diff --git a/libraries/model/src/model/Geometry.cpp b/libraries/model/src/model/Geometry.cpp
index 156f593421..ed0201763a 100755
--- a/libraries/model/src/model/Geometry.cpp
+++ b/libraries/model/src/model/Geometry.cpp
@@ -43,18 +43,18 @@ void Mesh::addAttribute(Slot slot, const BufferView& buffer) {
 }
 
 void Mesh::evalVertexFormat() {
-    VertexFormat vf;
+    auto vf = new VertexFormat();
     int channelNum = 0;
     if (hasVertexData()) {
-        vf.setAttribute(gpu::Stream::POSITION, channelNum, _vertexBuffer._element, 0);
+        vf->setAttribute(gpu::Stream::POSITION, channelNum, _vertexBuffer._element, 0);
         channelNum++;
     }
     for (auto attrib : _attributeBuffers) {
-        vf.setAttribute(attrib.first, channelNum, attrib.second._element, 0);
+        vf->setAttribute(attrib.first, channelNum, attrib.second._element, 0);
         channelNum++;
     }
 
-    _vertexFormat = vf;
+    _vertexFormat.reset(vf);
 }
 
 void Mesh::setIndexBuffer(const BufferView& buffer) {
@@ -112,12 +112,12 @@ const gpu::BufferStream Mesh::makeBufferStream() const {
 
     int channelNum = 0;
     if (hasVertexData()) {
-        stream.addBuffer(_vertexBuffer._buffer, _vertexBuffer._offset, _vertexFormat.getChannelStride(channelNum));
+        stream.addBuffer(_vertexBuffer._buffer, _vertexBuffer._offset, _vertexFormat->getChannelStride(channelNum));
         channelNum++;
     }
     for (auto attrib : _attributeBuffers) {
         BufferView& view = attrib.second;
-        stream.addBuffer(view._buffer, view._offset, _vertexFormat.getChannelStride(channelNum));
+        stream.addBuffer(view._buffer, view._offset, _vertexFormat->getChannelStride(channelNum));
         channelNum++;
     }
 
diff --git a/libraries/model/src/model/Geometry.h b/libraries/model/src/model/Geometry.h
index 31c06e6eca..95f1c3bce7 100755
--- a/libraries/model/src/model/Geometry.h
+++ b/libraries/model/src/model/Geometry.h
@@ -47,14 +47,14 @@ public:
     void setVertexBuffer(const BufferView& buffer);
     const BufferView& getVertexBuffer() const { return _vertexBuffer; }
     uint getNumVertices() const { return _vertexBuffer.getNumElements(); }
-    bool hasVertexData() const { return !_vertexBuffer._buffer; }
+    bool hasVertexData() const { return _vertexBuffer._buffer.get() != nullptr; }
 
     // Attribute Buffers
     int getNumAttributes() const { return _attributeBuffers.size(); }
     void addAttribute(Slot slot, const BufferView& buffer);
 
     // Stream format
-    const VertexFormat& getVertexFormat() const { return _vertexFormat; }
+    const gpu::Stream::FormatPointer getVertexFormat() const { return _vertexFormat; }
 
     // Index Buffer
     void setIndexBuffer(const BufferView& buffer);
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ public:
 
 protected:
 
-    VertexFormat _vertexFormat;
+    gpu::Stream::FormatPointer _vertexFormat;
 
     BufferView _vertexBuffer;
     BufferViewMap _attributeBuffers;