diff --git a/src/scene/materials/standard-material.js b/src/scene/materials/standard-material.js
index 192627b96bd..5a56f2704f7 100644
--- a/src/scene/materials/standard-material.js
+++ b/src/scene/materials/standard-material.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import { Debug } from '../../core/debug.js';
 
 import { Color } from '../../core/math/color.js';
 import { Vec2 } from '../../core/math/vec2.js';
-import { Quat } from '../../core/math/quat.js';
 import { math } from '../../core/math/math.js';
 
 import { _matTex2D, standard } from '../../scene/shader-lib/programs/standard.js';
@@ -803,10 +802,6 @@ class StandardMaterial extends Material {
             } else if (scene.skybox) {
                 this._setParameter('texture_cubeMap', scene.skybox);
             }
-
-            if (!scene.skyboxRotation.equals(Quat.IDENTITY) && scene._skyboxRotationMat3) {
-                this._setParameter('cubeMapRotationMatrix', scene._skyboxRotationMat3.data);
-            }
         }
 
         this._processParameters('_activeLightingParams');
diff --git a/src/scene/renderer/forward-renderer.js b/src/scene/renderer/forward-renderer.js
index bccaf3f6d2a..18159f5912b 100644
--- a/src/scene/renderer/forward-renderer.js
+++ b/src/scene/renderer/forward-renderer.js
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ class ForwardRenderer {
         this.ambientId = scope.resolve('light_globalAmbient');
         this.exposureId = scope.resolve('exposure');
         this.skyboxIntensityId = scope.resolve('skyboxIntensity');
+        this.cubeMapRotationMatrixId = scope.resolve('cubeMapRotationMatrix');
         this.lightColorId = [];
         this.lightDir = [];
         this.lightDirId = [];
@@ -577,9 +578,8 @@ class ForwardRenderer {
         }
         this.ambientId.setValue(this.ambientColor);
 
-        if (scene.sky) {
-            this.skyboxIntensityId.setValue(scene.physicalUnits ? scene.skyboxLuminance : scene.skyboxIntensity);
-        }
+        this.skyboxIntensityId.setValue(scene.physicalUnits ? scene.skyboxLuminance : scene.skyboxIntensity);
+        this.cubeMapRotationMatrixId.setValue(scene._skyboxRotationMat3.data);
     }
 
     _resolveLight(scope, i) {
diff --git a/src/scene/scene.js b/src/scene/scene.js
index fcd8a0b4f47..c06bfa0e192 100644
--- a/src/scene/scene.js
+++ b/src/scene/scene.js
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import { Color } from '../core/math/color.js';
 import { Vec3 } from '../core/math/vec3.js';
 import { Quat } from '../core/math/quat.js';
 import { math } from '../core/math/math.js';
+import { Mat3 } from '../core/math/mat3.js';
+import { Mat4 } from '../core/math/mat4.js';
 
 import { GraphicsDeviceAccess } from '../platform/graphics/graphics-device-access.js';
 
@@ -223,8 +225,8 @@ class Scene extends EventHandler {
         this._skyboxMip = 0;
 
         this._skyboxRotation = new Quat();
-        this._skyboxRotationMat3 = null;
-        this._skyboxRotationMat4 = null;
+        this._skyboxRotationMat3 = new Mat3();
+        this._skyboxRotationMat4 = new Mat4();
 
         // ambient light lightmapping properties
         this._ambientBakeNumSamples = 1;
@@ -616,6 +618,12 @@ class Scene extends EventHandler {
     set skyboxRotation(value) {
         if (!this._skyboxRotation.equals(value)) {
             this._skyboxRotation.copy(value);
+            if (value.equals(Quat.IDENTITY)) {
+                this._skyboxRotationMat3.setIdentity();
+            } else {
+                this._skyboxRotationMat4.setTRS(Vec3.ZERO, value, Vec3.ONE);
+                this._skyboxRotationMat4.invertTo3x3(this._skyboxRotationMat3);
+            }
             this._resetSky();
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/scene/sky.js b/src/scene/sky.js
index 6c3a200d1b4..0b7d77520d8 100644
--- a/src/scene/sky.js
+++ b/src/scene/sky.js
@@ -1,8 +1,3 @@
-import { Mat3 } from '../core/math/mat3.js';
-import { Mat4 } from '../core/math/mat4.js';
-import { Vec3 } from '../core/math/vec3.js';
-import { Quat } from '../core/math/quat.js';
-
 import { CULLFACE_FRONT } from '../platform/graphics/constants.js';
 
 import { GAMMA_NONE, GAMMA_SRGBHDR, LAYERID_SKYBOX, SHADER_FORWARDHDR, TONEMAP_LINEAR } from './constants.js';
@@ -17,9 +12,6 @@ import { getProgramLibrary } from './shader-lib/get-program-library.js';
 /** @typedef {import('../platform/graphics/graphics-device.js').GraphicsDevice} GraphicsDevice */
 /** @typedef {import('./scene.js').Scene} Scene */
 
-/** @type {Mat4} */
-let _mat4;
-
 /**
  * A visual representation of the sky.
  *
@@ -33,9 +25,6 @@ class Sky {
      */
     meshInstance;
 
-    /** @type {Mat3} */
-    _rotationMat3;
-
     /**
      * @param {GraphicsDevice} device - The graphics device.
      * @param {Scene} scene - The scene owning the sky.
@@ -77,17 +66,6 @@ class Sky {
             material.setParameter('mipLevel', scene._skyboxMip);
         }
 
-        if (!scene.skyboxRotation.equals(Quat.IDENTITY)) {
-            _mat4 = _mat4 || new Mat4();
-            this._rotationMat3 = this._rotationMat3 || new Mat3();
-
-            _mat4.setTRS(Vec3.ZERO, scene._skyboxRotation, Vec3.ONE);
-            _mat4.invertTo3x3(this._rotationMat3);
-            material.setParameter('cubeMapRotationMatrix', this._rotationMat3.data);
-        } else {
-            material.setParameter('cubeMapRotationMatrix', Mat3.IDENTITY.data);
-        }
-
         material.cull = CULLFACE_FRONT;
         material.depthWrite = false;