diff --git a/light/bounce.cc b/light/bounce.cc
index b36641ba..dd14e893 100644
--- a/light/bounce.cc
+++ b/light/bounce.cc
@@ -223,9 +223,18 @@ static void MakeBounceLightsThread(const settings::worldspawn_keys &cfg, const m
         return;
     }
 
+    qvec3f total = {};
+
     for (auto &styleColor : sum) {
         styleColor.second *= (1.0f / totalarea);
         styleColor.second /= 255.0f;
+
+        total += styleColor.second;
+    }
+    
+    // no bounced color, we can leave early
+    if (qv::emptyExact(total)) {
+        return;
     }
 
     // lerp between gray and the texture color according to `bouncecolorscale` (0 = use gray, 1 = use texture color)
diff --git a/light/light.cc b/light/light.cc
index 05e52205..37ea761d 100644
--- a/light/light.cc
+++ b/light/light.cc
@@ -901,10 +901,10 @@ int light_main(int argc, const char **argv)
         options.rangescale.setValue(1.0f);
     }
     if ((bspdata.loadversion->game->id == GAME_QUAKE_II) && !options.bouncecolorscale.isChanged()) {
-        options.bouncecolorscale.setValue(0.5f);
+        options.bouncecolorscale.setValue(1.0f);
     }
     if ((bspdata.loadversion->game->id == GAME_QUAKE_II) && !options.bouncescale.isChanged()) {
-        options.bouncescale.setValue(1.0f);
+        options.bouncescale.setValue(1.5f);
     }
 
     img::init_palette(bspdata.loadversion->game);