diff --git a/src/noggit/MapChunk.cpp b/src/noggit/MapChunk.cpp
index 02bb5dff..63a25bda 100755
--- a/src/noggit/MapChunk.cpp
+++ b/src/noggit/MapChunk.cpp
@@ -860,16 +860,8 @@ bool MapChunk::ChangeMCCV(glm::vec3 const& pos, glm::vec4 const& color, float ch
 
   if (!hasMCCV)
   {
-    for (int i = 0; i < mapbufsize; ++i)
-    {
-      mccv[i].x = 1.0f; // set default shaders
-      mccv[i].y = 1.0f;
-      mccv[i].z = 1.0f;
-    }
-
+    initMCCV();
     changed = true;
-    header_flags.flags.has_mccv = 1;
-    hasMCCV = true;
   }
 
   for (int i = 0; i < mapbufsize; ++i)
@@ -913,16 +905,8 @@ bool MapChunk::stampMCCV(glm::vec3 const& pos, glm::vec4 const& color, float cha
 
   if (!hasMCCV)
   {
-    for (int i = 0; i < mapbufsize; ++i)
-    {
-      mccv[i].x = 1.0f; // set default shaders
-      mccv[i].y = 1.0f;
-      mccv[i].z = 1.0f;
-    }
-
+    initMCCV();
     changed = true;
-    header_flags.flags.has_mccv = 1;
-    hasMCCV = true;
   }
 
   for (int i = 0; i < mapbufsize; ++i)
@@ -2046,6 +2030,22 @@ void MapChunk::setVertexColorImage(const QImage &image)
   registerChunkUpdate(ChunkUpdateFlags::MCCV);
 }
 
+void MapChunk::initMCCV()
+{
+  if (!hasMCCV)
+  {
+    for (int i = 0; i < mapbufsize; ++i)
+    {
+      mccv[i].x = 1.0f; // set default shaders
+      mccv[i].y = 1.0f;
+      mccv[i].z = 1.0f;
+    }
+
+    header_flags.flags.has_mccv = 1;
+    hasMCCV = true;
+  }
+}
+
 void MapChunk::registerChunkUpdate(unsigned flags)
 {
   _chunk_update_flags |= flags;
diff --git a/src/noggit/MapChunk.h b/src/noggit/MapChunk.h
index 96fe1b97..70287022 100755
--- a/src/noggit/MapChunk.h
+++ b/src/noggit/MapChunk.h
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ public:
   void setHeightmapImage(QImage const& image, float multiplier, int mode);
   void setAlphamapImage(QImage const& image, unsigned layer);
   void setVertexColorImage(QImage const& image);
+  void initMCCV();
 
   void registerChunkUpdate(unsigned flags);
   void endChunkUpdates() { _chunk_update_flags = 0; }
diff --git a/src/noggit/MapTile.cpp b/src/noggit/MapTile.cpp
index 9dbd8b3a..f0a5b81c 100755
--- a/src/noggit/MapTile.cpp
+++ b/src/noggit/MapTile.cpp
@@ -1465,6 +1465,11 @@ void MapTile::setVertexColorImage(QImage const& baseimage, int mode, bool tiledE
     {
       MapChunk* chunk = getChunk(k, l);
 
+      if (!chunk->hasColors())
+      {
+          chunk->initMCCV();
+      }
+
       chunk->registerChunkUpdate(ChunkUpdateFlags::MCCV);
 
       glm::vec3* colors = chunk->getVertexColors();
@@ -1540,6 +1545,12 @@ void MapTile::setVertexColorImage(QImage const& baseimage, int mode, bool tiledE
           {
             MapChunk* targetChunk = tile->getChunk(chunk_x, 15);
             MapChunk* sourceChunk = this->getChunk(chunk_x, 0);
+
+            if (!targetChunk->hasColors())
+            {
+                targetChunk->initMCCV();
+            }
+
             targetChunk->registerChunkUpdate(ChunkUpdateFlags::MCCV);
             for (int vert_x = 0; vert_x < 9; ++vert_x)
             {
@@ -1563,6 +1574,12 @@ void MapTile::setVertexColorImage(QImage const& baseimage, int mode, bool tiledE
           {
             MapChunk* targetChunk = tile->getChunk(15, chunk_y);
             MapChunk* sourceChunk = this->getChunk(0, chunk_y);
+
+            if (!targetChunk->hasColors())
+            {
+                targetChunk->initMCCV();
+            }
+
             targetChunk->registerChunkUpdate(ChunkUpdateFlags::MCCV);
             for (int vert_y = 0; vert_y < 9; ++vert_y)
             {
@@ -1582,6 +1599,12 @@ void MapTile::setVertexColorImage(QImage const& baseimage, int mode, bool tiledE
         , [&] (MapTile* tile)
         {
           MapChunk* targetChunk = tile->getChunk(15, 15);
+
+          if (!targetChunk->hasColors())
+          {
+              targetChunk->initMCCV();
+          }
+
           targetChunk->registerChunkUpdate(ChunkUpdateFlags::MCCV);
           tile->getChunk(15,15)->getVertexColors()[144] = this->getChunk(0,0)->getVertexColors()[0];
           tile->registerChunkUpdate(ChunkUpdateFlags::MCCV);