear->value );
 
 	AddDefine( env, "M_PI", static_cast<float>( M_PI ) );
diff --git a/src/engine/renderer/glsl_source/reliefMapping_fp.glsl b/src/engine/renderer/glsl_source/reliefMapping_fp.glsl
index db8c355dc0..64950ee3d4 100644
--- a/src/engine/renderer/glsl_source/reliefMapping_fp.glsl
+++ b/src/engine/renderer/glsl_source/reliefMapping_fp.glsl
@@ -68,10 +68,6 @@ vec3 NormalInTangentSpace(vec2 texNormal)
 	{
 		normal *= u_NormalScale;
 	}
-
-#if defined(r_NormalScale)
-	normal.z *= r_NormalScale;
-#endif
 #else // !r_normalMapping
 	normal = vec3(0.5, 0.5, 1.0);
 #endif // !r_normalMapping
diff --git a/src/engine/renderer/tr_shade.cpp b/src/engine/renderer/tr_shade.cpp
index ad8d840231..a6e73d60e9 100644
--- a/src/engine/renderer/tr_shade.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/renderer/tr_shade.cpp
@@ -598,6 +598,12 @@ void SetNormalScale( shaderStage_t *pStage, vec3_t normalScale)
 			normalScale[ 1 ] *= pStage->normalScale[ 1 ];
 			normalScale[ 2 ] *= pStage->normalScale[ 2 ];
 		}
+
+		// never multiply normal Z by zero, it's wrong
+		if ( r_normalScale->integer )
+		{
+			normalScale[ 2 ] *= r_normalScale->integer;
+		}
 }
 
 // *INDENT-ON*