diff --git a/interface/src/ui/overlays/BillboardOverlay.cpp b/interface/src/ui/overlays/BillboardOverlay.cpp
index d88ee6abd2..4bd854114d 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/overlays/BillboardOverlay.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/ui/overlays/BillboardOverlay.cpp
@@ -20,26 +20,25 @@ BillboardOverlay::BillboardOverlay()
 }
 
 void BillboardOverlay::render() {
-    if (_billboard.isEmpty()) {
-        return;
-    }
-    if (!_billboardTexture) {
-        QImage image = QImage::fromData(_billboard);
-        if (image.format() != QImage::Format_ARGB32) {
-            image = image.convertToFormat(QImage::Format_ARGB32);
+    if (!_billboard.isEmpty()) {
+        if (!_billboardTexture) {
+            QImage image = QImage::fromData(_billboard);
+            if (image.format() != QImage::Format_ARGB32) {
+                image = image.convertToFormat(QImage::Format_ARGB32);
+            }
+            _size = image.size();
+            if (_fromImage.x() == -1) {
+                _fromImage.setRect(0, 0, _size.width(), _size.height());
+            }
+            _billboardTexture.reset(new Texture());
+            glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, _billboardTexture->getID());
+            glTexImage2D(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, GL_RGBA, _size.width(), _size.height(), 0,
+                         GL_BGRA, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, image.constBits());
+            glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_LINEAR);
+            
+        } else {
+            glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, _billboardTexture->getID());
         }
-        _size = image.size();
-        if (_fromImage.x() == -1) {
-            _fromImage.setRect(0, 0, _size.width(), _size.height());
-        }
-        _billboardTexture.reset(new Texture());
-        glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, _billboardTexture->getID());
-        glTexImage2D(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, GL_RGBA, _size.width(), _size.height(), 0,
-                     GL_BGRA, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, image.constBits());
-        glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_LINEAR);
-        
-    } else {
-        glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, _billboardTexture->getID());
     }
     
     glEnable(GL_ALPHA_TEST);
@@ -62,25 +61,35 @@ void BillboardOverlay::render() {
         }
         glScalef(_scale, _scale, _scale);
         
-        float maxSize = glm::max(_fromImage.width(), _fromImage.height());
-        float x = _fromImage.width() / (2.0f * maxSize);
-        float y = -_fromImage.height() / (2.0f * maxSize);
-        
-        glColor3f(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f);
-        glBegin(GL_QUADS); {
-            glTexCoord2f((float)_fromImage.x() / (float)_size.width(),
-                         (float)_fromImage.y() / (float)_size.height());
-            glVertex2f(-x, -y);
-            glTexCoord2f(((float)_fromImage.x() + (float)_fromImage.width()) / (float)_size.width(),
-                         (float)_fromImage.y() / (float)_size.height());
-            glVertex2f(x, -y);
-            glTexCoord2f(((float)_fromImage.x() + (float)_fromImage.width()) / (float)_size.width(),
-                         ((float)_fromImage.y() + (float)_fromImage.height()) / _size.height());
-            glVertex2f(x, y);
-            glTexCoord2f((float)_fromImage.x() / (float)_size.width(),
-                         ((float)_fromImage.y() + (float)_fromImage.height()) / (float)_size.height());
-            glVertex2f(-x, y);
-        } glEnd();
+        if (_billboardTexture) {
+            float maxSize = glm::max(_fromImage.width(), _fromImage.height());
+            float x = _fromImage.width() / (2.0f * maxSize);
+            float y = -_fromImage.height() / (2.0f * maxSize);
+            
+            glColor3f(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f);
+            glBegin(GL_QUADS); {
+                glTexCoord2f((float)_fromImage.x() / (float)_size.width(),
+                             (float)_fromImage.y() / (float)_size.height());
+                glVertex2f(-x, -y);
+                glTexCoord2f(((float)_fromImage.x() + (float)_fromImage.width()) / (float)_size.width(),
+                             (float)_fromImage.y() / (float)_size.height());
+                glVertex2f(x, -y);
+                glTexCoord2f(((float)_fromImage.x() + (float)_fromImage.width()) / (float)_size.width(),
+                             ((float)_fromImage.y() + (float)_fromImage.height()) / _size.height());
+                glVertex2f(x, y);
+                glTexCoord2f((float)_fromImage.x() / (float)_size.width(),
+                             ((float)_fromImage.y() + (float)_fromImage.height()) / (float)_size.height());
+                glVertex2f(-x, y);
+            } glEnd();
+        } else {
+            glColor4f(0.5f, 0.5f, 0.5f, 1.0f);
+            glBegin(GL_QUADS); {
+                glVertex2f(-1.0f, -1.0f);
+                glVertex2f(1.0f, -1.0f);
+                glVertex2f(1.0f, 1.0f);
+                glVertex2f(-1.0f, 1.0f);
+            } glEnd();
+        }
         
     } glPopMatrix();