diff --git a/src/am_map.cpp b/src/am_map.cpp
index dd3d93423..8510eafa1 100644
--- a/src/am_map.cpp
+++ b/src/am_map.cpp
@@ -2012,6 +2012,9 @@ void DAutomap::drawSubsectors()
 	PalEntry flatcolor;
 	mpoint_t originpt;
 
+	auto lm = getRealLightmode(Level, false);
+	bool softlightramp = !V_IsHardwareRenderer() || lm == ELightMode::Doom || lm == ELightMode::DoomDark;
+
 	auto &subsectors = Level->subsectors;
 	for (unsigned i = 0; i < subsectors.Size(); ++i)
 	{
@@ -2186,15 +2189,14 @@ void DAutomap::drawSubsectors()
 			// Why the +12? I wish I knew, but experimentation indicates it
 			// is necessary in order to best reproduce Doom's original lighting.
 			double fadelevel;
-
-			if (!V_IsHardwareRenderer() || primaryLevel->lightMode == ELightMode::DoomDark || primaryLevel->lightMode == ELightMode::Doom || primaryLevel->lightMode == ELightMode::ZDoomSoftware || primaryLevel->lightMode == ELightMode::DoomSoftware)
+			if (softlightramp)
 			{
 				double map = (NUMCOLORMAPS * 2.) - ((floorlight + 12) * (NUMCOLORMAPS / 128.));
 				fadelevel = clamp((map - 12) / NUMCOLORMAPS, 0.0, 1.0);
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				// The hardware renderer's light modes 0, 1 and 4 use a linear light scale which must be used here as well. Otherwise the automap gets too dark.
+				// for the hardware renderer's light modes that use a linear light scale this must do the same. Otherwise the automap gets too dark.
 				fadelevel = 1. - clamp(floorlight, 0, 255) / 255.f;
 			}
 
diff --git a/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/data/hw_cvars.h b/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/data/hw_cvars.h
index 0b9d8f09b..cf2364979 100644
--- a/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/data/hw_cvars.h
+++ b/src/common/rendering/hwrenderer/data/hw_cvars.h
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ EXTERN_CVAR (Bool, gl_light_shadowmap);
 EXTERN_CVAR (Int, gl_shadowmap_quality);
 
 EXTERN_CVAR(Int, gl_fogmode)
-EXTERN_CVAR(Int, gl_lightmode)
 EXTERN_CVAR(Bool,gl_mirror_envmap)
 
 EXTERN_CVAR(Bool,gl_mirrors)
diff --git a/src/g_level.cpp b/src/g_level.cpp
index dda4651e6..5985ab374 100644
--- a/src/g_level.cpp
+++ b/src/g_level.cpp
@@ -146,17 +146,30 @@ CUSTOM_CVAR(Bool, gl_notexturefill, false, CVAR_NOINITCALL)
 	}
 }
 
-CUSTOM_CVAR(Int, gl_lightmode, 3, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_NOINITCALL)
+CUSTOM_CVAR(Int, gl_maplightmode, -1, CVAR_NOINITCALL) // this is just for testing. -1 means 'inactive'
 {
-	int newself = self;
-	if (newself > 8) newself = 16;	// use 8 and 16 for software lighting to avoid conflicts with the bit mask ( in hindsight a bad idea.)
-	else if (newself > 5) newself = 8;
-	else if (newself < 0) newself = 0;
-	if (self != newself) self = newself;
-	else for (auto Level : AllLevels())
+	if (self > 5 || self < -1) self = -1;
+}
+
+CUSTOM_CVAR(Int, gl_lightmode, 1, CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_NOINITCALL)
+{
+	if (self < 0 || self > 2) self = 2;
+}
+
+ELightMode getRealLightmode(FLevelLocals* Level, bool for3d)
+{
+	auto lightmode = Level->info->lightmode;
+	if (lightmode == ELightMode::NotSet)
 	{
-		if ((Level->info == nullptr || Level->info->lightmode == ELightMode::NotSet)) Level->lightMode = (ELightMode)*self;
+		if (gl_maplightmode != -1) Level->info->lightmode == (ELightMode)*gl_maplightmode;
+		else Level->info->lightmode = ELightMode::Doom;
 	}
+	if (lightmode == ELightMode::Doom && for3d)
+	{
+		if (gl_lightmode == 1) lightmode = ELightMode::ZDoomSoftware;
+		else if (gl_lightmode == 2) lightmode = ELightMode::DoomSoftware;
+	}
+	return lightmode;
 }
 
 CVAR(Int, sv_alwaystally, 0, CVAR_SERVERINFO)
@@ -1864,7 +1877,6 @@ void FLevelLocals::Init()
 
 	DefaultEnvironment = info->DefaultEnvironment;
 
