diff --git a/Diamond/NLog.config b/Diamond/NLog.config
index 5931ee4..50c2bb0 100644
--- a/Diamond/NLog.config
+++ b/Diamond/NLog.config
@@ -16,6 +16,6 @@
 
   <rules>
     <logger name="*" minlevel="Info" writeTo="file"/>
-    <logger name="*" minlevel="Debug" writeTo="debug"/>
+    <logger name="*" minlevel="Trace" writeTo="debug"/>
   </rules>
 </nlog>
diff --git a/Diamond/Shaders/Program.cs b/Diamond/Shaders/Program.cs
index c7e6a6a..3ee45d6 100644
--- a/Diamond/Shaders/Program.cs
+++ b/Diamond/Shaders/Program.cs
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ namespace Diamond.Shaders
         {
             if (shaders == null)
             {
-                Logger.Error("Cannot create a program with no shaders.");
+                Logger.Error("Cannot create program {0} with no shaders.", name);
                 return null;
             }
 
@@ -134,7 +134,16 @@ namespace Diamond.Shaders
             Logger.Debug("Created {0}", service);
 
             foreach (var shader in shaders)
+            {
+                if (shader == null)
+                {
+                    Logger.Error("One or more shaders failed to compile - cannot create program {0}", name);
+                    service.Dispose();
+                    return null;
+                }
+
                 wrapper.Attach((ShaderWrapper) shader.Wrapper);
+            }
 
             service.Link();
 
@@ -162,7 +171,9 @@ namespace Diamond.Shaders
             return FromShaders(name, shaderList);
         }
 
-        public static Program FromFiles(string name, params string[] paths) => FromShaders(name, paths.Select(Shader.FromFile));
+        public static Program FromFiles(string name, params string[] paths) => FromShaders(name,
+            paths.Select(Shader.FromFile));
+
         public static Program FromFiles(params string[] paths) => FromShaders(paths.Select(Shader.FromFile));
 
         #endregion
diff --git a/hexworld/HexRender.cs b/hexworld/HexRender.cs
index eb2e466..69eea6c 100644
--- a/hexworld/HexRender.cs
+++ b/hexworld/HexRender.cs
@@ -73,9 +73,6 @@ namespace hexworld
             _doorTex = Texture.FromFile("res/door.png");
             _grassTex = Texture.FromFile("res/grass.png");
 
-            _meshBuffer = new GLBuffer<ObjVertex>(BufferTarget.ArrayBuffer);
-            _tileBuffer = new GLBuffer<TileData>(BufferTarget.ArrayBuffer, BufferUsageHint.DynamicDraw);
-
             var dir = "res";
 
             var json = JObject.Parse(File.ReadAllText("res/level.json"));
@@ -93,8 +90,6 @@ namespace hexworld
             _doorTiles = allTiles[0];
             _floorTiles = allTiles[1];
 
-            _tileBuffer.Data(SubArray.Join(_doorTiles, _floorTiles));
-
             var cubeMesh = json["models"]
                 .Select(path => (string) path)
                 .Select(path => Path.Combine(dir, path))
@@ -104,12 +99,10 @@ namespace hexworld
 
             _cubeMesh = cubeMesh;
 
-            _meshBuffer.Data(cubeMesh.Vertices.ToArray());
-
-            // meshes, tiles, etc
-
-            // can still use JObject queries to keep it short,
-            // but don't use Level. hat structure is broken
+            _tileBuffer = GLBuffer.FromData(SubArray.Join(_doorTiles, _floorTiles), BufferTarget.ArrayBuffer,
+                BufferUsageHint.DynamicDraw, "tile");
+            _meshBuffer = GLBuffer.FromData(cubeMesh.Vertices.ToArray(), BufferTarget.ArrayBuffer,
+                BufferUsageHint.StaticDraw, "mesh");
         }
 
         protected override void OnUpdateFrame(FrameEventArgs e)
@@ -137,18 +130,29 @@ namespace hexworld
             GL.Enable(EnableCap.Blend);
             GL.BlendFunc(BlendingFactorSrc.SrcAlpha, BlendingFactorDest.OneMinusSrcAlpha);
 
-            _texPgm.Use();
 
-            _texPgm.SetAttribPointers(_meshBuffer);
-            _texPgm.SetAttribPointers(_tileBuffer);
+            if (_texPgm != null)
+            {
+                _texPgm.Use();
 
-            _grassTex.Bind(0);
+                _meshBuffer.PointTo(_texPgm);
+                _tileBuffer.PointTo(_texPgm);
 
-            GL.Uniform1(_texPgm.GetUniform("tex"), 0);
-            GL.UniformMatrix4(_texPgm.GetUniform("view"), false, ref _view);
-            GL.UniformMatrix4(_texPgm.GetUniform("proj"), false, ref _proj);
+                _grassTex.Bind(0);
 
-            _cubeMesh.DrawInstanced(_floorTiles);
+                var texLoc = _texPgm.UniformLocation("tex");
+                var viewLoc = _texPgm.UniformLocation("view");
+                var projLoc = _texPgm.UniformLocation("proj");
+
+                if (texLoc.HasValue)
+                    GL.Uniform1(texLoc.Value, 0);
+                if (viewLoc.HasValue)
+                    GL.UniformMatrix4(viewLoc.Value, false, ref _view);
+                if (projLoc.HasValue)
+                    GL.UniformMatrix4(projLoc.Value, false, ref _proj);
+
+                _cubeMesh.DrawInstanced(_floorTiles);
+            }
 
             SwapBuffers();
         }