Lamp overflow

Often, when I set a complicated and detailed scene, checking the console I read the repeated message “Lamp overflow”.
I suppose it is because too much lamps in the scene, but anyway the rendering works, besides one or two times the scene get rendered strangely dark.
Anybody knows what exactly “lamps overflow” means and if it has some effect of any kind or how to avoid it (keeping the same number of lamps)?
Thanks :smiley:

Env

Blender cannot use more than 256 lamps.

lamps from #257 up are simply disregarded in rendering.

Stefano

Well, but I never used 256 lamps, even with duplivert!

Env

how exactly does it decide which lamps to disregard. Becuase ages ago i used an icosphere, sub div 5, for my dupliverted lamps. It came up with lamp overflow, but the render seemed evenly lit.