diff --git a/code/map_data.js b/code/map_data.js
index e52a0fc0..37729ed1 100644
--- a/code/map_data.js
+++ b/code/map_data.js
@@ -14,10 +14,13 @@ window.requestData = function() {
 
   var bounds = clampLatLngBounds(map.getBounds());
 
-  var x1 = lngToTile(bounds.getWest(), map.getZoom());
-  var x2 = lngToTile(bounds.getEast(), map.getZoom());
-  var y1 = latToTile(bounds.getNorth(), map.getZoom());
-  var y2 = latToTile(bounds.getSouth(), map.getZoom());
+  //we query the server as if the zoom level was effectiveZoom
+  var z = getPortalDataZoom();
+
+  var x1 = lngToTile(bounds.getWest(), z);
+  var x2 = lngToTile(bounds.getEast(), z);
+  var y1 = latToTile(bounds.getNorth(), z);
+  var y2 = latToTile(bounds.getSouth(), z);
 
   // will group requests by second-last quad-key quadrant
   tiles = {};
@@ -25,16 +28,16 @@ window.requestData = function() {
   // walk in x-direction, starts right goes left
   for (var x = x1; x <= x2; x++) {
     for (var y = y1; y <= y2; y++) {
-      var tile_id = pointToTileId(map.getZoom(), x, y);
+      var tile_id = pointToTileId(z, x, y);
       var bucket = Math.floor(x / 2) + "" + Math.floor(y / 2);
       if (!tiles[bucket])
         tiles[bucket] = [];
       tiles[bucket].push(generateBoundsParams(
         tile_id,
-        tileToLat(y + 1, map.getZoom()),
-        tileToLng(x, map.getZoom()),
-        tileToLat(y, map.getZoom()),
-        tileToLng(x + 1, map.getZoom())
+        tileToLat(y + 1, z),
+        tileToLng(x, z),
+        tileToLat(y, z),
+        tileToLng(x + 1, z)
       ));
     }
   }
@@ -43,7 +46,7 @@ window.requestData = function() {
   portalRenderLimit.init();
   // finally send ajax requests
   $.each(tiles, function(ind, tls) {
-    data = { zoom: map.getZoom() };
+    data = { zoom: z };
     data.boundsParamsList = tls;
     window.requests.add(window.postAjax('getThinnedEntitiesV2', data, window.handleDataResponse, window.handleFailedRequest));
   });
diff --git a/code/utils_misc.js b/code/utils_misc.js
index 2e7f3578..2d2cccc4 100644
--- a/code/utils_misc.js
+++ b/code/utils_misc.js
@@ -228,8 +228,28 @@ window.renderLimitReached = function(ratio) {
   return param.reached;
 }
 
-window.getMinPortalLevel = function() {
+window.getPortalDataZoom = function() {
   var z = map.getZoom();
+
+  // limiting the mazimum zoom level for data retrieval reduces the number of requests at high zoom levels
+  // (as all portal data is retrieved at z=17, why retrieve multiple z=18 tiles when fewer z=17 would do?)
+  // a potential downside - we end up requesting more data than we needed from the larger tiles that go off
+  // the window edge. 
+  if (z > 17) z=17;
+
+  // we could consider similar zoom-level consolidation, as, e.g. level 16 and 15 both return L1+, always
+  // request zoom 15 tiles. however, there are quirks in the current data stream, where small fields aren't
+  // returned by the server. using larger tiles always would amplify this issue.
+
+
+  //sanity check - should never happen
+  if (z < 0) z=0;
+
+  return z;
+}
+
+window.getMinPortalLevel = function() {
+  var z = getPortalDataZoom();
   if(z >= 17) return 0;
   if(z < 0) return 8;
   var conv = [8,8,8,8,7,7,6,6,5,4,4,3,3,2,2,1,1];