diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 861e3a2246..7e37dd7455 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -1576,6 +1576,12 @@ void Application::cleanupBeforeQuit() {
 #endif
 
     DependencyManager::destroy<OffscreenUi>();
+
+    // shutdown render engine
+    _main3DScene = nullptr;
+    _renderEngine = nullptr;
+
+    qCDebug(interfaceapp) << "Application::cleanupBeforeQuit() complete";
 }
 
 Application::~Application() {
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
index 18856ff914..e7f3deeaea 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #include "Application.h"
 #include "Avatar.h"
 #include "AvatarManager.h"
+#include "InterfaceLogging.h"
 #include "Menu.h"
 #include "MyAvatar.h"
 #include "SceneScriptingInterface.h"
@@ -208,11 +209,15 @@ AvatarSharedPointer AvatarManager::addAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID, const QWe
     auto rawRenderableAvatar = std::static_pointer_cast<Avatar>(newAvatar);
 
     render::ScenePointer scene = qApp->getMain3DScene();
-    render::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
-    if (DependencyManager::get<SceneScriptingInterface>()->shouldRenderAvatars()) {
-        rawRenderableAvatar->addToScene(rawRenderableAvatar, scene, pendingChanges);
+    if (scene) {
+        render::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
+        if (DependencyManager::get<SceneScriptingInterface>()->shouldRenderAvatars()) {
+            rawRenderableAvatar->addToScene(rawRenderableAvatar, scene, pendingChanges);
+        }
+        scene->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
+    } else {
+        qCWarning(interfaceapp) << "AvatarManager::addAvatar() : Unexpected null scene, possibly during application shutdown";
     }
-    scene->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
 
     return newAvatar;
 }
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp
index e0fc03897a..c842a78dc5 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp
@@ -128,11 +128,15 @@ void EntityTreeRenderer::clear() {
 
     // remove all entities from the scene
     auto scene = _viewState->getMain3DScene();
-    render::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
-    foreach(auto entity, _entitiesInScene) {
-        entity->removeFromScene(entity, scene, pendingChanges);
+    if (scene) {
+        render::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
+        foreach(auto entity, _entitiesInScene) {
+            entity->removeFromScene(entity, scene, pendingChanges);
+        }
+        scene->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
+    } else {
+        qCWarning(entitiesrenderer) << "EntitityTreeRenderer::clear(), Unexpected null scene, possibly during application shutdown";
     }
-    scene->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
     _entitiesInScene.clear();
 
     // reset the zone to the default (while we load the next scene)
@@ -901,8 +905,12 @@ void EntityTreeRenderer::deletingEntity(const EntityItemID& entityID) {
         auto entity = _entitiesInScene.take(entityID);
         render::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
         auto scene = _viewState->getMain3DScene();
-        entity->removeFromScene(entity, scene, pendingChanges);
-        scene->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
+        if (scene) {
+            entity->removeFromScene(entity, scene, pendingChanges);
+            scene->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
+        } else {
+            qCWarning(entitiesrenderer) << "EntityTreeRenderer::deletingEntity(), Unexpected null scene, possibly during application shutdown";
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -919,10 +927,14 @@ void EntityTreeRenderer::addEntityToScene(EntityItemPointer entity) {
     // here's where we add the entity payload to the scene
     render::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
     auto scene = _viewState->getMain3DScene();
-    if (entity->addToScene(entity, scene, pendingChanges)) {
-        _entitiesInScene.insert(entity->getEntityItemID(), entity);
+    if (scene) {
+        if (entity->addToScene(entity, scene, pendingChanges)) {
+            _entitiesInScene.insert(entity->getEntityItemID(), entity);
+        }
+        scene->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
+    } else {
+        qCWarning(entitiesrenderer) << "EntityTreeRenderer::addEntityToScene(), Unexpected null scene, possibly during application shutdown";
     }
-    scene->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableEntityItem.h b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableEntityItem.h
index 22b6264520..ec65bab1c8 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableEntityItem.h
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableEntityItem.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include <render/Scene.h>
 #include <EntityItem.h>
 #include "AbstractViewStateInterface.h"
+#include "EntitiesRendererLogging.h"
 
 
 // These or the icon "name" used by the render item status value, they correspond to the atlas texture used by the DrawItemStatus
@@ -79,10 +80,14 @@ public:
         render::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
         render::ScenePointer scene = AbstractViewStateInterface::instance()->getMain3DScene();
 
-        pendingChanges.updateItem<RenderableEntityItemProxy>(_myItem, [](RenderableEntityItemProxy& data) {
-        });
+        if (scene) {
+            pendingChanges.updateItem<RenderableEntityItemProxy>(_myItem, [](RenderableEntityItemProxy& data) {
+            });
 
-        scene->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
+            scene->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
+        } else {
+            qCWarning(entitiesrenderer) << "SimpleRenderableEntityItem::notifyChanged(), Unexpected null scene, possibly during application shutdown";
+        }
     }
 
 private:
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableZoneEntityItem.cpp b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableZoneEntityItem.cpp
index 9aa52f5ad3..0215ce4d07 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableZoneEntityItem.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableZoneEntityItem.cpp
@@ -248,9 +248,12 @@ void RenderableZoneEntityItem::notifyBoundChanged() {
     }
     render::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
     render::ScenePointer scene = AbstractViewStateInterface::instance()->getMain3DScene();
+    if (scene) {
+        pendingChanges.updateItem<RenderableZoneEntityItemMeta>(_myMetaItem, [](RenderableZoneEntityItemMeta& data) {
+        });
 
-    pendingChanges.updateItem<RenderableZoneEntityItemMeta>(_myMetaItem, [](RenderableZoneEntityItemMeta& data) {
-    });
-
-    scene->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
+        scene->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
+    } else {
+        qCWarning(entitiesrenderer) << "RenderableZoneEntityItem::notifyBoundChanged(), Unexpected null scene, possibly during application shutdown";
+    }
 }
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
index 28a1c3d579..6e1f57778b 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
@@ -862,8 +862,12 @@ void Model::setURL(const QUrl& url) {
     {
         render::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
         render::ScenePointer scene = AbstractViewStateInterface::instance()->getMain3DScene();
-        removeFromScene(scene, pendingChanges);
-        scene->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
+        if (scene) {
+            removeFromScene(scene, pendingChanges);
+            scene->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
+        } else {
+            qCWarning(renderutils) << "Model::setURL(), Unexpected null scene, possibly during application shutdown";
+        }
     }
 
     _needsReload = true;
diff --git a/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.cpp b/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.cpp
index 0b1d8fb55f..6bc42ac656 100644
--- a/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.cpp
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ Scene::Scene(glm::vec3 origin, float size) :
     _items.push_back(Item()); // add the itemID #0 to nothing
 }
 
+Scene::~Scene() {
+    qDebug() << "Scene::~Scene()";
+}
+
 ItemID Scene::allocateID() {
     // Just increment and return the proevious value initialized at 0
     return _IDAllocator.fetch_add(1);
diff --git a/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.h b/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.h
index b7cfc367b8..6b57a22a36 100644
--- a/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.h
+++ b/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.h
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ typedef std::queue<PendingChanges> PendingChangesQueue;
 class Scene {
 public:
     Scene(glm::vec3 origin, float size);
-    ~Scene() {}
+    ~Scene();
 
     // This call is thread safe, can be called from anywhere to allocate a new ID
     ItemID allocateID();