diff --git a/interface/src/entities/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp b/interface/src/entities/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp
index b64bca4217..ce8d497da3 100644
--- a/interface/src/entities/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/entities/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp
@@ -198,6 +198,10 @@ Model* RenderableModelEntityItem::getModel(EntityTreeRenderer* renderer) {
     }
     assert(_myRenderer == renderer); // you should only ever render on one renderer
     
+    if (QThread::currentThread() != _myRenderer->thread()) {
+        return _model;
+    }
+    
     _needsModelReload = false; // this is the reload
 
     // if we have a URL, then we will want to end up returning a model...