diff --git a/source/blender/editors/render/render_preview.c b/source/blender/editors/render/render_preview.c
index 35d772afae7a9247b669e34f4a41c212bc58dcfe..9564e73c3e56c667517d0a99804c8e05b0b7c37f 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/render/render_preview.c
+++ b/source/blender/editors/render/render_preview.c
@@ -382,9 +382,18 @@ static Scene *preview_prepare_scene(Main *bmain, Scene *scene, ID *id, int id_ty
 					}
 				}
 				else {
-					/* use current scene world to light sphere */
-					if (mat->pr_type == MA_SPHERE_A)
+					if (mat->pr_type == MA_SPHERE_A && sp->pr_method == PR_BUTS_RENDER) {
+						/* Use current scene world to light sphere. */
 						sce->world = scene->world;
+					}
+					else if (sce->world) {
+						/* Use a default world color. Using the current
+						 * scene world can be slow if it has big textures. */
+						sce->world->use_nodes = false;
+						sce->world->horr = 0.5f;
+						sce->world->horg = 0.5f;
+						sce->world->horb = 0.5f;
+					}
 				}
 				
 				if (sp->pr_method == PR_ICON_RENDER) {
@@ -393,10 +402,6 @@ static Scene *preview_prepare_scene(Main *bmain, Scene *scene, ID *id, int id_ty
 					}
 					else {
 						sce->lay = 1 << MA_SPHERE_A;
-
-						/* same as above, use current scene world to light sphere */
-						if (BKE_scene_use_new_shading_nodes(scene))
-							sce->world = scene->world;
 					}
 				}
 				else {
@@ -494,6 +499,15 @@ static Scene *preview_prepare_scene(Main *bmain, Scene *scene, ID *id, int id_ty
 					sce->camera = (Object *)BLI_findstring(&pr_main->object, "Camera", offsetof(ID, name) + 2);
 				}
 			}
+			else {
+				if (sce->world) {
+					/* Only use lighting from the lamp. */
+					sce->world->use_nodes = false;
+					sce->world->horr = 0.0f;
+					sce->world->horg = 0.0f;
+					sce->world->horb = 0.0f;
+				}
+			}
 				
 			for (base = sce->base.first; base; base = base->next) {
 				if (base->object->id.name[2] == 'p') {