diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedMeshPartPayload.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedMeshPartPayload.cpp
index 3bb2aa2ef9..396cd13508 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedMeshPartPayload.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedMeshPartPayload.cpp
@@ -40,17 +40,7 @@ void CauterizedMeshPartPayload::updateTransformForCauterizedMesh(const Transform
 
 void CauterizedMeshPartPayload::bindTransform(gpu::Batch& batch, const render::ShapePipeline::LocationsPointer locations, RenderArgs::RenderMode renderMode) const {
     // Still relying on the raw data from the model
-    bool useCauterizedMesh = (renderMode != RenderArgs::RenderMode::SHADOW_RENDER_MODE && renderMode != RenderArgs::RenderMode::SECONDARY_CAMERA_RENDER_MODE);
-    if (useCauterizedMesh) {
-        ModelPointer model = _model.lock();
-        if (model) {
-            CauterizedModel* skeleton = static_cast<CauterizedModel*>(model.get());
-            useCauterizedMesh = useCauterizedMesh && skeleton->getEnableCauterization();
-        } else {
-            useCauterizedMesh = false;
-        }
-    }
-
+    bool useCauterizedMesh = (renderMode != RenderArgs::RenderMode::SHADOW_RENDER_MODE && renderMode != RenderArgs::RenderMode::SECONDARY_CAMERA_RENDER_MODE) && _enableCauterization;
     if (useCauterizedMesh) {
         if (_cauterizedClusterBuffer) {
             batch.setUniformBuffer(ShapePipeline::Slot::BUFFER::SKINNING, _cauterizedClusterBuffer);
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedMeshPartPayload.h b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedMeshPartPayload.h
index 1c98f5abf3..44eddc6e31 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedMeshPartPayload.h
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedMeshPartPayload.h
@@ -21,9 +21,12 @@ public:
 
     void bindTransform(gpu::Batch& batch, const render::ShapePipeline::LocationsPointer locations, RenderArgs::RenderMode renderMode) const override;
 
+    void setEnableCauterization(bool enableCauterization) { _enableCauterization = enableCauterization; }
+
 private:
     gpu::BufferPointer _cauterizedClusterBuffer;
     Transform _cauterizedTransform;
+    bool _enableCauterization { false };
 };
 
 #endif // hifi_CauterizedMeshPartPayload_h
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp
index 52095ee25a..dbb82ab638 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ void CauterizedModel::updateRenderItems() {
             bool isVisible = self->isVisible();
             bool isLayeredInFront = self->isLayeredInFront();
             bool isLayeredInHUD = self->isLayeredInHUD();
+            bool enableCauterization = self->getEnableCauterization();
 
             render::Transaction transaction;
             for (int i = 0; i < (int)self->_modelMeshRenderItemIDs.size(); i++) {
@@ -194,7 +195,7 @@ void CauterizedModel::updateRenderItems() {
                 bool invalidatePayloadShapeKey = self->shouldInvalidatePayloadShapeKey(meshIndex);
 
                 transaction.updateItem<CauterizedMeshPartPayload>(itemID, [modelTransform, clusterMatrices, clusterMatricesCauterized, invalidatePayloadShapeKey,
-                        isWireframe, isVisible, isLayeredInFront, isLayeredInHUD](CauterizedMeshPartPayload& data) {
+                        isWireframe, isVisible, isLayeredInFront, isLayeredInHUD, enableCauterization](CauterizedMeshPartPayload& data) {
                     data.updateClusterBuffer(clusterMatrices, clusterMatricesCauterized);
 
                     Transform renderTransform = modelTransform;
@@ -209,6 +210,7 @@ void CauterizedModel::updateRenderItems() {
                     }
                     data.updateTransformForCauterizedMesh(renderTransform);
 
+                    data.setEnableCauterization(enableCauterization);
                     data.setKey(isVisible, isLayeredInFront || isLayeredInHUD);
                     data.setLayer(isLayeredInFront, isLayeredInHUD);
                     data.setShapeKey(invalidatePayloadShapeKey, isWireframe);
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.cpp
index 313cd383f9..61a5175efd 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.cpp
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ ModelMeshPartPayload::ModelMeshPartPayload(ModelPointer model, int meshIndex, in
     _shapeID(shapeIndex) {
 
     assert(model && model->isLoaded());
-    _model = model;
+    _blendedVertexBuffer = model->_blendedVertexBuffers[_meshIndex];
     auto& modelMesh = model->getGeometry()->getMeshes().at(_meshIndex);
     const Model::MeshState& state = model->getMeshState(_meshIndex);
 
@@ -493,10 +493,9 @@ void ModelMeshPartPayload::bindMesh(gpu::Batch& batch) {
         batch.setIndexBuffer(gpu::UINT32, (_drawMesh->getIndexBuffer()._buffer), 0);
         batch.setInputFormat((_drawMesh->getVertexFormat()));
 
-        ModelPointer model = _model.lock();
-        if (model) {
-            batch.setInputBuffer(0, model->_blendedVertexBuffers[_meshIndex], 0, sizeof(glm::vec3));
-            batch.setInputBuffer(1, model->_blendedVertexBuffers[_meshIndex], _drawMesh->getNumVertices() * sizeof(glm::vec3), sizeof(glm::vec3));
+        if (_blendedVertexBuffer) {
+            batch.setInputBuffer(0, _blendedVertexBuffer, 0, sizeof(glm::vec3));
+            batch.setInputBuffer(1, _blendedVertexBuffer, _drawMesh->getNumVertices() * sizeof(glm::vec3), sizeof(glm::vec3));
             batch.setInputStream(2, _drawMesh->getVertexStream().makeRangedStream(2));
         } else {
             batch.setIndexBuffer(gpu::UINT32, (_drawMesh->getIndexBuffer()._buffer), 0);
@@ -522,11 +521,6 @@ void ModelMeshPartPayload::bindTransform(gpu::Batch& batch, const ShapePipeline:
 void ModelMeshPartPayload::render(RenderArgs* args) {
     PerformanceTimer perfTimer("ModelMeshPartPayload::render");
 
-    ModelPointer model = _model.lock();
-    if (!model || !model->isAddedToScene() || !model->isVisible()) {
-        return; // bail asap
-    }
-
     if (!args) {
         return;
     }
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.h b/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.h
index 8715b6a7a0..fb55883101 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.h
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.h
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ public:
     void computeAdjustedLocalBound(const std::vector<glm::mat4>& clusterMatrices);
 
     gpu::BufferPointer _clusterBuffer;
-    ModelWeakPointer _model;
 
     int _meshIndex;
     int _shapeID;
@@ -119,6 +118,7 @@ public:
 private:
     void initCache(const ModelPointer& model);
 
+    gpu::BufferPointer _blendedVertexBuffer;
     render::ItemKey _itemKey { render::ItemKey::Builder::opaqueShape().build() };
     render::ShapeKey _shapeKey { render::ShapeKey::Builder::invalid() };
     int _layer { render::Item::LAYER_3D };