diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp
index 259036f500..2754697db7 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ void CauterizedModel::createRenderItemSet() {
     }
 }
 
-void CauterizedModel::updateClusterMatrices() {
+void CauterizedModel::updateClusterMatrices(bool triggerBlendshapes) {
     PerformanceTimer perfTimer("CauterizedModel::updateClusterMatrices");
 
     if (!_needsUpdateClusterMatrices || !isLoaded()) {
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ void CauterizedModel::updateClusterMatrices() {
 
     // post the blender if we're not currently waiting for one to finish
     auto modelBlender = DependencyManager::get<ModelBlender>();
-    if (modelBlender->shouldComputeBlendshapes() && geometry.hasBlendedMeshes() && _blendshapeCoefficients != _blendedBlendshapeCoefficients) {
+    if (triggerBlendshapes && modelBlender->shouldComputeBlendshapes() && geometry.hasBlendedMeshes() && _blendshapeCoefficients != _blendedBlendshapeCoefficients) {
         _blendedBlendshapeCoefficients = _blendshapeCoefficients;
         modelBlender->noteRequiresBlend(getThisPointer());
     }
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.h b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.h
index 36a96fb006..12cf921e5b 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.h
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public:
 
     void createRenderItemSet() override;
     
-    virtual void updateClusterMatrices() override;
+    virtual void updateClusterMatrices(bool triggerBlendshapes = true) override;
     void updateRenderItems() override;
 
     const Model::MeshState& getCauterizeMeshState(int index) const;
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
index 4158b14223..8287b9cca6 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
@@ -976,7 +976,7 @@ bool Model::addToScene(const render::ScenePointer& scene,
                        render::Transaction& transaction,
                        render::Item::Status::Getters& statusGetters) {
     if (!_addedToScene && isLoaded()) {
-        updateClusterMatrices();
+        updateClusterMatrices(false);
         if (_modelMeshRenderItems.empty()) {
             createRenderItemSet();
         }
@@ -1486,7 +1486,7 @@ void Model::computeMeshPartLocalBounds() {
 }
 
 // virtual
-void Model::updateClusterMatrices() {
+void Model::updateClusterMatrices(bool triggerBlendshapes) {
     DETAILED_PERFORMANCE_TIMER("Model::updateClusterMatrices");
 
     if (!_needsUpdateClusterMatrices || !isLoaded()) {
@@ -1515,7 +1515,7 @@ void Model::updateClusterMatrices() {
 
     // post the blender if we're not currently waiting for one to finish
     auto modelBlender = DependencyManager::get<ModelBlender>();
-    if (modelBlender->shouldComputeBlendshapes() && geometry.hasBlendedMeshes() && _blendshapeCoefficients != _blendedBlendshapeCoefficients) {
+    if (triggerBlendshapes && modelBlender->shouldComputeBlendshapes() && geometry.hasBlendedMeshes() && _blendshapeCoefficients != _blendedBlendshapeCoefficients) {
         _blendedBlendshapeCoefficients = _blendshapeCoefficients;
         modelBlender->noteRequiresBlend(getThisPointer());
     }
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
index 4642515294..5ab50da162 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ public:
     bool getSnapModelToRegistrationPoint() { return _snapModelToRegistrationPoint; }
 
     virtual void simulate(float deltaTime, bool fullUpdate = true);
-    virtual void updateClusterMatrices();
+    virtual void updateClusterMatrices(bool triggerBlendshapes = true);
 
     /// Returns a reference to the shared geometry.
     const Geometry::Pointer& getGeometry() const { return _renderGeometry; }
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/SoftAttachmentModel.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/SoftAttachmentModel.cpp
index f9b90f38ba..93ce8f595a 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/SoftAttachmentModel.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/SoftAttachmentModel.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ int SoftAttachmentModel::getJointIndexOverride(int i) const {
 
 // virtual
 // use the _rigOverride matrices instead of the Model::_rig
-void SoftAttachmentModel::updateClusterMatrices() {
+void SoftAttachmentModel::updateClusterMatrices(bool triggerBlendshapes) {
     if (!_needsUpdateClusterMatrices) {
         return;
     }
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ void SoftAttachmentModel::updateClusterMatrices() {
 
     // post the blender if we're not currently waiting for one to finish
     auto modelBlender = DependencyManager::get<ModelBlender>();
-    if (modelBlender->shouldComputeBlendshapes() && geometry.hasBlendedMeshes() && _blendshapeCoefficients != _blendedBlendshapeCoefficients) {
+    if (triggerBlendshapes && modelBlender->shouldComputeBlendshapes() && geometry.hasBlendedMeshes() && _blendshapeCoefficients != _blendedBlendshapeCoefficients) {
         _blendedBlendshapeCoefficients = _blendshapeCoefficients;
         modelBlender->noteRequiresBlend(getThisPointer());
     }
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/SoftAttachmentModel.h b/libraries/render-utils/src/SoftAttachmentModel.h
index 4335c1634e..03038c35f3 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/SoftAttachmentModel.h
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/SoftAttachmentModel.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public:
     ~SoftAttachmentModel();
 
     void updateRig(float deltaTime, glm::mat4 parentTransform) override;
-    void updateClusterMatrices() override;
+    void updateClusterMatrices(bool triggerBlendshapes = true) override;
 
 protected:
     int getJointIndexOverride(int i) const;