diff --git a/include/common/bspfile.hh b/include/common/bspfile.hh
index 99e52a77..ee73a040 100644
--- a/include/common/bspfile.hh
+++ b/include/common/bspfile.hh
@@ -205,17 +205,20 @@ struct surfflags_t
     // custom opacity
     vec_t light_alpha;
 
+    // maxlight value for this face
+    vec_t maxlight;
+
     constexpr bool needs_write() const
     {
         return no_dirt || no_shadow || no_bounce || no_minlight || no_expand || light_ignore || phong_angle ||
-               phong_angle_concave || minlight || !qv::emptyExact(minlight_color) || light_alpha;
+               phong_angle_concave || minlight || !qv::emptyExact(minlight_color) || light_alpha || maxlight;
     }
 
 private:
     constexpr auto as_tuple() const
     {
         return std::tie(native, is_skip, is_hintskip, is_hint, no_dirt, no_shadow, no_bounce, no_minlight, no_expand,
-            light_ignore, phong_angle, phong_angle_concave, minlight, minlight_color, light_alpha);
+            light_ignore, phong_angle, phong_angle_concave, minlight, minlight_color, light_alpha, maxlight);
     }
 
 public:
diff --git a/include/light/light.hh b/include/light/light.hh
index 5c508314..d7a73d91 100644
--- a/include/light/light.hh
+++ b/include/light/light.hh
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ struct lightsurf_t
     const mbsp_t *bsp;
     const mface_t *face;
     /* these take precedence the values in modelinfo */
-    vec_t minlight;
+    vec_t minlight, maxlight;
     qvec3d minlight_color;
     bool nodirt, minlightMottle;
 
@@ -208,8 +208,11 @@ public:
     const dmodelh2_t *model;
     float lightmapscale;
     qvec3d offset{};
-
+    
     settings::setting_scalar minlight{this, "minlight", 0};
+    // zero will apply no clamping; use lightignore instead to do that.
+    // above zero, this controls the clamp value on the light, default 255
+    settings::setting_scalar maxlight{this, "maxlight", 0};
     settings::setting_bool minlightMottle{this, "minlightMottle", false};
     settings::setting_scalar shadow{this, "shadow", 0};
     settings::setting_scalar shadowself{this, {"shadowself", "selfshadow"}, 0};
@@ -273,6 +276,7 @@ public:
     setting_scalar lightmapgamma{this, "gamma", 1.0, 0.0, 100.0, &worldspawn_group};
     setting_bool addminlight{this, "addmin", false, &worldspawn_group};
     setting_scalar minlight{this, {"light", "minlight"}, 0, &worldspawn_group};
+    setting_scalar maxlight{this, "maxlight", 0, &worldspawn_group};
     setting_color minlight_color{this, {"minlight_color", "mincolor"}, 255.0, 255.0, 255.0, &worldspawn_group};
     setting_bool spotlightautofalloff{this, "spotlightautofalloff", false, &worldspawn_group}; // mxd
     setting_int32 compilerstyle_start{
diff --git a/light/light.cc b/light/light.cc
index 18e0373c..1f688c7a 100644
--- a/light/light.cc
+++ b/light/light.cc
@@ -764,6 +764,9 @@ static void LoadExtendedTexinfoFlags(const fs::path &sourcefilename, const mbsp_
         if (val.contains("minlight")) {
             flags.minlight = val.at("minlight").get<vec_t>();
         }
+        if (val.contains("maxlight")) {
+            flags.maxlight = val.at("maxlight").get<vec_t>();
+        }
         if (val.contains("minlight_color")) {
             flags.minlight_color = val.at("minlight_color").get<qvec3b>();
         }
diff --git a/light/ltface.cc b/light/ltface.cc
index b63821d6..271d6121 100644
--- a/light/ltface.cc
+++ b/light/ltface.cc
@@ -634,23 +634,35 @@ static std::unique_ptr<lightsurf_t> Lightsurf_Init(const modelinfo_t *modelinfo,
     }
 
     lightsurf->minlightMottle = modelinfo->minlightMottle.value();
-
+    
     // minlight
     if (modelinfo->minlight.isChanged()) {
         lightsurf->minlight = modelinfo->minlight.value();
-
-        // Q2 uses a 0-1 range for minlight
-        if (bsp->loadversion->game->id == GAME_QUAKE_II) {
-            lightsurf->minlight *= 128.f;
-
-            if (!modelinfo->minlightMottle.isChanged()) {
-                lightsurf->minlightMottle = true;
-            }
-        }
     } else {
         lightsurf->minlight = extended_flags.minlight;
     }
 
