diff --git a/game/graphics/opengl_renderer/foreground/Merc2.cpp b/game/graphics/opengl_renderer/foreground/Merc2.cpp
index 0e70c6b933..01807731fb 100644
--- a/game/graphics/opengl_renderer/foreground/Merc2.cpp
+++ b/game/graphics/opengl_renderer/foreground/Merc2.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ Merc2::Merc2(const std::string& name, BucketId my_id) : BucketRenderer(name, my_
 
   glGenBuffers(1, &m_bones_buffer);
   glBindBuffer(GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER, m_bones_buffer);
-  glBufferData(GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER, MAX_SHADER_BONE_VECTORS * sizeof(math::Vector4f), nullptr,
+  std::vector<u8> temp(MAX_SHADER_BONE_VECTORS * sizeof(math::Vector4f));
+  glBufferData(GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER, MAX_SHADER_BONE_VECTORS * sizeof(math::Vector4f), temp.data(),
                GL_DYNAMIC_DRAW);
   glBindBuffer(GL_UNIFORM_BUFFER, 0);
 
diff --git a/game/graphics/opengl_renderer/shaders/merc2.vert b/game/graphics/opengl_renderer/shaders/merc2.vert
index 8b32b16ebc..b0b2663840 100644
--- a/game/graphics/opengl_renderer/shaders/merc2.vert
+++ b/game/graphics/opengl_renderer/shaders/merc2.vert
@@ -74,16 +74,21 @@ void main() {
 //    transformed += -hmat2 * position_in.z;
 
     vec4 p = vec4(position_in, 1);
-    vec4 vtx_pos = -bones[mats[0]].X * p * weights_in[0]
-                   -bones[mats[1]].X * p * weights_in[1]
-                   -bones[mats[2]].X * p * weights_in[2];
+    vec4 vtx_pos = -bones[mats[0]].X * p * weights_in[0];
+    vec3 rotated_nrm = bones[mats[0]].R * normal_in * weights_in[0];
+
+    // game may send garbage bones if the weight is 0, don't let NaNs sneak in.
+    if (weights_in[1] > 0) {
+        vtx_pos += -bones[mats[1]].X * p * weights_in[1];
+        rotated_nrm += bones[mats[1]].R * normal_in * weights_in[1];
+    }
+    if (weights_in[2] > 0) {
+        vtx_pos += -bones[mats[2]].X * p * weights_in[2];
+        rotated_nrm += bones[mats[2]].R * normal_in * weights_in[2];
+    }
 
     vec4 transformed = perspective_matrix * vtx_pos;
 
-    vec3 rotated_nrm = bones[mats[0]].R * normal_in * weights_in[0]
-                     + bones[mats[1]].R * normal_in * weights_in[1]
-                     + bones[mats[2]].R * normal_in * weights_in[2];
-
     rotated_nrm = normalize(rotated_nrm);
     vec3 light_intensity = light_dir0 * rotated_nrm.x + light_dir1 * rotated_nrm.y + light_dir2 * rotated_nrm.z;
     light_intensity = max(light_intensity, vec3(0, 0, 0));