diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 06ce6c3d6c..5c8d18cf4a 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -2155,6 +2155,19 @@ Application::Application(int& argc, char** argv, QElapsedTimer& startupTimer, bo
         return QSizeF(0.0f, 0.0f);
     });
 
+    Texture::setUnboundTextureForUUIDOperator([this](const QUuid& entityID) -> gpu::TexturePointer {
+        if (_aboutToQuit) {
+            return nullptr;
+        }
+
+        auto renderable = getEntities()->renderableForEntityId(entityID);
+        if (renderable) {
+            return renderable->getTexture();
+        }
+
+        return nullptr;
+    });
+
     connect(this, &Application::aboutToQuit, [this]() {
         setKeyboardFocusEntity(UNKNOWN_ENTITY_ID);
     });
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableEntityItem.h b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableEntityItem.h
index b521ee29c4..29351cb25a 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableEntityItem.h
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableEntityItem.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ public:
     virtual void addMaterial(graphics::MaterialLayer material, const std::string& parentMaterialName);
     virtual void removeMaterial(graphics::MaterialPointer material, const std::string& parentMaterialName);
     static Pipeline getPipelineType(const graphics::MultiMaterial& materials);
+    virtual gpu::TexturePointer getTexture() { return nullptr; }
 
     virtual scriptable::ScriptableModelBase getScriptableModel() override { return scriptable::ScriptableModelBase(); }
 
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableImageEntityItem.h b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableImageEntityItem.h
index ff82dc157a..cc923daf4b 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableImageEntityItem.h
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableImageEntityItem.h
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ public:
     ImageEntityRenderer(const EntityItemPointer& entity);
     ~ImageEntityRenderer();
 
+    gpu::TexturePointer getTexture() override { return _texture ? _texture->getGPUTexture() : nullptr; }
+
 protected:
     Item::Bound getBound(RenderArgs* args) override;
     ShapeKey getShapeKey() override;
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableWebEntityItem.h b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableWebEntityItem.h
index 1ac415e5e5..fb04e08ec7 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableWebEntityItem.h
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableWebEntityItem.h
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ public:
     virtual void setProxyWindow(QWindow* proxyWindow) override;
     virtual QObject* getEventHandler() override;
 
+    gpu::TexturePointer getTexture() override { return _texture; }
+
 protected:
     virtual bool needsRenderUpdateFromTypedEntity(const TypedEntityPointer& entity) const override;
     virtual void doRenderUpdateSynchronousTyped(const ScenePointer& scene, Transaction& transaction, const TypedEntityPointer& entity) override;
diff --git a/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.cpp b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.cpp
index 1edd7d33cf..28d68f6271 100755
--- a/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.cpp
+++ b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.cpp
@@ -887,16 +887,29 @@ void SphericalHarmonics::evalFromTexture(const Texture& texture, gpu::BackendTar
 
 
 // TextureSource
+const gpu::TexturePointer TextureSource::getGPUTexture() const {
+    if (_gpuTextureOperator) {
+        return _gpuTextureOperator();
+    }
+    return _gpuTexture;
+}
+
 void TextureSource::resetTexture(gpu::TexturePointer texture) {
     _gpuTexture = texture;
+    _gpuTextureOperator = nullptr;
+}
+
+void TextureSource::resetTextureOperator(std::function<gpu::TexturePointer()> textureOperator) {
+    _gpuTexture = nullptr;
+    _gpuTextureOperator = textureOperator;
 }
 
 bool TextureSource::isDefined() const {
-    if (_gpuTexture) {
-        return _gpuTexture->isDefined();
-    } else {
-        return false;
+    if (_gpuTextureOperator) {
+        auto gpuTexture = _gpuTextureOperator();
+        return gpuTexture && gpuTexture->isDefined();
     }
+    return _gpuTexture && _gpuTexture->isDefined();
 }
 
 bool Texture::setMinMip(uint16 newMinMip) {
@@ -930,6 +943,7 @@ void Texture::setExternalTexture(uint32 externalId, void* externalFence) {
     Lock lock(_externalMutex);
     assert(_externalRecycler);
     _externalUpdates.push_back({ externalId, externalFence });
+    _defined = true;
 }
 
