diff --git a/doc/lua_api.txt b/doc/lua_api.txt
index c2d5183d7..e7c1b7dd5 100644
--- a/doc/lua_api.txt
+++ b/doc/lua_api.txt
@@ -3358,7 +3358,7 @@ Definition tables
 * `{name="image.png", animation={Tile Animation definition}}`
 * `{name="image.png", backface_culling=bool, tileable_vertical=bool,
     tileable_horizontal=bool}`
-    * backface culling only supported in special tiles.
+    * backface culling enabled by default for most nodes
     * tileable flags are info for shaders, how they should treat texture
 	  when displacement mapping is used
 	  Directions are from the point of view of the tile texture,
diff --git a/src/nodedef.cpp b/src/nodedef.cpp
index 2ebe1c131..0bcc00e47 100644
--- a/src/nodedef.cpp
+++ b/src/nodedef.cpp
@@ -843,12 +843,7 @@ void CNodeDefManager::updateTextures(IGameDef *gamedef,
 			assert(f->liquid_type == LIQUID_SOURCE);
 			if (opaque_water)
 				f->alpha = 255;
-			if (new_style_water){
-				f->solidness = 0;
-			} else {
-				f->solidness = 1;
-				f->backface_culling = false;
-			}
+			f->solidness = new_style_water ? 0 : 1;
 			is_liquid = true;
 			break;
 		case NDT_FLOWINGLIQUID:
@@ -899,17 +894,14 @@ void CNodeDefManager::updateTextures(IGameDef *gamedef,
 			break;
 		case NDT_PLANTLIKE:
 			f->solidness = 0;
-			f->backface_culling = false;
 			if (f->waving == 1)
 				material_type = TILE_MATERIAL_WAVING_PLANTS;
 			break;
 		case NDT_FIRELIKE:
-			f->backface_culling = false;
 			f->solidness = 0;
 			break;
 		case NDT_MESH:
 			f->solidness = 0;
-			f->backface_culling = false;
 			break;
 		case NDT_TORCHLIKE:
 		case NDT_SIGNLIKE:
@@ -941,7 +933,7 @@ void CNodeDefManager::updateTextures(IGameDef *gamedef,
 		// Tiles (fill in f->tiles[])
 		for (u16 j = 0; j < 6; j++) {
 			fillTileAttribs(tsrc, &f->tiles[j], &tiledef[j], tile_shader[j],
-				use_normal_texture, f->backface_culling, f->alpha, material_type);
+				use_normal_texture, f->tiledef[j].backface_culling, f->alpha, material_type);
 		}
 
 		// Special tiles (fill in f->special_tiles[])
diff --git a/src/script/common/c_content.cpp b/src/script/common/c_content.cpp
index 275b22bb8..96fb78d99 100644
--- a/src/script/common/c_content.cpp
+++ b/src/script/common/c_content.cpp
@@ -294,14 +294,31 @@ TileDef read_tiledef(lua_State *L, int index, u8 drawtype)
 		index = lua_gettop(L) + 1 + index;
 
 	TileDef tiledef;
-	bool default_tiling = (drawtype == NDT_PLANTLIKE || drawtype == NDT_FIRELIKE)
-		? false : true;
+
+	bool default_tiling = true;
+	bool default_culling = true;
+	switch (drawtype) {
+		case NDT_PLANTLIKE:
+		case NDT_FIRELIKE:
+			default_tiling = false;
+			// "break" is omitted here intentionaly, as PLANTLIKE
+			// FIRELIKE drawtype both should default to having
+			// backface_culling to false.
+		case NDT_MESH:
+		case NDT_LIQUID:
+			default_culling = false;
+			break;
+		default:
+			break;
+	}
+
 	// key at index -2 and value at index
 	if(lua_isstring(L, index)){
 		// "default_lava.png"
 		tiledef.name = lua_tostring(L, index);
 		tiledef.tileable_vertical = default_tiling;
 		tiledef.tileable_horizontal = default_tiling;
+		tiledef.backface_culling = default_culling;
 	}
 	else if(lua_istable(L, index))
 	{
@@ -310,7 +327,7 @@ TileDef read_tiledef(lua_State *L, int index, u8 drawtype)
 		getstringfield(L, index, "name", tiledef.name);
 		getstringfield(L, index, "image", tiledef.name); // MaterialSpec compat.
 		tiledef.backface_culling = getboolfield_default(
-			L, index, "backface_culling", true);
+			L, index, "backface_culling", default_culling);
 		tiledef.tileable_horizontal = getboolfield_default(
 			L, index, "tileable_horizontal", default_tiling);
 		tiledef.tileable_vertical = getboolfield_default(