diff --git a/goal_src/jak1/engine/level/level.gc b/goal_src/jak1/engine/level/level.gc
index b9c94fb55a..bcbb40c5f3 100644
--- a/goal_src/jak1/engine/level/level.gc
+++ b/goal_src/jak1/engine/level/level.gc
@@ -702,26 +702,41 @@
 
 ;; method 27 level
 
-(defun vanilla-level? ((lvl-name symbol))
-  (case lvl-name :comp name=
-    (('intro 'title 'demo
-      'training 'village1 'beach 'jungle 'jungleb 'misty 'firecanyon
-      'village2 'sunken 'sunkenb 'rolling 'swamp 'ogre
-      'village3 'snow 'maincave 'darkcave 'robocave 'lavatube
-      'citadel 'finalboss)
-      (return #t)
-      )
-    )
-  ;; if we get here, it's some custom level
-  #f
-  )
-
 ;; method 10 level
 (defmethod is-object-visible? ((this level) (arg0 int))
   "Is arg0 visible? Note that this will return #f if the visibility data is not loaded."
   ;; og:mod-base anything thats not a vanilla level -> always show actors
-  (if (not (vanilla-level? (-> this name)))
-    (return #t))
+  (case (-> this name)
+    :comp
+    name=
+    (('intro 'title
+            'demo
+            'training
+            'village1
+            'beach
+            'jungle
+            'jungleb
+            'misty
+            'firecanyon
+            'village2
+            'sunken
+            'sunkenb
+            'rolling
+            'swamp
+            'ogre
+            'village3
+            'snow
+            'maincave
+            'darkcave
+            'robocave
+            'lavatube
+            'citadel
+            'finalboss)
+     ;; vanilla level -> fall through to normal checks
+     )
+    (else
+     ;; some custom level -> return true
+     (return #t)))
   ;; og:preserve-this pc port added option to show every actor regardless
   (with-pc
     (if (not (-> *pc-settings* ps2-actor-vis?)) (return #t)))
diff --git a/goal_src/jak1/pc/pckernel-common.gc b/goal_src/jak1/pc/pckernel-common.gc
index 9c1fd6555c..ea009f30c8 100644
--- a/goal_src/jak1/pc/pckernel-common.gc
+++ b/goal_src/jak1/pc/pckernel-common.gc
@@ -195,11 +195,6 @@
      (set! (-> *ACTOR-bank* birth-dist) (meters 10000))
      (set! (-> *ACTOR-bank* pause-dist) (meters 10000))
      (set! (-> *ACTOR-bank* birth-max) 1000))
-    ((not (vanilla-level? (-> (level-get-target-inside *level*) name)))
-     ;; modbase - not in a vanilla level, use big distances
-     (set! (-> *ACTOR-bank* birth-dist) (meters 10000))
-     (set! (-> *ACTOR-bank* pause-dist) (meters 10000))
-     (set! (-> *ACTOR-bank* birth-max) 1000))
     ((> (-> *ACTOR-bank* birth-dist) (meters 220)) ;; the original caps at 220m, exceeding that means it was using our hacks
      (set! (-> *ACTOR-bank* birth-dist) (meters 220))
      (set! (-> *ACTOR-bank* pause-dist) (meters 220))))