diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.cpp
index 2e3a6c9552..1d81a6ae6d 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.cpp
@@ -942,11 +942,10 @@ void EntityItem::setMass(float mass) {
     float volume = _volumeMultiplier * dimensions.x * dimensions.y * dimensions.z;
 
     // compute new density
-    const float MIN_VOLUME = 1.0e-6f; // 0.001mm^3
     float newDensity = 1.0f;
-    if (volume < 1.0e-6f) {
+    if (volume < ENTITY_ITEM_MIN_VOLUME) {
         // avoid divide by zero
-        newDensity = glm::min(mass / MIN_VOLUME, ENTITY_ITEM_MAX_DENSITY);
+        newDensity = glm::min(mass / ENTITY_ITEM_MIN_VOLUME, ENTITY_ITEM_MAX_DENSITY);
     } else {
         newDensity = glm::max(glm::min(mass / volume, ENTITY_ITEM_MAX_DENSITY), ENTITY_ITEM_MIN_DENSITY);
     }
@@ -1688,7 +1687,7 @@ void EntityItem::setScaledDimensions(const glm::vec3& value) {
 }
 
 void EntityItem::setUnscaledDimensions(const glm::vec3& value) {
-    glm::vec3 newDimensions = glm::max(value, glm::vec3(0.0f)); // can never have negative dimensions
+    glm::vec3 newDimensions = glm::max(value, glm::vec3(ENTITY_ITEM_MIN_DIMENSION));
     if (getUnscaledDimensions() != newDimensions) {
         withWriteLock([&] {
             _unscaledDimensions = newDimensions;
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityItemPropertiesDefaults.h b/libraries/entities/src/EntityItemPropertiesDefaults.h
index 0e0c2994cd..d2ddd687dd 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityItemPropertiesDefaults.h
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityItemPropertiesDefaults.h
@@ -60,8 +60,10 @@ const float ENTITY_ITEM_DEFAULT_LIFETIME = ENTITY_ITEM_IMMORTAL_LIFETIME;
 const glm::vec3 ENTITY_ITEM_DEFAULT_POSITION = ENTITY_ITEM_ZERO_VEC3;
 const glm::quat ENTITY_ITEM_DEFAULT_ROTATION;
 const float ENTITY_ITEM_DEFAULT_WIDTH = 0.1f;
+const float ENTITY_ITEM_MIN_DIMENSION = 0.001f;
 const glm::vec3 ENTITY_ITEM_DEFAULT_DIMENSIONS = glm::vec3(ENTITY_ITEM_DEFAULT_WIDTH);
 const float ENTITY_ITEM_DEFAULT_VOLUME = ENTITY_ITEM_DEFAULT_WIDTH * ENTITY_ITEM_DEFAULT_WIDTH * ENTITY_ITEM_DEFAULT_WIDTH;
+const float ENTITY_ITEM_MIN_VOLUME = ENTITY_ITEM_MIN_DIMENSION * ENTITY_ITEM_MIN_DIMENSION * ENTITY_ITEM_MIN_DIMENSION;
 
 const float ENTITY_ITEM_MAX_DENSITY = 10000.0f; // kg/m^3 density of silver
 const float ENTITY_ITEM_MIN_DENSITY = 100.0f; // kg/m^3 density of balsa wood
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
index 70f873734a..65b12ac0d4 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
@@ -182,9 +182,7 @@ const float SCALE_CHANGE_EPSILON = 0.0000001f;
 void Model::setScaleInternal(const glm::vec3& scale) {
     if (glm::distance(_scale, scale) > SCALE_CHANGE_EPSILON) {
         _scale = scale;
-        if (_scale.x == 0.0f || _scale.y == 0.0f || _scale.z == 0.0f) {
-            assert(false);
-        }
+        assert(_scale.x != 0.0f && scale.y != 0.0f && scale.z != 0.0f);
         simulate(0.0f, true);
     }
 }