diff --git a/mods/MAPGEN/mcl_dungeons/init.lua b/mods/MAPGEN/mcl_dungeons/init.lua
index 381aab2af..4dd70b91a 100644
--- a/mods/MAPGEN/mcl_dungeons/init.lua
+++ b/mods/MAPGEN/mcl_dungeons/init.lua
@@ -371,6 +371,7 @@ local function ecb_spawn_dungeon(blockpos, action, calls_remaining, param)
 		end
 
 		set_node(pos, {name="mcl_chests:chest", param2=facedir})
+		vl_structures.construct_nodes(pos, pos, {"mcl_chests:chest"})
 		local meta = get_meta(pos)
 		if logging then
 			minetest.log("action", "[mcl_dungeons] Filling chest " .. tostring(c) .. " at " .. minetest.pos_to_string(pos))
diff --git a/mods/MAPGEN/mcl_mapgen_core/init.lua b/mods/MAPGEN/mcl_mapgen_core/init.lua
index 739d87186..2c0c94ff2 100644
--- a/mods/MAPGEN/mcl_mapgen_core/init.lua
+++ b/mods/MAPGEN/mcl_mapgen_core/init.lua
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ if mg_name == "v6" then
 	dofile(modpath.."/v6.lua")
 end
 
---[[
+-- still needed?
 minetest.register_lbm({
 	label = "Fix grass palette indexes", -- This LBM fixes any incorrect grass palette indexes.
 	name = "mcl_mapgen_core:fix_grass_palette_indexes",
@@ -492,6 +492,7 @@ minetest.register_lbm({
 	end
 })
 
