diff --git a/src/world/World.php b/src/world/World.php
index ef37149d9..f21fdbd63 100644
--- a/src/world/World.php
+++ b/src/world/World.php
@@ -895,7 +895,13 @@ class World implements ChunkManager{
 				$dz = mt_rand(-$randRange, $randRange);
 				$hash = World::chunkHash($dx + $chunkX, $dz + $chunkZ);
 				if(!isset($chunkTickList[$hash]) and isset($this->chunks[$hash])){
-					if(!$this->chunks[$hash]->isLightPopulated()){
+					//TODO: this might need to be checked after adjacent chunks are loaded in future
+					$lightPopulatedState = $this->chunks[$hash]->isLightPopulated();
+					if($lightPopulatedState !== true){
+						if($lightPopulatedState === false){
+							$this->chunks[$hash]->setLightPopulated(null);
+							$this->server->getAsyncPool()->submitTask(new LightPopulationTask($this, $this->chunks[$hash]));
+						}
 						continue;
 					}
 					//check adjacent chunks are loaded
@@ -2143,10 +2149,6 @@ class World implements ChunkManager{
 
 		(new ChunkLoadEvent($this, $chunk, !$chunk->isGenerated()))->call();
 
-		if($chunk->isPopulated()){
-			$this->getServer()->getAsyncPool()->submitTask(new LightPopulationTask($this, $chunk));
-		}
-
 		if(!$this->isChunkInUse($x, $z)){
 			$this->logger->debug("Newly loaded chunk $x $z has no loaders registered, will be unloaded at next available opportunity");
 			$this->unloadChunkRequest($x, $z);
diff --git a/src/world/format/Chunk.php b/src/world/format/Chunk.php
index 0b76f0076..59602ce5a 100644
--- a/src/world/format/Chunk.php
+++ b/src/world/format/Chunk.php
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class Chunk{
 	/** @var int */
 	private $dirtyFlags = 0;
 
-	/** @var bool */
+	/** @var bool|null */
 	protected $lightPopulated = false;
 	/** @var bool */
 	protected $terrainGenerated = false;
@@ -387,11 +387,11 @@ class Chunk{
 		$this->dirtyFlags |= self::DIRTY_FLAG_BIOMES;
 	}
 
-	public function isLightPopulated() : bool{
+	public function isLightPopulated() : ?bool{
 		return $this->lightPopulated;
 	}
 
-	public function setLightPopulated(bool $value = true) : void{
+	public function setLightPopulated(?bool $value = true) : void{
 		$this->lightPopulated = $value;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/world/format/io/FastChunkSerializer.php b/src/world/format/io/FastChunkSerializer.php
index 242caebb8..a69ee4cbb 100644
--- a/src/world/format/io/FastChunkSerializer.php
+++ b/src/world/format/io/FastChunkSerializer.php
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ final class FastChunkSerializer{
 	 * TODO: tiles and entities
 	 */
 	public static function serialize(Chunk $chunk, bool $includeLight = true) : string{
-		$includeLight = $includeLight && $chunk->isLightPopulated();
+		$includeLight = $includeLight && $chunk->isLightPopulated() === true;
 
 		$stream = new BinaryStream();
 		$stream->putInt($chunk->getX());
diff --git a/src/world/light/LightPopulationTask.php b/src/world/light/LightPopulationTask.php
index adfa76983..61d839be7 100644
--- a/src/world/light/LightPopulationTask.php
+++ b/src/world/light/LightPopulationTask.php
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ class LightPopulationTask extends AsyncTask{
 	public function __construct(World $world, Chunk $chunk){
 		$this->storeLocal(self::TLS_KEY_WORLD, $world);
 		[$this->chunkX, $this->chunkZ] = [$chunk->getX(), $chunk->getZ()];
+		$chunk->setLightPopulated(null);
 		$this->chunk = FastChunkSerializer::serialize($chunk);
 	}