 Texture::ExternalUpdates Texture::getUpdates() const {
diff --git a/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.h b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.h
index 54c7d49421..18df2e5d3f 100755
--- a/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.h
+++ b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.h
@@ -700,16 +700,18 @@ public:
 
     void setUrl(const QUrl& url) { _imageUrl = url; }
     const QUrl& getUrl() const { return _imageUrl; }
-    const gpu::TexturePointer getGPUTexture() const { return _gpuTexture; }
+    const gpu::TexturePointer getGPUTexture() const;
     void setType(int type) { _type = type; }
     int getType() const { return _type; }
 
     void resetTexture(gpu::TexturePointer texture);
+    void resetTextureOperator(std::function<gpu::TexturePointer()> textureOperator);
 
     bool isDefined() const;
 
 protected:
     gpu::TexturePointer _gpuTexture;
+    std::function<gpu::TexturePointer()> _gpuTextureOperator { nullptr };
     QUrl _imageUrl;
     int _type { 0 };
 };
diff --git a/libraries/graphics/src/graphics/TextureMap.cpp b/libraries/graphics/src/graphics/TextureMap.cpp
index e2f24d68ff..69e182fc9d 100755
--- a/libraries/graphics/src/graphics/TextureMap.cpp
+++ b/libraries/graphics/src/graphics/TextureMap.cpp
@@ -18,11 +18,7 @@ void TextureMap::setTextureSource(TextureSourcePointer& textureSource) {
 }
 
 bool TextureMap::isDefined() const {
-    if (_textureSource) {
-        return _textureSource->isDefined();
-    } else {
-        return false;
-    }
+    return _textureSource && _textureSource->isDefined();
 }
 
 gpu::TextureView TextureMap::getTextureView() const {
diff --git a/libraries/material-networking/src/material-networking/TextureCache.cpp b/libraries/material-networking/src/material-networking/TextureCache.cpp
index 64c3abb0d8..288d35c0f6 100644
--- a/libraries/material-networking/src/material-networking/TextureCache.cpp
+++ b/libraries/material-networking/src/material-networking/TextureCache.cpp
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ static const QUrl HMD_PREVIEW_FRAME_URL("resource://hmdPreviewFrame");
 static const float SKYBOX_LOAD_PRIORITY { 10.0f }; // Make sure skybox loads first
 static const float HIGH_MIPS_LOAD_PRIORITY { 9.0f }; // Make sure high mips loads after skybox but before models
 
+std::function<gpu::TexturePointer(const QUuid&)> Texture::_unboundTextureForUUIDOperator { nullptr };
+
 TextureCache::TextureCache() {
     _ktxCache->initialize();
 #if defined(DISABLE_KTX_CACHE)
@@ -252,6 +254,10 @@ NetworkTexturePointer TextureCache::getTexture(const QUrl& url, image::TextureUs
     if (url.scheme() == RESOURCE_SCHEME) {
         return getResourceTexture(url);
     }
+    QString decodedURL = url.toDisplayString(QUrl::FullyDecoded);
+    if (decodedURL.startsWith("{")) {
+        return getTextureByUUID(decodedURL);
+    }
     auto modifiedUrl = url;
     if (type == image::TextureUsage::SKY_TEXTURE) {
         QUrlQuery query { url.query() };
@@ -480,6 +486,12 @@ void NetworkTexture::setImage(gpu::TexturePointer texture, int originalWidth,
     emit networkTextureCreated(qWeakPointerCast<NetworkTexture, Resource> (_self));
 }
 
+void NetworkTexture::setImageOperator(std::function<gpu::TexturePointer()> textureOperator) {
+    _textureSource->resetTextureOperator(textureOperator);
+    finishedLoading((bool)textureOperator);
+    emit networkTextureCreated(qWeakPointerCast<NetworkTexture, Resource> (_self));
+}
+
 gpu::TexturePointer NetworkTexture::getFallbackTexture() const {
     return getFallbackTextureForType(_type);
 }
@@ -1311,7 +1323,6 @@ void ImageReader::read() {
 }
 