+    // Q2 uses a 0-1 range for minlight
+    if (bsp->loadversion->game->id == GAME_QUAKE_II) {
+        lightsurf->minlight *= 128.f;
+
+        if (!modelinfo->minlightMottle.isChanged()) {
+            lightsurf->minlightMottle = true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    // maxlight
+    if (modelinfo->maxlight.isChanged()) {
+        lightsurf->maxlight = modelinfo->maxlight.value();
+    } else {
+        lightsurf->maxlight = extended_flags.maxlight;
+    }
+
+    // Q2 uses a 0-1 range for minlight
+    if (bsp->loadversion->game->id == GAME_QUAKE_II) {
+        lightsurf->maxlight *= 128.f;
+    }
+
     // minlight_color
     if (modelinfo->minlight_color.isChanged()) {
         lightsurf->minlight_color = modelinfo->minlight_color.value();
@@ -1331,7 +1343,7 @@ static void LightFace_Sky(const sun_t *sun, lightsurf_t *lightsurf, lightmapdict
             continue;
         }
 
-        qvec3d normalcontrib = sun->sunvec * value;
+        qvec3d normalcontrib = incoming * value;
 
         rs.pushRay(i, surfpoint, incoming, MAX_SKY_DIST, &color, &normalcontrib);
     }
@@ -2200,17 +2212,32 @@ inline void LightFace_ScaleAndClamp(lightsurf_t *lightsurf)
             /* Fix any negative values */
             color = qv::max(color, {0});
 
-            /* Scale and clamp any out-of-range samples */
-            color *= cfg.rangescale.value();
+            // before any other scaling, apply maxlight
+            if (lightsurf->maxlight || cfg.maxlight.value()) {
+                vec_t maxcolor = qv::max(color);
+                // FIXME: for colored lighting, this doesn't seem to generate the right values...
+                vec_t maxval = (lightsurf->maxlight ? lightsurf->maxlight : cfg.maxlight.value()) * 2.0;
 
-            for (auto &c : color) {
-                c = pow(c / 255.0f, 1.0 / cfg.lightmapgamma.value()) * 255.0f;
+                if (maxcolor > maxval) {
+                    color *= (maxval / maxcolor);
+                }
             }
 
+            /* Scale and handle gamma adjustment */
+            color *= cfg.rangescale.value();
+
+            if (cfg.lightmapgamma.value() != 1.0) {
+                for (auto &c : color) {
+                    c = pow(c / 255.0f, 1.0 / cfg.lightmapgamma.value()) * 255.0f;
+                }
+            }
+
+            // clamp
+            // FIXME: should this be a brightness clamp?
             vec_t maxcolor = qv::max(color);
 
-            if (maxcolor > 255) {
-                color *= (255.0f / maxcolor);
+            if (maxcolor > 255.0) {
+                color *= (255.0 / maxcolor);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/qbsp/map.cc b/qbsp/map.cc
index 4afa7129..de5b9cf7 100644
--- a/qbsp/map.cc
+++ b/qbsp/map.cc
@@ -495,6 +495,14 @@ static surfflags_t SurfFlagsForEntity(const maptexinfo_t &texinfo, const mapenti
         flags.minlight = clamp(minlight, 0.0, 510.0);
     }
 
+    // handle "_maxlight"
+    const vec_t maxlight = entity->epairs.get_float("_maxlight");
+    if (maxlight > 0) {
+        // CHECK: allow > 510 now that we're float? or is it not worth it since it will
+        // be beyond max?
+        flags.maxlight = clamp(maxlight, 0.0, 510.0);
+    }
+
     // handle "_mincolor"
     {
         qvec3d mincolor{};
diff --git a/qbsp/writebsp.cc b/qbsp/writebsp.cc
index d859b8e8..78a74074 100644
--- a/qbsp/writebsp.cc
+++ b/qbsp/writebsp.cc
@@ -366,6 +366,9 @@ static void WriteExtendedTexinfoFlags(void)
         if (tx.flags.minlight) {
             t["minlight"] = tx.flags.minlight;
         }
+        if (tx.flags.maxlight) {
+            t["maxlight"] = tx.flags.maxlight;
+        }
         if (!qv::emptyExact(tx.flags.minlight_color)) {
             t["minlight_color"] = tx.flags.minlight_color;
         }