+--[[ No longer necessary? Ugly?
 -- We go outside x and y for where trees are placed next to a biome that has already been generated.
 -- We go above maxp.y because trees can often get placed close to the top of a generated area and folliage may not
 -- be coloured correctly.
diff --git a/mods/MAPGEN/tsm_railcorridors/init.lua b/mods/MAPGEN/tsm_railcorridors/init.lua
index 88259be1f..00be166df 100644
--- a/mods/MAPGEN/tsm_railcorridors/init.lua
+++ b/mods/MAPGEN/tsm_railcorridors/init.lua
@@ -391,6 +391,7 @@ end
 -- Chests
 local function PlaceChest(pos, param2)
 	if SetNodeIfCanBuild(pos, {name=tsm_railcorridors.nodes.chest, param2=param2}) then
+		vl_structures.construct_nodes(pos, pos, {tsm_railcorridors.nodes.chest})
 		local meta = minetest.get_meta(pos)
 		local inv = meta:get_inventory()
 		local items = tsm_railcorridors.get_treasures(pr)
diff --git a/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/API.md b/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/API.md
index 5a4b3fb32..3e9e5f53b 100644
--- a/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/API.md
+++ b/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/API.md
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ Structures in this API are defined using the following table:
     loot =,                 -- a table of loot tables for mcl_loot indexed by node names -- ignored for place_func, to be removed
                             -- e.g. { ["mcl_chests:chest_small"] = {loot},... }
     terrain_feature =,      -- affects placement priority and disables logging for uninteresting structures
+    no_registry =,          -- do not register the structure for the /locate command (implied for terrain features)
     daughters =,            -- substructures to spawn, unstable API
 }
 ```
diff --git a/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/api.lua b/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/api.lua
index de6e7350b..b67bd3b6b 100644
--- a/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/api.lua
+++ b/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/api.lua
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ function vl_structures.place_structure(pos, def, pr, blockseed, rot)
 		if log_enabled then
 			minetest.log("action","[vl_structures] "..def.name.." placed at "..minetest.pos_to_string(pp))
 		end
+		if def.name and not (def.terrain_feature or def.no_registry) then vl_structures.register_structures_spawn(def.name, pos) end
 		return true
 	elseif log_enabled then
 		if def.place_func then
@@ -177,6 +178,38 @@ function vl_structures.register_structure(name,def)
 	end
 end
 
+-- Persistent structure registry
+local mod_storage = minetest.get_mod_storage()
+local vl_structures_spawn_cache = {}
+function vl_structures.register_structures_spawn(name, pos)
+	if not name or not pos then return end
+	local data = vl_structures_spawn_cache[name]
+	if not data then
+		data = mod_storage:get("vl_structures:spawns:"..name)
+		data = data and minetest.deserialize(data) or {}
+	end
+	table.insert(data, pos)
+	mod_storage:set_string("vl_structures:"..name, minetest.serialize(data))
+	vl_structures_spawn_cache[name] = data
+end
+function vl_structures.get_structure_spawns(name)
+	if name == nil then
+		local ret = {}
+		for k, _ in pairs(vl_structures_spawn_cache) do
+			table.insert(ret, k)
+		end
+		return ret
+	end
+	local data = vl_structures_spawn_cache[name]
+	if not data then
+		data = mod_storage:get("vl_structures:spawns:"..name)
+		if not data then return nil end
+		data = minetest.deserialize(data)
+		vl_structures_spawn_cache[name] = data
+	end
+	return table.copy(data)
+end
+
 -- To avoid a cyclic dependency, run this when modules have finished loading
 -- Maybe we can eventually remove this - the end portal should likely go into the mapgen itself.
 minetest.register_on_mods_loaded(function()
@@ -193,6 +226,6 @@ mcl_mapgen_core.register_generator("static structures", nil, function(minp, maxp
 		end
 	end
 	return false, false, false
-end, 100, true)
+end, 100, true) -- light in the end is sensitive to these options
 end)
 
diff --git a/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/commands.lua b/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/commands.lua
index ffae8db4a..53dbf9929 100644
--- a/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/commands.lua
+++ b/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/commands.lua
@@ -42,3 +42,38 @@ minetest.register_on_mods_loaded(function()
 	minetest.registered_chatcommands["spawnstruct"].params = p
 end)
 
+--- /locate chat command
+minetest.register_chatcommand("locate", {
+	params = "",
+	description = S("Locate a pre-defined structure near your position."),
+	privs = {debug = true},
+	func = function(name, param)
+		local player = minetest.get_player_by_name(name)
+		if not player then return end
+		local pos = player:get_pos()
+		if not pos then return end
+		if param == "" then
+			local data = vl_structures.get_structure_spawns()
+			local datastr = ""
+			for i, d in ipairs(data) do datastr = datastr .. (i > 1 and " | " or "") .. d end
+			if datastr == "" then
+				minetest.chat_send_player(name, S("Error: No structure type given, and no structures were recently spawned."))
+			else
+				minetest.chat_send_player(name, S("Error: No structure type given. Recently spawned structures include: "..datastr.."”."))
+			end
+			return
+		end
+		local data = vl_structures.get_structure_spawns(param)
+		local bestd, bestp = 1e9, nil
+		for _, p in ipairs(data or {}) do
+			local sdx = math.abs(p.x-pos.x) + math.abs(p.y-pos.y) + math.abs(p.z-pos.z)
+			if sdx < bestd or not bestv then bestd, bestp = sdx, p end
+		end
+		if bestp then
+			minetest.chat_send_player(name, S("A "..param.." can be found at "..minetest.pos_to_string(bestp)))
+		else
+			minetest.chat_send_player(name, S("Structure type not known or no structure of this type spawned yet."))
+		end
+	end
+})
+
diff --git a/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/emerge.lua b/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/emerge.lua
index bde17d59c..ee7f1b7ce 100644
--- a/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/emerge.lua
+++ b/mods/MAPGEN/vl_structures/emerge.lua
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ local function emerge_schematics(blockpos, action, calls_remaining, param)
 	if def.loot then vl_structures.fill_chests(pmin,pmax,def.loot,pr) end
 	if def.construct_nodes then vl_structures.construct_nodes(pmin,pmax,def.construct_nodes) end
 	if def.after_place then def.after_place(pos,def,pr,pmin,pmax,size,param.rotation) end
+	if def.name and not (def.terrain_feature or def.no_registry) then vl_structures.register_structures_spawn(def.name, pos) end
 	if logging and not def.terrain_feature then
 		minetest.log("action", "[vl_structures] "..(def.name or "unnamed").." spawned at "..minetest.pos_to_string(pos).." in "..string.format("%.2fms (main: %.2fms)", (os.clock()-start)*1000, (endmain-startmain)*1000))
 	end