diff --git a/include/light/light.h b/include/light/light.h
index 90d7c667..9b26234f 100644
--- a/include/light/light.h
+++ b/include/light/light.h
@@ -42,12 +42,12 @@ extern "C" {
  */
 qboolean TestSky(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, const dmodel_t *self);
 qboolean TestLight(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t stop, const dmodel_t *self);
-qboolean DirtTrace(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, vec_t dist, const dmodel_t *self, vec3_t hitpoint_out, plane_t *hitplane_out, const bsp2_dface_t **face_out);
+qboolean DirtTrace(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, vec_t dist, const dmodel_t *self, vec_t *hitdist_out, plane_t *hitplane_out, const bsp2_dface_t **face_out);
     
 void Embree_TraceInit(const bsp2_t *bsp);
 qboolean Embree_TestSky(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, const dmodel_t *self);
 qboolean Embree_TestLight(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t stop, const dmodel_t *self);
-qboolean Embree_DirtTrace(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, vec_t dist, const dmodel_t *self, vec3_t hitpoint_out, plane_t *hitplane_out, const bsp2_dface_t **face_out);
+qboolean Embree_DirtTrace(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, vec_t dist, const dmodel_t *self, vec_t *hitdist_out, plane_t *hitplane_out, const bsp2_dface_t **face_out);
 
 int
 SampleTexture(const bsp2_dface_t *face, const bsp2_t *bsp, const vec3_t point);
diff --git a/light/ltface.c b/light/ltface.c
index c4d1669a..7193da37 100644
--- a/light/ltface.c
+++ b/light/ltface.c
@@ -602,7 +602,6 @@ CheckObstructed(const lightsurf_t *surf, const vec3_t offset, const vec_t us, co
             TexCoordToWorld(us + (x/10.0), ut + (y/10.0), &surf->texorg, testpoint);
             VectorAdd(testpoint, offset, testpoint);
             
-            vec3_t hitpoint = {0};
             plane_t hitplane = {0};
             
             const dmodel_t *selfshadow = (surf->modelinfo->shadowself) ? surf->modelinfo->model : NULL;
@@ -615,14 +614,10 @@ CheckObstructed(const lightsurf_t *surf, const vec3_t offset, const vec_t us, co
             }
             
             // trace from surf->midpoint to testpoint
-            if (DirtTrace(surf->midpoint, dirn, dist, selfshadow, hitpoint, &hitplane, NULL)) {
+            vec_t hitdist = 0;
+            if (DirtTrace(surf->midpoint, dirn, dist, selfshadow, &hitdist, &hitplane, NULL)) {
                 // make a corrected point
-                
-                vec3_t tracedir;
-                VectorSubtract(hitpoint, surf->midpoint, tracedir);
-                const vec_t hitdist = VectorNormalize(tracedir);
-                
-                VectorMA(surf->midpoint, qmax(0.0f, hitdist - 0.25f), tracedir, corrected);
+                VectorMA(surf->midpoint, qmax(0.0f, hitdist - 0.25f), dirn, corrected);
                 return true;
             }
         }
@@ -1831,8 +1826,8 @@ static vec_t
 DirtForSample(const dmodel_t *model, const vec3_t origin, const vec3_t normal){
     int i;
     float gatherDirt, angle, elevation, ooDepth;
-    vec3_t worldUp, myUp, myRt, temp, direction, displacement;
-    vec3_t traceHitpoint;
+    vec3_t worldUp, myUp, myRt, temp, direction;
+    vec_t traceHitdist;
 
     /* dummy check */
     if ( !dirty.value ) {
@@ -1877,9 +1872,8 @@ DirtForSample(const dmodel_t *model, const vec3_t origin, const vec3_t normal){
             direction[ 2 ] = myRt[ 2 ] * temp[ 0 ] + myUp[ 2 ] * temp[ 1 ] + normal[ 2 ] * temp[ 2 ];
 
             /* trace */
-            if (DirtTrace(origin, direction, dirtDepth.value, model, traceHitpoint, NULL, NULL)) {
-                VectorSubtract( traceHitpoint, origin, displacement );
-                gatherDirt += 1.0f - ooDepth * VectorLength( displacement );
+            if (DirtTrace(origin, direction, dirtDepth.value, model, &traceHitdist, NULL, NULL)) {
+                gatherDirt += 1.0f - ooDepth * traceHitdist;
             }
         }
     } else {
@@ -1891,17 +1885,15 @@ DirtForSample(const dmodel_t *model, const vec3_t origin, const vec3_t normal){
             direction[ 2 ] = myRt[ 2 ] * dirtVectors[ i ][ 0 ] + myUp[ 2 ] * dirtVectors[ i ][ 1 ] + normal[ 2 ] * dirtVectors[ i ][ 2 ];
 
             /* trace */
-            if (DirtTrace(origin, direction, dirtDepth.value, model, traceHitpoint, NULL, NULL)) {
-                VectorSubtract( traceHitpoint, origin, displacement );
-                gatherDirt += 1.0f - ooDepth * VectorLength( displacement );
+            if (DirtTrace(origin, direction, dirtDepth.value, model, &traceHitdist, NULL, NULL)) {
+                gatherDirt += 1.0f - ooDepth * traceHitdist;
             }
         }
     }
     
