diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp
index 4e8ecf3054..564a58708f 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp
@@ -916,6 +916,16 @@ bool RenderableModelEntityItem::contains(const glm::vec3& point) const {
     return false;
 }
 
+bool RenderableModelEntityItem::shouldBePhysical() const {
+    // If we have a model, make sure it hasn't failed to download.
+    // If it has, we'll report back that we shouldn't be physical so that physics aren't held waiting for us to be ready.
+    if (_model && _model->didGeometryRequestFail()) {
+        return false;
+    } else {
+        return ModelEntityItem::shouldBePhysical();
+    }
+}
+
 glm::quat RenderableModelEntityItem::getAbsoluteJointRotationInObjectFrame(int index) const {
     if (_model) {
         glm::quat result;
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.h b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.h
index 339c907532..f487e79880 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.h
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.h
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ public:
 
     virtual bool contains(const glm::vec3& point) const override;
 
+    virtual bool shouldBePhysical() const override;
+
     // these are in the frame of this object (model space)
     virtual glm::quat getAbsoluteJointRotationInObjectFrame(int index) const override;
     virtual glm::vec3 getAbsoluteJointTranslationInObjectFrame(int index) const override;
diff --git a/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/ModelCache.cpp b/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/ModelCache.cpp
index 26798070a6..c4b2a6dd22 100644
--- a/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/ModelCache.cpp
+++ b/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/ModelCache.cpp
@@ -403,6 +403,8 @@ void GeometryResourceWatcher::setResource(GeometryResource::Pointer resource) {
 void GeometryResourceWatcher::resourceFinished(bool success) {
     if (success) {
         _geometryRef = std::make_shared<Geometry>(*_resource);
+    } else {
+        emit resourceFailed();
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/ModelCache.h b/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/ModelCache.h
index 4a0a921a04..62037d67bc 100644
--- a/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/ModelCache.h
+++ b/libraries/model-networking/src/model-networking/ModelCache.h
@@ -111,6 +111,9 @@ public:
 
     QUrl getURL() const { return (bool)_resource ? _resource->getURL() : QUrl(); }
 
+signals:
+    void resourceFailed();
+
 private:
     void startWatching();
     void stopWatching();
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
index b04a1d8023..581bd285e2 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
@@ -102,13 +102,17 @@ Model::Model(RigPointer rig, QObject* parent) :
     _calculatedMeshTrianglesValid(false),
     _meshGroupsKnown(false),
     _isWireframe(false),
-    _rig(rig) {
+    _rig(rig)
+{
     // we may have been created in the network thread, but we live in the main thread
     if (_viewState) {
         moveToThread(_viewState->getMainThread());
     }
 
     setSnapModelToRegistrationPoint(true, glm::vec3(0.5f));
+
+    // handle download failure reported by the GeometryResourceWatcher
+    connect(&_renderWatcher, &GeometryResourceWatcher::resourceFailed, this, &Model::handleGeometryResourceFailure);
 }
 
 Model::~Model() {
@@ -818,6 +822,7 @@ void Model::setURL(const QUrl& url) {
     _needsReload = true;
     _needsUpdateTextures = true;
     _meshGroupsKnown = false;
+    _geometryRequestFailed = false;
     invalidCalculatedMeshBoxes();
     deleteGeometry();
 
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
index 98e50c66f4..b95c0318b4 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
@@ -147,8 +147,9 @@ public:
     Q_INVOKABLE void setCollisionModelURL(const QUrl& url);
     const QUrl& getCollisionURL() const { return _collisionUrl; }
 
-
     bool isActive() const { return isLoaded(); }
+    
+    bool didGeometryRequestFail() const { return _geometryRequestFailed; }
 
     bool convexHullContains(glm::vec3 point);
 
@@ -392,6 +393,11 @@ protected:
     RigPointer _rig;
 
     uint32_t _deleteGeometryCounter { 0 };
+
+    bool _geometryRequestFailed { false };
+
+private slots:
+    void handleGeometryResourceFailure() { _geometryRequestFailed = true; }
 };
 
 Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(ModelPointer)