-	lightMode = info->lightmode == ELightMode::NotSet? (ELightMode)*gl_lightmode : info->lightmode;
 	brightfog = info->brightfog < 0? gl_brightfog : !!info->brightfog;
 	lightadditivesurfaces = info->lightadditivesurfaces < 0 ? gl_lightadditivesurfaces : !!info->lightadditivesurfaces;
 	notexturefill = info->notexturefill < 0 ? gl_notexturefill : !!info->notexturefill;
diff --git a/src/g_levellocals.h b/src/g_levellocals.h
index 04ec8c6d9..b50b19fe4 100644
--- a/src/g_levellocals.h
+++ b/src/g_levellocals.h
@@ -683,7 +683,6 @@ public:
 	float		MusicVolume;
 
 	// Hardware render stuff that can either be set via CVAR or MAPINFO
-	ELightMode	lightMode;
 	bool		brightfog;
 	bool		lightadditivesurfaces;
 	bool		notexturefill;
@@ -883,3 +882,5 @@ inline TArrayView<FLevelLocals *> AllLevels()
 {
 	return TArrayView<FLevelLocals *>(&primaryLevel, 1);
 }
+
+ELightMode getRealLightmode(FLevelLocals* Level, bool for3d);
diff --git a/src/gameconfigfile.cpp b/src/gameconfigfile.cpp
index 6c9c88410..5a801bff3 100644
--- a/src/gameconfigfile.cpp
+++ b/src/gameconfigfile.cpp
@@ -607,6 +607,15 @@ void FGameConfigFile::DoGlobalSetup ()
 					var->SetGenericRep(v, CVAR_Float);
 				}
 			}
+			if (last < 225)
+			{
+				if (const auto var = FindCVar("gl_lightmode", NULL))
+				{
+					UCVarValue v = var->GetGenericRep(CVAR_Int);
+					v.Int /= 8; // all legacy modes map to 0, ZDoom software to 1 and Vanilla software to 2.
+					var->SetGenericRep(v, CVAR_Int);
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/gamedata/g_mapinfo.cpp b/src/gamedata/g_mapinfo.cpp
index a5b0bfb1c..78ffb15a1 100644
--- a/src/gamedata/g_mapinfo.cpp
+++ b/src/gamedata/g_mapinfo.cpp
@@ -1521,7 +1521,8 @@ DEFINE_MAP_OPTION(lightmode, false)
 	parse.ParseAssign();
 	parse.sc.MustGetNumber();
 
-	if ((parse.sc.Number >= 0 && parse.sc.Number <= 4) || parse.sc.Number == 8 || parse.sc.Number == 16)
+	if (parse.sc.Number == 8 || parse.sc.Number == 16) info->lightmode = ELightMode::NotSet;
+	else if (parse.sc.Number >= 0 && parse.sc.Number <= 5)
 	{
 		info->lightmode = ELightMode(parse.sc.Number);
 	}
diff --git a/src/rendering/hwrenderer/scene/hw_drawinfo.cpp b/src/rendering/hwrenderer/scene/hw_drawinfo.cpp
index 613132ebe..2275d9a11 100644
--- a/src/rendering/hwrenderer/scene/hw_drawinfo.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/hwrenderer/scene/hw_drawinfo.cpp
@@ -139,7 +139,8 @@ void HWDrawInfo::StartScene(FRenderViewpoint &parentvp, HWViewpointUniforms *uni
 	mClipper = &staticClipper;
 
 	Viewpoint = parentvp;
-	lightmode = Level->lightMode;
+	lightmode = getRealLightmode(Level, true);
+
 	if (uniforms)
 	{
 		VPUniforms = *uniforms;
@@ -153,7 +154,7 @@ void HWDrawInfo::StartScene(FRenderViewpoint &parentvp, HWViewpointUniforms *uni
 		VPUniforms.mViewMatrix.loadIdentity();
 		VPUniforms.mNormalViewMatrix.loadIdentity();
 		VPUniforms.mViewHeight = viewheight;
-		if (gl_lightmode == 5)
+		if (lightmode == ELightMode::Build)
 		{
 			VPUniforms.mGlobVis = 1 / 64.f;
 			VPUniforms.mPalLightLevels = 32 | (static_cast<int>(gl_fogmode) << 8) | ((int)lightmode << 16);
diff --git a/src/version.h b/src/version.h
index d6649ee22..e995dad82 100644
--- a/src/version.h
+++ b/src/version.h
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ const char *GetVersionString();
 // Version stored in the ini's [LastRun] section.
 // Bump it if you made some configuration change that you want to
 // be able to migrate in FGameConfigFile::DoGlobalSetup().
-#define LASTRUNVERSION "224"
+#define LASTRUNVERSION "225"
 
 // Protocol version used in demos.
 // Bump it if you change existing DEM_ commands or add new ones.