diff --git a/data/test_scene.json b/data/test_scene.json
index 0ecbee2..2d3163f 100644
--- a/data/test_scene.json
+++ b/data/test_scene.json
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
 			"position" : {
 				"x" : 0,
 				"y" : 0,
-				"z" : 0
+				"z" : 100
 			}
 		}
 	]
diff --git a/src/hexgame.cpp b/src/hexgame.cpp
index 74d18dd..2cb279c 100644
--- a/src/hexgame.cpp
+++ b/src/hexgame.cpp
@@ -40,8 +40,6 @@
 #define SCENE_SCHEMA_FILE "scene_schema.json"
 #define MAX_ENTITIES 1000
 
-#define RS_MAX_LIGHTS 10 // NOTE: needs to match the fragment shader source
-
 #include <vector>
 
 #if defined(_WIN32)
@@ -484,7 +482,6 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	g_render_state = UTIL_ALLOC(1, render_state);
 	g_render_state->is_debug_draw = DEBUG_DRAW;
 	g_render_state->viewport_dims = v2i(VIEWPORT_WIDTH, VIEWPORT_HEIGHT);
-	g_render_state->max_lights = RS_MAX_LIGHTS;
 
 	SDL_Handles handles;
 
@@ -493,7 +490,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	if (!initRenderer(handles, g_render_state->viewport_dims)) {
+	if (!initRenderer(g_render_state, handles)) {
 		LOG(ERROR) << "Unable to initialize graphics, exiting\n";
 		return 1;
 	}
@@ -543,7 +540,12 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 
 		slParseCamera(sd, renGetCamera());
 		slParseHexGrid(sd, g->grid);
-		slParseLights(sd, rs->lights, rs->num_lights, rs->max_lights);
+
+		if (!slParseLights(sd, rs->lights, rs->num_lights, rs->max_lights)) {
+			LOG(ERROR) << "Error loading lights, exiting\n";
+			return 1;
+		}
+
 		slFreeSceneDoc(sd);
 	} else {
 		LOG(ERROR) << "Error loading scene, exiting\n";
diff --git a/src/renderer.cpp b/src/renderer.cpp
index f0c766d..315934b 100644
--- a/src/renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/renderer.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #define PROJ_TYPE PERSPECTIVE
 #define DEFAULT_VERTEX_SHADER_FILE "../data/default.vs"
 #define DEFAULT_FRAGMENT_SHADER_FILE "../data/default.fs"
+#define MAX_LIGHTS 10 // NOTE: needs to match the fragment shader source
 
 typedef struct clear_col
 {
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ static camera g_camera;
 
 // TODO: maybe make this a contructor for render_state?
 bool
-initRenderer(SDL_Handles &handles, v2i vpDims)
+initRenderer(render_state* rs, SDL_Handles &handles)
 {
 	SDL_GL_SetAttribute(SDL_GL_CONTEXT_FLAGS, SDL_GL_CONTEXT_FORWARD_COMPATIBLE_FLAG);
 	SDL_GL_SetAttribute(SDL_GL_CONTEXT_PROFILE_MASK, SDL_GL_CONTEXT_PROFILE_CORE);
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ initRenderer(SDL_Handles &handles, v2i vpDims)
 	SDL_GetCurrentDisplayMode(0, &handles.currentDisplayMode);
 	handles.window =
 		SDL_CreateWindow("hexgame", SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED, SDL_WINDOWPOS_CENTERED,
-							vpDims.x, vpDims.y, SDL_WINDOW_OPENGL|SDL_WINDOW_RESIZABLE);
+							rs->viewport_dims.x, rs->viewport_dims.y, SDL_WINDOW_OPENGL|SDL_WINDOW_RESIZABLE);
 
 	if (!handles.window) {
 		LOG(ERROR) << "Error creating window: " << SDL_GetError() << "\n";
@@ -141,6 +142,9 @@ initRenderer(SDL_Handles &handles, v2i vpDims)
 	utilSafeFree(vs_code);
 	utilSafeFree(fs_code);
 
+	rs->max_lights = MAX_LIGHTS;
+	rs->lights = UTIL_ALLOC(rs->max_lights, rg_point_light);
+
 	if (shader_error) {
 		LOG(ERROR) << "Error initializing shader program\n";
 		return false;
@@ -264,9 +268,7 @@ createScene(render_state* rs, std::vector<hex_info>* hexes, Entity* entities, ui
 
 	// TODO: load light properties from scene/level files
 	// light testing
-	// TODO: allocate this in scene_loader... or initRenderer?
-	rs->lights = UTIL_ALLOC(rs->max_lights, rg_point_light);
-#if 1
+#if 0
 	rs->lights[0].light_ID = 0;
 	rs->lights[0].position = glm::vec3(0.f, 0.f, 200.f);
 	rs->lights[0].color = glm::vec3(1.f, 1.f, 1.f);
diff --git a/src/renderer.h b/src/renderer.h
index 9e5f818..76afeda 100644
--- a/src/renderer.h
+++ b/src/renderer.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ struct render_state
 {
 	v2i viewport_dims;
 	bool is_debug_draw;
+	// TODO: maybe add handles reference here?
 
 	// TODO: testing lighting
 	rg_point_light* lights = nullptr;
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ struct render_state
 	uint max_lights = 0;
 };
 
-bool initRenderer(SDL_Handles &handles, v2i vpDims);
+bool initRenderer(render_state* rs, SDL_Handles &handles);
 void freeBuffers(render_state* rs);
 bool addTexture(SDL_Handles &handles, const char * path);
 camera& renGetCamera();
diff --git a/src/scene_loader.cpp b/src/scene_loader.cpp
index 4882778..413c899 100644
--- a/src/scene_loader.cpp
+++ b/src/scene_loader.cpp
@@ -146,10 +146,23 @@ slParseHexGrid(slSceneDoc* sd, hexgrid& hg)
 }
 
 
-void
+bool
 slParseLights(slSceneDoc* sd, rg_point_light* lights, uint& num_lights, uint max_lights)
 {
-	//const rapidjson::Value& json_lights = (*sd->doc)["lights"];
+	const rapidjson::Value& json_lights = (*sd->doc)["lights"];
+
+	if (json_lights.Size() > max_lights) {
+		LOG(ERROR) << "Too many lights\n";
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	num_lights = json_lights.Size();
+
+	for (uint i = 0; i < num_lights; i++) {
+		lights[i].position = parseVec3(json_lights[i]["position"]);
+	}
+
+	return true;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/scene_loader.h b/src/scene_loader.h
index c9bcfc9..f66ca05 100644
--- a/src/scene_loader.h
+++ b/src/scene_loader.h
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ bool slParseEntities(
 
 void slParseCamera(slSceneDoc* sd, camera& cam);
 void slParseHexGrid(slSceneDoc* sd, hexgrid& hg);
-void slParseLights(slSceneDoc* sd, rg_point_light* lights, uint& num_lights, uint max_lights);
+bool slParseLights(slSceneDoc* sd, rg_point_light* lights, uint& num_lights, uint max_lights);