diff --git a/src/client/content_cao.cpp b/src/client/content_cao.cpp
index 5bf3402ba..e11debc94 100644
--- a/src/client/content_cao.cpp
+++ b/src/client/content_cao.cpp
@@ -220,14 +220,9 @@ static scene::SMesh *generateNodeMesh(Client *client, MapNode n,
 
 			// Set up material
 			auto &mat = buf->Material;
-			mat.setTexture(0, p.layer.texture);
 			u32 shader_id = shdsrc->getShader("object_shader", p.layer.material_type, NDT_NORMAL);
 			mat.MaterialType = shdsrc->getShaderInfo(shader_id).material;
-			if (layer == 1) {
-				mat.PolygonOffsetSlopeScale = -1;
-				mat.PolygonOffsetDepthBias = -1;
-			}
-			p.layer.applyMaterialOptionsWithShaders(mat);
+			p.layer.applyMaterialOptions(mat, layer);
 
 			mesh->addMeshBuffer(buf.get());
 		}
diff --git a/src/client/mapblock_mesh.cpp b/src/client/mapblock_mesh.cpp
index 81c698363..35ac65de4 100644
--- a/src/client/mapblock_mesh.cpp
+++ b/src/client/mapblock_mesh.cpp
@@ -687,28 +687,16 @@ MapBlockMesh::MapBlockMesh(Client *client, MeshMakeData *data):
 
 			// Create material
 			video::SMaterial material;
-			material.BackfaceCulling = true;
 			material.FogEnable = true;
-			material.setTexture(0, p.layer.texture);
 			material.forEachTexture([] (auto &tex) {
 				tex.MinFilter = video::ETMINF_NEAREST_MIPMAP_NEAREST;
 				tex.MagFilter = video::ETMAGF_NEAREST;
 			});
-			/*
-			 * The second layer is for overlays, but uses the same vertex positions
-			 * as the first, which quickly leads to z-fighting.
-			 * To fix this we can offset the polygons in the direction of the camera.
-			 * This only affects the depth buffer and leads to no visual gaps in geometry.
-			 */
-			if (layer == 1) {
-				material.PolygonOffsetSlopeScale = -1;
-				material.PolygonOffsetDepthBias = -1;
-			}
 
 			{
 				material.MaterialType = m_shdrsrc->getShaderInfo(
 						p.layer.shader_id).material;
-				p.layer.applyMaterialOptionsWithShaders(material);
+				p.layer.applyMaterialOptions(material, layer);
 			}
 
 			scene::SMeshBuffer *buf = new scene::SMeshBuffer();
diff --git a/src/client/tile.cpp b/src/client/tile.cpp
index ad5811d64..b13d39056 100644
--- a/src/client/tile.cpp
+++ b/src/client/tile.cpp
@@ -4,41 +4,10 @@
 
 #include "tile.h"
 
-// Sets everything else except the texture in the material
-void TileLayer::applyMaterialOptions(video::SMaterial &material) const
+void TileLayer::applyMaterialOptions(video::SMaterial &material, int layer) const
 {
-	switch (material_type) {
-	case TILE_MATERIAL_OPAQUE:
-	case TILE_MATERIAL_LIQUID_OPAQUE:
-	case TILE_MATERIAL_WAVING_LIQUID_OPAQUE:
-		material.MaterialType = video::EMT_SOLID;
-		break;
-	case TILE_MATERIAL_BASIC:
-	case TILE_MATERIAL_WAVING_LEAVES:
-	case TILE_MATERIAL_WAVING_PLANTS:
-	case TILE_MATERIAL_WAVING_LIQUID_BASIC:
-		material.MaterialTypeParam = 0.5;
-		material.MaterialType = video::EMT_TRANSPARENT_ALPHA_CHANNEL_REF;
-		break;
-	case TILE_MATERIAL_ALPHA:
-	case TILE_MATERIAL_LIQUID_TRANSPARENT:
-	case TILE_MATERIAL_WAVING_LIQUID_TRANSPARENT:
-		material.MaterialType = video::EMT_TRANSPARENT_ALPHA_CHANNEL;
-		break;
-	default:
-		break;
-	}
-	material.BackfaceCulling = (material_flags & MATERIAL_FLAG_BACKFACE_CULLING) != 0;
-	if (!(material_flags & MATERIAL_FLAG_TILEABLE_HORIZONTAL)) {
-		material.TextureLayers[0].TextureWrapU = video::ETC_CLAMP_TO_EDGE;
-	}
-	if (!(material_flags & MATERIAL_FLAG_TILEABLE_VERTICAL)) {
-		material.TextureLayers[0].TextureWrapV = video::ETC_CLAMP_TO_EDGE;
-	}
-}
+	material.setTexture(0, texture);
 
