diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 9b6ef9f9c2..30d992ede9 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -1642,8 +1642,6 @@ void Application::paintGL() {
         return;
     }
 
-    DependencyManager::get<EntityTreeRenderer>()->cameraPosition = getMyAvatar()->getPosition();
-
     _inPaint = true;
     Finally clearFlag([this] { _inPaint = false; });
 
@@ -3249,6 +3247,13 @@ void Application::init() {
         getEntities()->setViewFrustum(_viewFrustum);
     }
 
+    getEntities()->setEntityLoadingPriorityFunction([this](const EntityItem& item) {
+        auto dims = item.getDimensions();
+        auto maxSize = glm::max(dims.x, dims.y, dims.z);
+        auto distance = glm::distance(getMyAvatar()->getPosition(), item.getPosition());
+        return atan2(maxSize, distance);
+    });
+
     ObjectMotionState::setShapeManager(&_shapeManager);
     _physicsEngine->init();
 
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.h b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.h
index ec14e2f269..2ead511048 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.h
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.h
@@ -28,11 +28,14 @@ class AbstractViewStateInterface;
 class Model;
 class ScriptEngine;
 class ZoneEntityItem;
+class EntityItem;
 
 class Model;
 using ModelPointer = std::shared_ptr<Model>;
 using ModelWeakPointer = std::weak_ptr<Model>;
 
+using CalculateEntityLoadingPriority = std::function<float(const EntityItem& item)>;
+
 // Generic client side Octree renderer class.
 class EntityTreeRenderer : public OctreeRenderer, public EntityItemFBXService, public Dependency {
     Q_OBJECT
@@ -46,7 +49,9 @@ public:
     virtual PacketType getExpectedPacketType() const { return PacketType::EntityData; }
     virtual void setTree(OctreePointer newTree);
 
-    glm::vec3 cameraPosition {};
+    // Returns the priority at which an entity should be loaded. Higher values indicate higher priority.
+    float getEntityLoadingPriority(const EntityItem& item) const { return _calculateEntityLoadingPriorityFunc(item); }
+    void setEntityLoadingPriorityFunction(CalculateEntityLoadingPriority fn) { this->_calculateEntityLoadingPriorityFunc = fn; }
 
     void shutdown();
     void update();
@@ -204,6 +209,10 @@ private:
     QList<EntityItemID> _entityIDsLastInScene;
 
     static int _entitiesScriptEngineCount;
+
+    CalculateEntityLoadingPriority _calculateEntityLoadingPriorityFunc = [](const EntityItem& item) -> float {
+        return 0.0f;
+    };
 };
 
 
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp
index bfcd604288..29992e897a 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp
@@ -484,11 +484,7 @@ ModelPointer RenderableModelEntityItem::getModel(EntityTreeRenderer* renderer) {
     if (!getModelURL().isEmpty()) {
         // If we don't have a model, allocate one *immediately*
         if (!_model) {
-            auto dims = this->getDimensions();
-            auto maxSize = glm::max(dims.x, dims.y, dims.z);
-            auto distance = glm::distance(renderer->cameraPosition, getPosition());
-            float priority = atan2(maxSize / 2, distance);
-            _model = _myRenderer->allocateModel(getModelURL(), getCompoundShapeURL(), priority);
+            _model = _myRenderer->allocateModel(getModelURL(), getCompoundShapeURL(), renderer->getEntityLoadingPriority(*this));
             _needsInitialSimulation = true;
         // If we need to change URLs, update it *after rendering* (to avoid access violations)
         } else if ((QUrl(getModelURL()) != _model->getURL() || QUrl(getCompoundShapeURL()) != _model->getCollisionURL())) {
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.h b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.h
index f487e79880..f63ffcbdb4 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.h
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.h
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ public:
                         bool& keepSearching, OctreeElementPointer& element, float& distance,
                         BoxFace& face, glm::vec3& surfaceNormal,
                         void** intersectedObject, bool precisionPicking) const override;
-
     ModelPointer getModel(EntityTreeRenderer* renderer);
 
     virtual bool needsToCallUpdate() const override;