diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp
index f4a745278e..fb1d31d273 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp
@@ -228,10 +228,11 @@ void CauterizedModel::updateRenderItems() {
                 const auto& cauterizedMeshState = self->getCauterizeMeshState(meshIndex);
 
                 bool invalidatePayloadShapeKey = self->shouldInvalidatePayloadShapeKey(meshIndex);
+                bool useDualQuaternionSkinning = self->getUseDualQuaternionSkinning();
 
-                transaction.updateItem<CauterizedMeshPartPayload>(itemID, [modelTransform, meshState, cauterizedMeshState, invalidatePayloadShapeKey,
+                transaction.updateItem<CauterizedMeshPartPayload>(itemID, [modelTransform, meshState, useDualQuaternionSkinning, cauterizedMeshState, invalidatePayloadShapeKey,
                         isWireframe, isVisible, isLayeredInFront, isLayeredInHUD, enableCauterization](CauterizedMeshPartPayload& data) {
-                    if (_useDualQuaternionSkinning) {
+                    if (useDualQuaternionSkinning) {
                         data.updateClusterBuffer(meshState.clusterDualQuaternions,
                                                  cauterizedMeshState.clusterDualQuaternions);
                     } else {
@@ -240,7 +241,7 @@ void CauterizedModel::updateRenderItems() {
                     }
 
                     Transform renderTransform = modelTransform;
-                    if (_useDualQuaternionSkinning) {
+                    if (useDualQuaternionSkinning) {
                         if (meshState.clusterDualQuaternions.size() == 1) {
                             const auto& dq = meshState.clusterDualQuaternions[0];
                             Transform transform(dq.getRotation(),
@@ -256,7 +257,7 @@ void CauterizedModel::updateRenderItems() {
                     data.updateTransformForSkinnedMesh(renderTransform, modelTransform);
 
                     renderTransform = modelTransform;
-                    if (_useDualQuaternionSkinning) {
+                    if (useDualQuaternionSkinning) {
                         if (cauterizedMeshState.clusterDualQuaternions.size() == 1) {
                             const auto& dq = cauterizedMeshState.clusterDualQuaternions[0];
                             Transform transform(dq.getRotation(),
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.cpp
index 595a4013f1..1585a075f5 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.cpp
@@ -335,6 +335,9 @@ ModelMeshPartPayload::ModelMeshPartPayload(ModelPointer model, int meshIndex, in
     _shapeID(shapeIndex) {
 
     assert(model && model->isLoaded());
+
+    _useDualQuaternionSkinning = model->getUseDualQuaternionSkinning();
+
     _blendedVertexBuffer = model->_blendedVertexBuffers[_meshIndex];
     auto& modelMesh = model->getGeometry()->getMeshes().at(_meshIndex);
     const Model::MeshState& state = model->getMeshState(_meshIndex);
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.h b/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.h
index 7791390203..220a0bc48c 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.h
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/MeshPartPayload.h
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ private:
     gpu::BufferPointer _blendedVertexBuffer;
     render::ShapeKey _shapeKey { render::ShapeKey::Builder::invalid() };
     int _layer { render::Item::LAYER_3D };
+    bool _useDualQuaternionSkinning { false };
 };
 
 namespace render {
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
index 92abac3520..1318299f43 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
@@ -281,12 +281,13 @@ void Model::updateRenderItems() {
             const auto& meshState = self->getMeshState(meshIndex);
 
             bool invalidatePayloadShapeKey = self->shouldInvalidatePayloadShapeKey(meshIndex);
+            bool useDualQuaternionSkinning = self->getUseDualQuaternionSkinning();
 
-            transaction.updateItem<ModelMeshPartPayload>(itemID, [modelTransform, meshState,
+            transaction.updateItem<ModelMeshPartPayload>(itemID, [modelTransform, meshState, useDualQuaternionSkinning,
                                                                   invalidatePayloadShapeKey, isWireframe, isVisible,
                                                                   viewTagBits, isLayeredInFront,
                                                                   isLayeredInHUD](ModelMeshPartPayload& data) {
-                if (_useDualQuaternions) {
+                if (useDualQuaternionSkinning) {
                     data.updateClusterBuffer(meshState.clusterDualQuaternions);
                 } else {
                     data.updateClusterBuffer(meshState.clusterMatrices);
@@ -294,7 +295,7 @@ void Model::updateRenderItems() {
 
                 Transform renderTransform = modelTransform;
 
-                if (_useDualQuaternions) {
+                if (useDualQuaternionSkinning) {
                     if (meshState.clusterDualQuaternions.size() == 1) {
                         const auto& dq = meshState.clusterDualQuaternions[0];
                         Transform transform(dq.getRotation(),
@@ -386,7 +387,7 @@ bool Model::updateGeometry() {
         const FBXGeometry& fbxGeometry = getFBXGeometry();
         foreach (const FBXMesh& mesh, fbxGeometry.meshes) {
             MeshState state;
-            if (_useDualQuaternions) {
+            if (_useDualQuaternionSkinning) {
                 state.clusterDualQuaternions.resize(mesh.clusters.size());
             } else {
                 state.clusterMatrices.resize(mesh.clusters.size());
@@ -1275,7 +1276,7 @@ void Model::updateRig(float deltaTime, glm::mat4 parentTransform) {
 void Model::computeMeshPartLocalBounds() {
     for (auto& part : _modelMeshRenderItems) {
         const Model::MeshState& state = _meshStates.at(part->_meshIndex);
-        if (_useDualQuaternions) {
+        if (_useDualQuaternionSkinning) {
             part->computeAdjustedLocalBound(state.clusterDualQuaternions);
         } else {
             part->computeAdjustedLocalBound(state.clusterMatrices);
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
index 84d7dcb7cc..46dbc90324 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
@@ -311,6 +311,7 @@ public:
     Q_INVOKABLE MeshProxyList getMeshes() const;
 
     void scaleToFit();
+    bool getUseDualQuaternionSkinning() const { return _useDualQuaternionSkinning; }
 
 public slots:
     void loadURLFinished(bool success);
@@ -414,7 +415,7 @@ protected:
     virtual void createCollisionRenderItemSet();
 
     bool _isWireframe;
-    bool _useDualQuaternionSkinning { false };
+    bool _useDualQuaternionSkinning { true };
 
     // debug rendering support
     int _debugMeshBoxesID = GeometryCache::UNKNOWN_ID;