diff --git a/game/material.cc b/game/material.cc
index e70df5c..63cbc21 100644
--- a/game/material.cc
+++ b/game/material.cc
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ Material::Material(std::string filePath, float ambientFactor, float diffuseFacto
     if (allTexturesSet.size() != count) {
         allTexturesVector.push_back(reference);
     }
+    textureUnit = std::distance(Material::getAllTextures()->begin(),
+            std::find(std::begin(*Material::getAllTextures()),
+        // first two texture units are used by the loading screen
+            std::end(*Material::getAllTextures()), reference)) + 2;
 }
 
 Material::Material() {
@@ -54,3 +58,7 @@ bool Material::isMoving(){
 std::vector<SharedTexture2D>* Material::getAllTextures() {
     return &allTexturesVector;
 }
+
+int Material::getTextureUnit() {
+    return textureUnit;
+}
diff --git a/game/material.hh b/game/material.hh
index 40f224a..cc9fc5d 100644
--- a/game/material.hh
+++ b/game/material.hh
@@ -22,8 +22,10 @@ class Material{
         float getShininess();
         bool isMoving();
         static std::vector<SharedTexture2D>* getAllTextures();
+        int getTextureUnit();
 
     private:
+        int textureUnit;
         ACGL::OpenGL::SharedTexture2D reference;
         float ambientFactor;
         float diffuseFactor;
diff --git a/game/object.cc b/game/object.cc
index da834a2..2d32020 100644
--- a/game/object.cc
+++ b/game/object.cc
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ void Object::render(ACGL::OpenGL::SharedShaderProgram shader, bool lightingPass,
         else {
             shader->setUniform("movingTexture", false);
         }
-        auto textureUnit = std::distance(Material::getAllTextures()->begin(), std::find(std::begin(*Material::getAllTextures()), std::end(*Material::getAllTextures()), material.getReference()));
-        shader->setUniform("uTexture", (int)textureUnit + 2);
+        shader->setUniform("uTexture", material.getTextureUnit());
         shader->setUniform("modelMatrix", modelMatrix);
     }
     if (lightingPass) {