diff --git a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp
index fceb146470..99eb08949b 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp
@@ -1894,6 +1894,34 @@ QList<QVariant> Avatar::getSkeleton() {
     return QList<QVariant>();
 }
 
+void Avatar::updateJointMappings() {
+        {
+            QWriteLocker writeLock(&_jointDataLock);
+            _fstJointIndices.clear();
+            _fstJointNames.clear();
+            _jointData.clear();
+        }
+
+        //if (_skeletonModelURL.fileName().toLower().endsWith(".fst")) {
+        //    ////
+        //    // TODO: Should we rely upon HTTPResourceRequest for ResourceRequestObserver instead?
+        //    // HTTPResourceRequest::doSend() covers all of the following and
+        //    // then some. It doesn't cover the connect() call, so we may
+        //    // want to add a HTTPResourceRequest::doSend() method that does
+        //    // connects.
+        //    QNetworkAccessManager& networkAccessManager = NetworkAccessManager::getInstance();
+        //    QNetworkRequest networkRequest = QNetworkRequest(_skeletonModelURL);
+        //    networkRequest.setAttribute(QNetworkRequest::FollowRedirectsAttribute, true);
+        //    networkRequest.setHeader(QNetworkRequest::UserAgentHeader, HIGH_FIDELITY_USER_AGENT);
+        //    DependencyManager::get<ResourceRequestObserver>()->update(
+        //        _skeletonModelURL, -1, "AvatarData::updateJointMappings");
+        //    QNetworkReply* networkReply = networkAccessManager.get(networkRequest);
+        //    //
+        //    ////
+        //    connect(networkReply, &QNetworkReply::finished, this, &AvatarData::setJointMappingsFromNetworkReply);
+        //}
+}
+
 void Avatar::addToScene(AvatarSharedPointer myHandle, const render::ScenePointer& scene) {
     if (scene) {
         auto nodelist = DependencyManager::get<NodeList>();
diff --git a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.h b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.h
index 8f70b12122..d577ab35bf 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.h
+++ b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.h
@@ -516,6 +516,9 @@ protected:
     mutable QReadWriteLock _modelJointIndicesCacheLock;
     mutable bool _modelJointsCached { false };
 
+    /// Loads the joint indices, names from the FST file (if any)
+    virtual void updateJointMappings() override;
+
     glm::vec3 _skeletonOffset;
     std::vector<std::shared_ptr<Model>> _attachmentModels;
     std::vector<bool> _attachmentModelsTexturesLoaded;
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
index d9d4b57c31..a369ea9a24 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
@@ -2209,33 +2209,8 @@ void AvatarData::sendIdentityPacket() {
     _identityDataChanged = false;
 }
 
-void AvatarData::updateJointMappings() {
-    {
-        QWriteLocker writeLock(&_jointDataLock);
-        _fstJointIndices.clear();
-        _fstJointNames.clear();
-        _jointData.clear();
-    }
-
-    if (_skeletonModelURL.fileName().toLower().endsWith(".fst")) {
-        ////
-        // TODO: Should we rely upon HTTPResourceRequest for ResourceRequestObserver instead?
-        // HTTPResourceRequest::doSend() covers all of the following and
-        // then some. It doesn't cover the connect() call, so we may
-        // want to add a HTTPResourceRequest::doSend() method that does
-        // connects.
-        QNetworkAccessManager& networkAccessManager = NetworkAccessManager::getInstance();
-        QNetworkRequest networkRequest = QNetworkRequest(_skeletonModelURL);
-        networkRequest.setAttribute(QNetworkRequest::FollowRedirectsAttribute, true);
-        networkRequest.setHeader(QNetworkRequest::UserAgentHeader, HIGH_FIDELITY_USER_AGENT);
-        DependencyManager::get<ResourceRequestObserver>()->update(
-            _skeletonModelURL, -1, "AvatarData::updateJointMappings");
-        QNetworkReply* networkReply = networkAccessManager.get(networkRequest);
-        //
-        ////
-        connect(networkReply, &QNetworkReply::finished, this, &AvatarData::setJointMappingsFromNetworkReply);
-    }
-}
+void AvatarData::updateJointMappings()
+{ }
 
 static const QString JSON_ATTACHMENT_URL = QStringLiteral("modelUrl");
 static const QString JSON_ATTACHMENT_JOINT_NAME = QStringLiteral("jointName");