diff --git a/demos/05-scene.c b/demos/05-scene.c
index 8bcd5a4..fd00e77 100644
--- a/demos/05-scene.c
+++ b/demos/05-scene.c
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ int main() {
     // options
     bool  do_twosided = 1;
     bool  do_wireframe = 0;
-    bool  do_billboard_x = 0, do_billboard_y = 0, do_billboard_z = 0;
+    bool  do_billboard_x = 1, do_billboard_y = 1, do_billboard_z = 1;
 
     // window (80% sized, MSAA x4 flag)
     window_create(80, WINDOW_MSAA4);
diff --git a/engine/art/shaders/vs_323444143_16_332_model.glsl b/engine/art/shaders/vs_323444143_16_332_model.glsl
index 4575f1b..4e1044f 100644
--- a/engine/art/shaders/vs_323444143_16_332_model.glsl
+++ b/engine/art/shaders/vs_323444143_16_332_model.glsl
@@ -126,14 +126,17 @@ void main() {
         vec3 cameraPosition = -transpose(mat3(view)) * view[3].xyz;
         vec3 lookDir = normalize(cameraPosition - v_position_ws);
 
-        vec3 up = vec3(view[0][1], view[1][1], view[2][1]);
+        vec3 up = vec3(modelView[0][1], modelView[1][1], modelView[2][1]);
         vec3 right = normalize(cross(up, lookDir));
         up = cross(lookDir, right);
 
         vec3 scale;
-        scale.x = length(vec3(att_instanced_matrix[0]));
-        scale.y = length(vec3(att_instanced_matrix[1]));
-        scale.z = length(vec3(att_instanced_matrix[2]));            
+        scale.x = length(vec3(l_model[0]));
+        scale.y = length(vec3(l_model[1]));
+        scale.z = length(vec3(l_model[2]));
+        // scale.x *= sign(l_model[0][0]);
+        // scale.y *= sign(l_model[1][1]);
+        // scale.z *= sign(l_model[2][2]);
 
         mat4 billboardRotation = mat4(
             vec4(right * scale.x, 0.0),
diff --git a/engine/joint/v4k.h b/engine/joint/v4k.h
index 8730108..3ac1df7 100644
--- a/engine/joint/v4k.h
+++ b/engine/joint/v4k.h
@@ -354485,7 +354485,7 @@ model_t model_from_mem(const void *mem, int len, int flags) {
             "att_position,att_texcoord,att_normal,att_tangent,att_instanced_matrix,,,,att_indexes,att_weights,att_vertexindex,att_color,att_bitangent","fragColor",
             va("SHADING_PHONG,%s", (flags&MODEL_RIMLIGHT)?"RIM":""));
     // }
-    // ASSERT(shaderprog > 0);
+    ASSERT(shaderprog > 0);
 
     iqm_t *q = CALLOC(1, sizeof(iqm_t));
     m.program = shaderprog;
diff --git a/engine/split/v4k_render.c b/engine/split/v4k_render.c
index 2f86bc3..79949ef 100644
--- a/engine/split/v4k_render.c
+++ b/engine/split/v4k_render.c
@@ -4398,7 +4398,7 @@ model_t model_from_mem(const void *mem, int len, int flags) {
             "att_position,att_texcoord,att_normal,att_tangent,att_instanced_matrix,,,,att_indexes,att_weights,att_vertexindex,att_color,att_bitangent","fragColor",
             va("SHADING_PHONG,%s", (flags&MODEL_RIMLIGHT)?"RIM":""));
     // }
-    // ASSERT(shaderprog > 0);
+    ASSERT(shaderprog > 0);
 
     iqm_t *q = CALLOC(1, sizeof(iqm_t));
     m.program = shaderprog;
diff --git a/engine/v4k.c b/engine/v4k.c
index b33c16f..c3c3740 100644
--- a/engine/v4k.c
+++ b/engine/v4k.c
@@ -20562,7 +20562,7 @@ model_t model_from_mem(const void *mem, int len, int flags) {
             "att_position,att_texcoord,att_normal,att_tangent,att_instanced_matrix,,,,att_indexes,att_weights,att_vertexindex,att_color,att_bitangent","fragColor",
             va("SHADING_PHONG,%s", (flags&MODEL_RIMLIGHT)?"RIM":""));
     // }
-    // ASSERT(shaderprog > 0);
+    ASSERT(shaderprog > 0);
 
     iqm_t *q = CALLOC(1, sizeof(iqm_t));
     m.program = shaderprog;