diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
index 40e350dcb7..8f5f46c1e4 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ void MyAvatar::loadData(QSettings* settings) {
     setScale(_scale);
     Application::getInstance()->getCamera()->setScale(_scale);
     
-    setFaceModelURL(settings->value("faceModelURL").toUrl());
+    setFaceModelURL(settings->value("faceModelURL", DEFAULT_HEAD_MODEL_URL).toUrl());
     setSkeletonModelURL(settings->value("skeletonModelURL").toUrl());
     setDisplayName(settings->value("displayName").toString());
 
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@ void MyAvatar::setSkeletonModelURL(const QUrl& skeletonModelURL) {
     _billboardValid = false;
 }
 
-void MyAvatar::renderBody(RenderMode renderMode) {
+void MyAvatar::renderBody(RenderMode renderMode, float glowLevel) {
     if (!(_skeletonModel.isRenderable() && getHead()->getFaceModel().isRenderable())) {
         return; // wait until both models are loaded
     }
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
index a5312b0016..96f4ca3e4c 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public:
     void moveWithLean();
 
     void render(const glm::vec3& cameraPosition, RenderMode renderMode = NORMAL_RENDER_MODE);
-    void renderBody(RenderMode renderMode);
+    void renderBody(RenderMode renderMode, float glowLevel);
     bool shouldRenderHead(const glm::vec3& cameraPosition, RenderMode renderMode) const;
     void renderDebugBodyPoints();
     void renderHeadMouse() const;
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/GeometryCache.cpp b/interface/src/renderer/GeometryCache.cpp
index 3a410ac5e2..6e93fc77af 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/GeometryCache.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/GeometryCache.cpp
@@ -305,7 +305,6 @@ void GeometryCache::setBlendedVertices(const QPointer<Model>& model, const QWeak
 
 QSharedPointer<Resource> GeometryCache::createResource(const QUrl& url,
         const QSharedPointer<Resource>& fallback, bool delayLoad, const void* extra) {
-    
     QSharedPointer<NetworkGeometry> geometry(new NetworkGeometry(url, fallback.staticCast<NetworkGeometry>(), delayLoad),
         &Resource::allReferencesCleared);
     geometry->setLODParent(geometry);
@@ -320,6 +319,20 @@ NetworkGeometry::NetworkGeometry(const QUrl& url, const QSharedPointer<NetworkGe
     _mapping(mapping),
     _textureBase(textureBase.isValid() ? textureBase : url),
     _fallback(fallback) {
+    
+    if (url.isEmpty()) {
+        // make the minimal amount of dummy geometry to satisfy Model
+        FBXJoint joint = { false, QVector<int>(), -1 };
+        _geometry.joints.append(joint);
+        _geometry.leftEyeJointIndex = -1;
+        _geometry.rightEyeJointIndex = -1;
+        _geometry.neckJointIndex = -1;
+        _geometry.rootJointIndex = -1;
+        _geometry.leanJointIndex = -1;
+        _geometry.headJointIndex = -1;
+        _geometry.leftHandJointIndex = -1;
+        _geometry.rightHandJointIndex = -1;
+    }
 }
 
 bool NetworkGeometry::isLoadedWithTextures() const {
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/Model.cpp b/interface/src/renderer/Model.cpp
index 3484ac5fc8..b75739197e 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/Model.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/Model.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ Model::Model(QObject* parent) :
     _boundingShape(), 
     _boundingShapeLocalOffset(0.f),
     _lodDistance(0.0f),
-    _pupilDilation(0.0f) {
+    _pupilDilation(0.0f),
+    _url("http://invalid.com") {
     // we may have been created in the network thread, but we live in the main thread
     moveToThread(Application::getInstance()->thread());
 }
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/Model.h b/interface/src/renderer/Model.h
index 64295cb915..c6da5438cb 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/Model.h
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/Model.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public:
     
     bool isActive() const { return _geometry && _geometry->isLoaded(); }
     
-    bool isRenderable() const { return !_meshStates.isEmpty(); }
+    bool isRenderable() const { return !_meshStates.isEmpty() || (isActive() && _geometry->getMeshes().isEmpty()); }
     
     bool isLoadedWithTextures() const { return _geometry && _geometry->isLoadedWithTextures(); }
     
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
index 2e716296ff..2917f1530a 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
@@ -640,7 +640,7 @@ bool AvatarData::hasBillboardChangedAfterParsing(const QByteArray& packet) {
 }
 
 void AvatarData::setFaceModelURL(const QUrl& faceModelURL) {
-    _faceModelURL = faceModelURL.isEmpty() ? DEFAULT_HEAD_MODEL_URL : faceModelURL;
+    _faceModelURL = faceModelURL;
     
     qDebug() << "Changing face model for avatar to" << _faceModelURL.toString();
 }
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/ResourceCache.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/ResourceCache.cpp
index 04b6265513..2f26e344fd 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/ResourceCache.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/ResourceCache.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ ResourceCache::~ResourceCache() {
 }
 
 QSharedPointer<Resource> ResourceCache::getResource(const QUrl& url, const QUrl& fallback, bool delayLoad, void* extra) {
-    if (!url.isValid() && fallback.isValid()) {
+    if (!url.isValid() && !url.isEmpty() && fallback.isValid()) {
         return getResource(fallback, QUrl(), delayLoad);
     }
     QSharedPointer<Resource> resource = _resources.value(url);
@@ -114,7 +114,11 @@ Resource::Resource(const QUrl& url, bool delayLoad) :
     _reply(NULL),
     _attempts(0) {
     
-    if (!(url.isValid() && ResourceCache::getNetworkAccessManager())) {
+    if (url.isEmpty()) {
+        _startedLoading = _loaded = true;
+        return;
+        
+    } else if (!(url.isValid() && ResourceCache::getNetworkAccessManager())) {
         _startedLoading = _failedToLoad = true;
         return;
     }