diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
index e1bb6ae8a0..104b592c1a 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ AvatarData::~AvatarData() {
 // We cannot have a file-level variable (const or otherwise) in the header if it uses PathUtils, because that references Application, which will not yet initialized.
 // Thus we have a static class getter, referencing a static class var.
 QUrl AvatarData::_defaultFullAvatarModelUrl = {}; // In C++, if this initialization were in the header, every file would have it's own copy, even for class vars.
-const QUrl AvatarData::defaultFullAvatarModelUrl() {
+const QUrl& AvatarData::defaultFullAvatarModelUrl() {
     if (_defaultFullAvatarModelUrl.isEmpty()) {
         _defaultFullAvatarModelUrl = QUrl::fromLocalFile(PathUtils::resourcesPath() + "meshes/defaultAvatar_full.fst");
     }
@@ -966,8 +966,9 @@ bool AvatarData::hasIdentityChangedAfterParsing(NLPacket& packet) {
 QByteArray AvatarData::identityByteArray() {
     QByteArray identityData;
     QDataStream identityStream(&identityData, QIODevice::Append);
+    const QUrl& urlToSend = (_skeletonModelURL == AvatarData::defaultFullAvatarModelUrl()) ? QUrl("") : _skeletonModelURL;
 
-    identityStream << QUuid() << _faceModelURL << _skeletonModelURL << _attachmentData << _displayName;
+    identityStream << QUuid() << _faceModelURL << urlToSend << _attachmentData << _displayName;
 
     return identityData;
 }
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
index 81d252c622..a934b98037 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ public:
     AvatarData();
     virtual ~AvatarData();
     
-    static const QUrl defaultFullAvatarModelUrl();
+    static const QUrl& defaultFullAvatarModelUrl();
 
     virtual bool isMyAvatar() const { return false; }
 
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.cpp b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.cpp
index 4378e818ec..520bb34887 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.cpp
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ void AvatarHashMap::processAvatarIdentityPacket(QSharedPointer<NLPacket> packet,
             avatar->setFaceModelURL(faceMeshURL);
         }
 
-        if (avatar->getSkeletonModelURL() != skeletonURL) {
-            avatar->setSkeletonModelURL(skeletonURL);
+        if (avatar->getSkeletonModelURL().isEmpty() || (avatar->getSkeletonModelURL() != skeletonURL)) {
+            avatar->setSkeletonModelURL(skeletonURL); // Will expand "" to default and so will not continuously fire
         }
 
         if (avatar->getAttachmentData() != attachmentData) {