diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 3890eae4c3..894471a251 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -4361,8 +4361,12 @@ namespace render {
                     auto scene = DependencyManager::get<SceneScriptingInterface>()->getStage();
                     auto sceneKeyLight = scene->getKeyLight();
                     auto defaultSkyboxAmbientTexture = qApp->getDefaultSkyboxAmbientTexture();
-                    sceneKeyLight->setAmbientSphere(defaultSkyboxAmbientTexture->getIrradiance());
-                    sceneKeyLight->setAmbientMap(defaultSkyboxAmbientTexture);
+                    if (defaultSkyboxAmbientTexture) {
+                        sceneKeyLight->setAmbientSphere(defaultSkyboxAmbientTexture->getIrradiance());
+                        sceneKeyLight->setAmbientMap(defaultSkyboxAmbientTexture);
+                    } else {
+                        qWarning() << "Failed to get a valid Default SKybox Ambient Texture ? probably because it couldn't be find during initialization step";
+                    }
                     // fall through: render defaults skybox
                 } else {
                     break;
diff --git a/libraries/gpu-gl/src/gpu/gl45/GL45BackendTexture.cpp b/libraries/gpu-gl/src/gpu/gl45/GL45BackendTexture.cpp
index 3e6e53ffc3..36b7b4886f 100644
--- a/libraries/gpu-gl/src/gpu/gl45/GL45BackendTexture.cpp
+++ b/libraries/gpu-gl/src/gpu/gl45/GL45BackendTexture.cpp
@@ -511,9 +511,7 @@ void GL45Texture::stripToMip(uint16_t newMinMip) {
     _minMip = newMinMip;
     // Re-sync the sampler to force access to the new mip level
     syncSampler();
-    size_t oldSize = _size;
     updateSize();
-    Q_ASSERT(_size > oldSize);
 
 
     // Re-insert into the texture-by-mips map if appropriate