diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index c9309616ae..02dae8e08e 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -429,6 +429,8 @@ Application::Application(int& argc, char** argv, QElapsedTimer &startup_time) :
 #endif
 
     this->installEventFilter(this);
+    
+    Model::setViewStateInterface(this); // The model class will sometimes need to know view state details from us
 }
 
 void Application::aboutToQuit() {
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.h b/interface/src/Application.h
index 6b5bcc0770..dea7c80940 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.h
+++ b/interface/src/Application.h
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ public:
     const glm::vec3& getViewMatrixTranslation() const { return _viewMatrixTranslation; }
     void setViewMatrixTranslation(const glm::vec3& translation) { _viewMatrixTranslation = translation; }
 
-    const Transform& getViewTransform() const { return _viewTransform; }
+    virtual const Transform& getViewTransform() const { return _viewTransform; }
     void setViewTransform(const Transform& view);
 
     /// if you need to access the application settings, use lockSettings()/unlockSettings()
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ public:
 
     void controlledBroadcastToNodes(const QByteArray& packet, const NodeSet& destinationNodeTypes);
 
-    void setupWorldLight();
+    virtual void setupWorldLight();
 
     QImage renderAvatarBillboard();
 
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ public:
     virtual ViewFrustum* getCurrentViewFrustum() { return getDisplayViewFrustum(); }
     virtual bool getShadowsEnabled();
     virtual bool getCascadeShadowsEnabled();
+    virtual QThread* getMainThread() { return thread(); }
 
     NodeBounds& getNodeBoundsDisplay()  { return _nodeBoundsDisplay; }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/Model.cpp b/interface/src/renderer/Model.cpp
index 56d7d30def..7fe024b8fe 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/Model.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/Model.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 #include <DeferredLightingEffect.h>
 #include <GeometryUtil.h>
 #include <GlowEffect.h>
+#include <gpu/Batch.h>
+#include <gpu/GLBackend.h>
 #include <PathUtils.h>
 #include <PerfStat.h>
 #include <PhysicsEntity.h>
@@ -29,11 +31,10 @@
 #include <SphereShape.h>
 
 #include "AnimationHandle.h"
-#include "Application.h"
+#include "Menu.h"
 #include "Model.h"
 
-#include "gpu/Batch.h"
-#include "gpu/GLBackend.h"
+
 #define GLBATCH( call ) batch._##call
 //#define GLBATCH( call ) call
 
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ Model::Model(QObject* parent) :
     _meshGroupsKnown(false) {
     
     // we may have been created in the network thread, but we live in the main thread
-    moveToThread(Application::getInstance()->thread());
+    moveToThread(_viewState->getMainThread());
 }
 
 Model::~Model() {
@@ -109,6 +110,8 @@ Model::SkinLocations Model::_skinNormalSpecularMapLocations;
 Model::SkinLocations Model::_skinShadowLocations;
 Model::SkinLocations Model::_skinTranslucentLocations;
 
+ViewStateInterface* Model::_viewState = NULL;
+
 void Model::setScale(const glm::vec3& scale) {
     setScaleInternal(scale);
     // if anyone sets scale manually, then we are no longer scaled to fit
@@ -727,7 +730,7 @@ bool Model::renderCore(float alpha, RenderMode mode, RenderArgs* args) {
     if (_transforms.empty()) {
         _transforms.push_back(Transform());
     }
-    _transforms[0] = Application::getInstance()->getViewTransform();
+    _transforms[0] = _viewState->getViewTransform();
     // apply entity translation offset to the viewTransform  in one go (it's a preTranslate because viewTransform goes from world to eye space)
     _transforms[0].preTranslate(-_translation);
 
@@ -870,7 +873,7 @@ bool Model::renderCore(float alpha, RenderMode mode, RenderArgs* args) {
     }
 
     // restore all the default material settings
-    Application::getInstance()->setupWorldLight();
+    _viewState->setupWorldLight();
     
     if (args) {
         args->_translucentMeshPartsRendered = translucentMeshPartsRendered;
@@ -1670,7 +1673,7 @@ void Model::setupBatchTransform(gpu::Batch& batch) {
     if (_transforms.empty()) {
         _transforms.push_back(Transform());
     }
-    _transforms[0] = Application::getInstance()->getViewTransform();
+    _transforms[0] = _viewState->getViewTransform();
     _transforms[0].preTranslate(-_translation);
     batch.setViewTransform(_transforms[0]);
 }
@@ -1830,7 +1833,7 @@ void Model::endScene(RenderMode mode, RenderArgs* args) {
     }
 
     // restore all the default material settings
-    Application::getInstance()->setupWorldLight();
+    _viewState->setupWorldLight();
     
 }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/Model.h b/interface/src/renderer/Model.h
index 8000e7385b..2c6b0bd6ae 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/Model.h
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/Model.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <ProgramObject.h>
 #include <TextureCache.h>
 #include <Transform.h>
+#include <ViewStateInterface.h>
 
 #include "AnimationHandle.h"
 
@@ -46,6 +47,8 @@ class Model : public QObject, public PhysicsEntity {
     
 public:
 
+    static void setViewStateInterface(ViewStateInterface* viewState) { _viewState = viewState; }
+
     Model(QObject* parent = NULL);
     virtual ~Model();
     
@@ -455,6 +458,9 @@ private:
     static int renderMeshesForModelsInScene(gpu::Batch& batch, RenderMode mode, bool translucent, float alphaThreshold,
                             bool hasLightmap, bool hasTangents, bool hasSpecular, bool isSkinned, RenderArgs* args);
 
+
+    static ViewStateInterface* _viewState;
+
 };
 
 Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(QPointer<Model>)
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/ViewStateInterface.h b/libraries/render-utils/src/ViewStateInterface.h
index decccdc401..83501589d0 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/ViewStateInterface.h
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/ViewStateInterface.h
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
 
 #include <ViewFrustum.h>
 
+class Transform;
+class QThread;
+
 /// Interface provided by Application to other objects that need access to the current view state details
 class ViewStateInterface {
 public:
@@ -30,6 +33,10 @@ public:
 
     virtual bool getShadowsEnabled() = 0;
     virtual bool getCascadeShadowsEnabled() = 0;
+
+    virtual QThread* getMainThread() = 0;
+    virtual const Transform& getViewTransform() const = 0;
+    virtual void setupWorldLight() = 0;
 };