diff --git a/config.cpp b/config.cpp
index 930f3b05..797d711b 100644
--- a/config.cpp
+++ b/config.cpp
@@ -952,8 +952,8 @@ EX void initConfig() {
   addsaver(sn::solrange_xy, "solrange-xy");
   addsaver(sn::solrange_z, "solrange-z");
   #endif
-  addsaver(slr::steps, "slr-steps");
-  addsaver(slr::range_xy, "slr-range-xy");
+  param_i(slr::shader_iterations, "slr-steps");
+  param_f(slr::range_xy, "slr-range-xy");
 
   param_f(arcm::euclidean_edge_length, "arcm-euclid-length");
   
@@ -1399,9 +1399,9 @@ EX void edit_sightrange() {
     dialog::add_action([] {
       dialog::editNumber(slr::range_xy, 0, 10, 0.5, 4, XLAT("max difference in X/Y coordinates"), "");
       });
-    dialog::addSelItem(XLAT("steps"), its(slr::steps), 'z');
+    dialog::addSelItem(XLAT("shader_iterations"), its(slr::shader_iterations), 'z');
     dialog::add_action([] {
-      dialog::editNumber(slr::steps, 0, 50, 1, 10, "", "");
+      dialog::editNumber(slr::shader_iterations, 0, 50, 1, 10, "", "");
       });
     }
   if(vid.use_smart_range && WDIM == 2) {
diff --git a/nonisotropic.cpp b/nonisotropic.cpp
index 0ff8fa0c..0dc1adf4 100644
--- a/nonisotropic.cpp
+++ b/nonisotropic.cpp
@@ -1690,8 +1690,10 @@ EX }
 
 EX namespace slr {
 
+  /** in what range are we rendering H2xR */
   EX ld range_xy = 2;
-  EX int steps = 15;
+  /** the number of steps for inverse_exp in the shader */
+  EX int shader_iterations = 15;
 
   EX transmatrix translate(hyperpoint h) {
     return matrix4(
diff --git a/shaders.cpp b/shaders.cpp
index 6f1c2834..a7a4dec5 100644
--- a/shaders.cpp
+++ b/shaders.cpp
@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@ void display_data::set_projection(int ed, ld shift) {
   if(selected->uIterations != -1) {
     glhr::set_index_sl(0);
     glhr::set_sv(stretch::not_squared());
-    glhr::set_sl_iterations(slr::steps);
+    glhr::set_sl_iterations(slr::shader_iterations);
     }
 
   glhr::new_projection();