diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp
index 0aef6d0af3..1d00db22d5 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp
@@ -219,9 +219,13 @@ void RenderableModelEntityItem::render(RenderArgs* args) {
 
     if (hasModel()) {
         if (_model) {
-            if (getModelURL() != _model->getURL().toEncoded()) {
-                qDebug() << "Updating model URL: " << getModelURL();
-                _model->setURL(getModelURL());
+            // convert the QString from getModelURL to a URL
+            _url = getModelURL();
+            
+            // check if the URL has changed
+            if (_url != _model->getURL()) {
+                qDebug() << "Updating model URL: " << _url;
+                _model->setURL(_url);
             }
 
             render::ScenePointer scene = AbstractViewStateInterface::instance()->getMain3DScene();
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.h b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.h
index c4e36c240a..3fdad50c9e 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.h
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.h
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ private:
     bool _originalTexturesRead = false;
     QVector<QVector<glm::vec3>> _points;
     bool _dimensionsInitialized = true;
+    QUrl _url;
     
     render::ItemID _myMetaItem;