-void TileLayer::applyMaterialOptionsWithShaders(video::SMaterial &material) const
-{
 	material.BackfaceCulling = (material_flags & MATERIAL_FLAG_BACKFACE_CULLING) != 0;
 	if (!(material_flags & MATERIAL_FLAG_TILEABLE_HORIZONTAL)) {
 		material.TextureLayers[0].TextureWrapU = video::ETC_CLAMP_TO_EDGE;
@@ -48,4 +17,15 @@ void TileLayer::applyMaterialOptionsWithShaders(video::SMaterial &material) cons
 		material.TextureLayers[0].TextureWrapV = video::ETC_CLAMP_TO_EDGE;
 		material.TextureLayers[1].TextureWrapV = video::ETC_CLAMP_TO_EDGE;
 	}
+
+	/*
+	 * The second layer is for overlays, but uses the same vertex positions
+	 * as the first, which easily leads to Z-fighting.
+	 * To fix this we can offset the polygons in the direction of the camera.
+	 * This only affects the depth buffer and leads to no visual gaps in geometry.
+	 */
+	if (layer == 1) {
+		material.PolygonOffsetSlopeScale = -1;
+		material.PolygonOffsetDepthBias = -1;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/client/tile.h b/src/client/tile.h
index a337f1381..8336d1d85 100644
--- a/src/client/tile.h
+++ b/src/client/tile.h
@@ -84,9 +84,13 @@ struct TileLayer
 		return !(*this == other);
 	}
 
-	void applyMaterialOptions(video::SMaterial &material) const;
-
-	void applyMaterialOptionsWithShaders(video::SMaterial &material) const;
+	/**
+	 * Set some material parameters accordingly.
+	 * @note does not set `MaterialType`
+	 * @param material material to mody
+	 * @param layer index of this layer in the `TileSpec`
+	 */
+	void applyMaterialOptions(video::SMaterial &material, int layer) const;
 
 	/// @return is this layer semi-transparent?
 	bool isTransparent() const
diff --git a/src/client/wieldmesh.cpp b/src/client/wieldmesh.cpp
index b5851264e..7b87f7bdf 100644
--- a/src/client/wieldmesh.cpp
+++ b/src/client/wieldmesh.cpp
@@ -326,13 +326,8 @@ static scene::SMesh *createGenericNodeMesh(Client *client, MapNode n,
 			buf->append(&p.vertices[0], p.vertices.size(),
 					&p.indices[0], p.indices.size());
 
-			// Set up material
-			buf->Material.setTexture(0, p.layer.texture);
-			if (layer == 1) {
-				buf->Material.PolygonOffsetSlopeScale = -1;
-				buf->Material.PolygonOffsetDepthBias = -1;
-			}
-			p.layer.applyMaterialOptions(buf->Material);
+			// note: material type is left unset, overriden later
+			p.layer.applyMaterialOptions(buf->Material, layer);
 
 			mesh->addMeshBuffer(buf.get());
 			colors->emplace_back(p.layer.has_color, p.layer.color);
@@ -432,7 +427,7 @@ void WieldMeshSceneNode::setItem(const ItemStack &item, Client *client, bool che
 		u32 material_count = m_meshnode->getMaterialCount();
 		for (u32 i = 0; i < material_count; ++i) {
 			video::SMaterial &material = m_meshnode->getMaterial(i);
-			// FIXME: overriding this breaks different alpha modes the mesh may have
+			// FIXME: we should take different alpha modes of the mesh into account here
 			material.MaterialType = m_material_type;
 			material.MaterialTypeParam = 0.5f;
 			material.forEachTexture([this] (auto &tex) {