     /* trace */
-    if (DirtTrace(origin, direction, dirtDepth.value, model, traceHitpoint, NULL, NULL)) {
-        VectorSubtract( traceHitpoint, origin, displacement );
-        gatherDirt += 1.0f - ooDepth * VectorLength( displacement );
+    if (DirtTrace(origin, direction, dirtDepth.value, model, &traceHitdist, NULL, NULL)) {
+        gatherDirt += 1.0f - ooDepth * traceHitdist;
     }
 
     /* save gatherDirt, the rest of the scaling of the dirt value is done
diff --git a/light/trace.c b/light/trace.c
index 607a4eaf..c2032eb8 100644
--- a/light/trace.c
+++ b/light/trace.c
@@ -659,7 +659,7 @@ BSP_TestSky(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, const dmodel_t *self)
  * ============
  */
 qboolean
-BSP_DirtTrace(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, vec_t dist, const dmodel_t *self, vec3_t hitpoint_out, plane_t *hitplane_out, const bsp2_dface_t **face_out)
+BSP_DirtTrace(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, const vec_t dist, const dmodel_t *self, vec_t *hitdist_out, plane_t *hitplane_out, const bsp2_dface_t **face_out)
 {
     vec3_t stop;
     VectorMA(start, dist, dirn, stop);
@@ -669,7 +669,11 @@ BSP_DirtTrace(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, vec_t dist, const dmodel_t
     
     if (self) {
         if (TraceFaces (&ti, self->headnode[0], start, stop)) {
-            VectorCopy(ti.point, hitpoint_out);
+            if (hitdist_out) {
+                vec3_t delta;
+                VectorSubtract(ti.point, start, delta);
+                *hitdist_out = VectorLength(delta);
+            }
             if (hitplane_out) {
                 *hitplane_out = ti.hitplane;
             }
@@ -686,7 +690,11 @@ BSP_DirtTrace(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, vec_t dist, const dmodel_t
         if ((*model)->model == self)
             continue;
         if (TraceFaces (&ti, (*model)->model->headnode[0], start, stop)) {
-            VectorCopy(ti.point, hitpoint_out);
+            if (hitdist_out) {
+                vec3_t delta;
+                VectorSubtract(ti.point, start, delta);
+                *hitdist_out = VectorLength(delta);
+            }
             if (hitplane_out) {
                 *hitplane_out = ti.hitplane;
             }
@@ -815,15 +823,15 @@ qboolean TestLight(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t stop, const dmodel_t *self)
 }
 
 
-qboolean DirtTrace(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, vec_t dist, const dmodel_t *self, vec3_t hitpoint_out, plane_t *hitplane_out, const bsp2_dface_t **face_out)
+qboolean DirtTrace(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, vec_t dist, const dmodel_t *self, vec_t *hitdist_out, plane_t *hitplane_out, const bsp2_dface_t **face_out)
 {
 #ifdef HAVE_EMBREE
     if (rtbackend == backend_embree) {
-        return Embree_DirtTrace(start, dirn, dist, self, hitpoint_out, hitplane_out, face_out);
+        return Embree_DirtTrace(start, dirn, dist, self, hitdist_out, hitplane_out, face_out);
     }
 #endif
     if (rtbackend == backend_bsp) {
-        return BSP_DirtTrace(start, dirn, dist, self, hitpoint_out, hitplane_out, face_out);
+        return BSP_DirtTrace(start, dirn, dist, self, hitdist_out, hitplane_out, face_out);
     }
     Error("no backend available");
 }
diff --git a/light/trace_embree.cc b/light/trace_embree.cc
index 724bb404..6293728c 100644
--- a/light/trace_embree.cc
+++ b/light/trace_embree.cc
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ qboolean Embree_TestSky(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, const dmodel_t *s
 }
 
 //public
-qboolean Embree_DirtTrace(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, vec_t dist, const dmodel_t *self, vec3_t hitpoint_out, plane_t *hitplane_out, const bsp2_dface_t **face_out)
+qboolean Embree_DirtTrace(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, vec_t dist, const dmodel_t *self, vec_t *hitdist_out, plane_t *hitplane_out, const bsp2_dface_t **face_out)
 {
     RTCRay ray = SetupRay(start, dirn, dist, self);
     rtcIntersect(scene, ray);
@@ -298,9 +298,8 @@ qboolean Embree_DirtTrace(const vec3_t start, const vec3_t dirn, vec_t dist, con
         || ray.geomID == skygeom.geomID)
         return false;
     
-    // compute hitpoint_out
-    if (hitpoint_out) {
-        VectorMA(start, ray.tfar, dirn, hitpoint_out);
+    if (hitdist_out) {
+        *hitdist_out = ray.tfar;
     }
     if (hitplane_out) {
         for (int i=0; i<3; i++) {