diff --git a/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/ModelCache.cpp b/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/ModelCache.cpp
index 68606dbc7d..4985859c40 100644
--- a/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/ModelCache.cpp
+++ b/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/ModelCache.cpp
@@ -118,10 +118,8 @@ void GeometryReader::run() {
     }
     QThread::currentThread()->setPriority(QThread::LowPriority);
 
-    // Ensure the resource is still being requested
-    auto resource = _resource.toStrongRef();
-    if (!resource) {
-        qCWarning(modelnetworking) << "Abandoning load of" << _url << "; could not get strong ref";
+    if (!_resource.data()) {
+        qCWarning(modelnetworking) << "Abandoning load of" << _url << "; resource was deleted";
         return;
     }
 
@@ -146,14 +144,28 @@ void GeometryReader::run() {
                 throw QString("unsupported format");
             }
 
-            QMetaObject::invokeMethod(resource.data(), "setGeometryDefinition",
-                Q_ARG(void*, fbxGeometry));
+            // Ensure the resource has not been deleted, and won't be while invokeMethod is in flight.
+            auto resource = _resource.toStrongRef();
+            if (!resource) {
+                qCWarning(modelnetworking) << "Abandoning load of" << _url << "; could not get strong ref";
+                delete fbxGeometry;
+            } else {
+                QMetaObject::invokeMethod(resource.data(), "setGeometryDefinition", Qt::BlockingQueuedConnection, Q_ARG(void*, fbxGeometry));
+            }
         } else {
             throw QString("url is invalid");
         }
     } catch (const QString& error) {
+
         qCDebug(modelnetworking) << "Error reading " << _url << ": " << error;
-        QMetaObject::invokeMethod(resource.data(), "finishedLoading", Q_ARG(bool, false));
+
+        auto resource = _resource.toStrongRef();
+        // Ensure the resoruce has not been deleted, and won't be while invokeMethod is in flight.
+        if (!resource) {
+            qCWarning(modelnetworking) << "Abandoning load of" << _url << "; could not get strong ref";
+        } else {
+            QMetaObject::invokeMethod(resource.data(), "finishedLoading", Qt::BlockingQueuedConnection, Q_ARG(bool, false));
+        }
     }
 
     QThread::currentThread()->setPriority(originalPriority);
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
index 858f7d3ee7..eda856342c 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
@@ -159,11 +159,13 @@ void Model::updateRenderItems() {
         Transform collisionMeshOffset;
         collisionMeshOffset.postTranslate(self->_offset);
 
+        uint32_t deleteGeometryCounter = self->_deleteGeometryCounter;
+
         render::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
         foreach (auto itemID, self->_modelMeshRenderItems.keys()) {
-            pendingChanges.updateItem<ModelMeshPartPayload>(itemID, [modelTransform, modelMeshOffset](ModelMeshPartPayload& data) {
+            pendingChanges.updateItem<ModelMeshPartPayload>(itemID, [modelTransform, modelMeshOffset, deleteGeometryCounter](ModelMeshPartPayload& data) {
                 // Ensure the model geometry was not reset between frames
-                if (data._model->isLoaded()) {
+                if (data._model && data._model->isLoaded() && deleteGeometryCounter == data._model->_deleteGeometryCounter) {
                     // lazy update of cluster matrices used for rendering.  We need to update them here, so we can correctly update the bounding box.
                     data._model->updateClusterMatrices(modelTransform.getTranslation(), modelTransform.getRotation());
 
@@ -1146,6 +1148,7 @@ void Model::setBlendedVertices(int blendNumber, const std::weak_ptr<NetworkGeome
 }
 
 void Model::deleteGeometry() {
+    _deleteGeometryCounter++;
     _blendedVertexBuffers.clear();
     _meshStates.clear();
     _rig->destroyAnimGraph();
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
index 4e6e727b44..581184918d 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
@@ -394,6 +394,8 @@ protected:
 
     friend class ModelMeshPartPayload;
     RigPointer _rig;
+
+    uint32_t _deleteGeometryCounter { 0 };
 };
 
 Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(ModelPointer)