diff --git a/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/scene/Node.java b/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/scene/Node.java
index f22c5b4b0..14b837011 100644
--- a/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/scene/Node.java
+++ b/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/scene/Node.java
@@ -114,6 +114,16 @@ public class Node extends Spatial implements Savable {
 
             child.setLightListRefresh();
         }
+
+        Spatial p = parent;
+        while (p != null) {
+            if (p.refreshFlags != 0) {
+                return; //any refresh flag is sufficient, as each propagates to the root Node
+            }
+            p.refreshFlags |= RF_CHILD_LIGHTLIST;
+            p = p.parent;
+        }
+
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -154,6 +164,9 @@ public class Node extends Spatial implements Savable {
 
     @Override
     public void updateGeometricState(){
+        boolean somethingToRefresh = (refreshFlags != 0);
+        if (!somethingToRefresh) return;
+        
         if ((refreshFlags & RF_LIGHTLIST) != 0){
             updateWorldLightList();
         }
@@ -164,6 +177,7 @@ public class Node extends Spatial implements Savable {
             updateWorldTransforms();
         }
 
+        refreshFlags &= ~RF_CHILD_LIGHTLIST;
         if (!children.isEmpty()) {
             // the important part- make sure child geometric state is refreshed
             // first before updating own world bound. This saves
@@ -638,5 +652,4 @@ public class Node extends Spatial implements Savable {
     protected void breadthFirstTraversal(SceneGraphVisitor visitor, Queue<Spatial> queue) {
         queue.addAll(children);
     }
-
 }
diff --git a/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/scene/Spatial.java b/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/scene/Spatial.java
index b6c61f81e..62add98ce 100644
--- a/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/scene/Spatial.java
+++ b/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/scene/Spatial.java
@@ -118,7 +118,8 @@ public abstract class Spatial implements Savable, Cloneable, Collidable, Cloneab
      */
     protected static final int RF_TRANSFORM = 0x01, // need light resort + combine transforms
                                RF_BOUND = 0x02,
-                               RF_LIGHTLIST = 0x04; // changes in light lists 
+                               RF_LIGHTLIST = 0x04, // changes in light lists 
+                               RF_CHILD_LIGHTLIST = 0x08; // some child need geometry update
     
     protected CullHint cullHint = CullHint.Inherit;
     protected BatchHint batchHint = BatchHint.Inherit;