 NetworkTexturePointer TextureCache::getResourceTexture(const QUrl& resourceTextureUrl) {
-    gpu::TexturePointer texture;
     if (resourceTextureUrl == SPECTATOR_CAMERA_FRAME_URL) {
         if (!_spectatorCameraNetworkTexture) {
             _spectatorCameraNetworkTexture.reset(new NetworkTexture(resourceTextureUrl, true));
@@ -1328,6 +1339,7 @@ NetworkTexturePointer TextureCache::getResourceTexture(const QUrl& resourceTextu
             _hmdPreviewNetworkTexture.reset(new NetworkTexture(resourceTextureUrl, true));
         }
         if (_hmdPreviewFramebuffer) {
+            gpu::TexturePointer texture;
             texture = _hmdPreviewFramebuffer->getRenderBuffer(0);
             if (texture) {
                 texture->setSource(HMD_PREVIEW_FRAME_URL.toString().toStdString());
@@ -1374,3 +1386,22 @@ void TextureCache::updateSpectatorCameraNetworkTexture() {
         }
     }
 }
+
+NetworkTexturePointer TextureCache::getTextureByUUID(const QString& uuid) {
+    QUuid quuid = QUuid(uuid);
+    if (!quuid.isNull()) {
+        // We mark this as a resource texture because it's just a reference to another texture.  The source
+        // texture will be marked properly
+        NetworkTexturePointer toReturn = NetworkTexturePointer(new NetworkTexture(uuid, true));
+        toReturn->setImageOperator(Texture::getTextureForUUIDOperator(uuid));
+        return toReturn;
+    }
+    return NetworkTexturePointer();
+}
+
+std::function<gpu::TexturePointer()> Texture::getTextureForUUIDOperator(const QUuid& uuid) {
+    if (_unboundTextureForUUIDOperator) {
+        return std::bind(_unboundTextureForUUIDOperator, uuid);
+    }
+    return nullptr;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/libraries/material-networking/src/material-networking/TextureCache.h b/libraries/material-networking/src/material-networking/TextureCache.h
index 754263566b..adf600d810 100644
--- a/libraries/material-networking/src/material-networking/TextureCache.h
+++ b/libraries/material-networking/src/material-networking/TextureCache.h
@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ class Texture {
 public:
     gpu::TexturePointer getGPUTexture() const { return _textureSource->getGPUTexture(); }
     gpu::TextureSourcePointer _textureSource;
+
+    static std::function<gpu::TexturePointer()> getTextureForUUIDOperator(const QUuid& uuid);
+    static void setUnboundTextureForUUIDOperator(std::function<gpu::TexturePointer(const QUuid&)> textureForUUIDOperator) { _unboundTextureForUUIDOperator = textureForUUIDOperator; }
+
+private:
+    static std::function<gpu::TexturePointer(const QUuid&)> _unboundTextureForUUIDOperator;
 };
 
 /// A texture loaded from the network.
@@ -86,6 +92,7 @@ protected:
     Q_INVOKABLE void loadTextureContent(const QByteArray& content);
 
     Q_INVOKABLE void setImage(gpu::TexturePointer texture, int originalWidth, int originalHeight);
+    void setImageOperator(std::function<gpu::TexturePointer()> textureOperator);
 
     Q_INVOKABLE void startRequestForNextMipLevel();
 
@@ -192,6 +199,8 @@ public:
     const gpu::FramebufferPointer& getSpectatorCameraFramebuffer(int width, int height);
     void updateSpectatorCameraNetworkTexture();
 
+    NetworkTexturePointer getTextureByUUID(const QString& uuid);
+
     static const int DEFAULT_SPECTATOR_CAM_WIDTH { 2048 };
     static const int DEFAULT_SPECTATOR_CAM_HEIGHT { 1024 };