diff --git a/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp b/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp
index 24ca83b8a3..c8791000c6 100644
--- a/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp
@@ -908,6 +908,10 @@ int VoxelSystem::updateNodeInArraysAsFullVBO(VoxelNode* node) {
 // will forcibly remove it from the VBOs because we know better!!!
 int VoxelSystem::forceRemoveNodeFromArraysAsPartialVBO(VoxelNode* node) {
 
+    if (!_initialized) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     // if the node is not in the VBOs then we have nothing to do!
     if (node->isKnownBufferIndex()) {
 
@@ -937,6 +941,10 @@ int VoxelSystem::updateNodeInArraysAsPartialVBO(VoxelNode* node) {
     if (_voxelsInWriteArrays >= _maxVoxels) {
         return 0;
     }
+
+    if (!_initialized) {
+        return 0;
+    }
     
     // Now, if we've changed any attributes (our renderness, our color, etc) then update the Arrays...
     if (node->isDirty()) {