diff --git a/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/data/hw_lightmaptile.h b/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/data/hw_lightmaptile.h
index 7f803f5a8..627b13c51 100644
--- a/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/data/hw_lightmaptile.h
+++ b/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/data/hw_lightmaptile.h
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
 #include "vectors.h"
 #include "bounds.h"
 
+#define LIGHTMAP_GLOBAL_SAMPLE_DISTANCE_MIN (int)4
+#define LIGHTMAP_GLOBAL_SAMPLE_DISTANCE_MAX (int)64
+
 struct LevelMeshSurface;
 
 struct LightmapTileBinding
diff --git a/src/maploader/maploader.cpp b/src/maploader/maploader.cpp
index eb4e19c0d..3ea84000c 100644
--- a/src/maploader/maploader.cpp
+++ b/src/maploader/maploader.cpp
@@ -2967,7 +2967,7 @@ void MapLoader::InitLevelMesh(MapData* map)
 	if (map->Size(ML_LIGHTMAP))
 	{
 		// Arbitrary ZDRay limit. This will break lightmap lump loading if not enforced.
-		Level->LightmapSampleDistance = Level->LightmapSampleDistance < 8 ? 8 : Level->LightmapSampleDistance;
+		Level->LightmapSampleDistance = std::clamp((int)Level->LightmapSampleDistance, LIGHTMAP_GLOBAL_SAMPLE_DISTANCE_MIN, LIGHTMAP_GLOBAL_SAMPLE_DISTANCE_MAX);
 
 		if (!Level->lightmaps) // We are unfortunately missing ZDRayInfo
 		{
diff --git a/src/maploader/udmf.cpp b/src/maploader/udmf.cpp
index f71f60fa6..c813cc4a4 100644
--- a/src/maploader/udmf.cpp
+++ b/src/maploader/udmf.cpp
@@ -810,14 +810,12 @@ public:
 				break;
 			case NAME_lm_sampledist:
 				CHECK_N(Zd | Zdt)
-				if (CheckInt(key) >= 0 && CheckInt(key) <= 0xFFFF)
+				if (CheckInt(key) < LIGHTMAP_GLOBAL_SAMPLE_DISTANCE_MIN || CheckInt(key) > LIGHTMAP_GLOBAL_SAMPLE_DISTANCE_MAX)
 				{
-					Level->LightmapSampleDistance = CheckInt(key);
-				}
-				else
-				{
-					DPrintf(DMSG_WARNING, "Can't set the global lm_sampledist to %s\n", key.GetChars());
+					DPrintf(DMSG_WARNING, "Current lm_sampledist value, %x, on the ZDRayInfo thing is out of range (min: %i, max: %i)\n",
+						CheckInt(key), LIGHTMAP_GLOBAL_SAMPLE_DISTANCE_MIN, LIGHTMAP_GLOBAL_SAMPLE_DISTANCE_MAX);
 				}
+				Level->LightmapSampleDistance = CheckInt(key);
 				break;
 
 			default: