diff --git a/interface/src/entities/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp b/interface/src/entities/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp
index 3d83c31141..4bc2c27938 100644
--- a/interface/src/entities/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/entities/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp
@@ -90,12 +90,14 @@ Model* EntityTreeRenderer::getModel(const EntityItem& entityItem) {
             }
         }
 
-        // if we don't have a model...        
-        if (!model) {
+        // if we don't have a model... but our item does have a model URL
+        if (!model && !entityItem.getModelURL().isEmpty()) {
             // Make sure we only create new models on the thread that owns the EntityTreeRenderer
             if (QThread::currentThread() != thread()) {
+                qDebug() << "about to call QMetaObject::invokeMethod(this, 'getModel', Qt::BlockingQueuedConnection,...";
                 QMetaObject::invokeMethod(this, "getModel", Qt::BlockingQueuedConnection,
                     Q_RETURN_ARG(Model*, model), Q_ARG(const EntityItem&, entityItem));
+                qDebug() << "got it... model=" << model;
                 return model;
             }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/entities/EntityTreeRenderer.h b/interface/src/entities/EntityTreeRenderer.h
index 1dbd2ce8ad..1f71b8cc48 100644
--- a/interface/src/entities/EntityTreeRenderer.h
+++ b/interface/src/entities/EntityTreeRenderer.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 // Generic client side Octree renderer class.
 class EntityTreeRenderer : public OctreeRenderer, public EntityItemFBXService {
+    Q_OBJECT
 public:
     EntityTreeRenderer();
     virtual ~EntityTreeRenderer();
@@ -54,9 +55,10 @@ public:
     /// clears the tree
     virtual void clear();
 
+    Q_INVOKABLE Model* getModel(const EntityItem& modelItem);
+
 protected:
     void clearModelsCache();
-    Model* getModel(const EntityItem& modelItem);
     QMap<uint32_t, Model*> _knownEntityItemModels;
     QMap<uint32_t, Model*> _unknownEntityItemModels;
 };
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp
index 5d94d4fec0..f8075264de 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp
@@ -761,7 +761,8 @@ int EntityTree::processEditPacketData(PacketType packetType, const unsigned char
     switch (packetType) {
         case PacketTypeEntityAddOrEdit: {
             // TODO: need to do this
-            
+     
+            qDebug() << "EntityTree::processEditPacketData().... NOT YET IMPLEMENTED!!!";
 #if 0
             bool isValid = false;
             EntityItem* newEntity = NULL; // EntityItem::fromEditPacket(editData, maxLength, processedBytes, this, isValid);
@@ -841,6 +842,7 @@ void EntityTree::update() {
     for (int i = 0; i < movingEntitys; i++) {
     
         // XXXBHG: replace storeEntity with new API!!
+        qDebug() << "EntityTree::update().... NOT YET IMPLEMENTED!!!";
         #if 0 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////
         bool shouldDie = args._movingEntities[i]->getShouldBeDeleted();