diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 8c865f906c..b21d660452 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -1612,6 +1612,13 @@ bool Application::isLookingAtMyAvatar(Avatar* avatar) {
     return false;
 }
 
+void Application::updateLOD() {
+    // adjust it unless we were asked to disable this feature
+    if (!Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::DisableAutoAdjustLOD)) {
+        Menu::getInstance()->autoAdjustLOD(_fps);
+    }
+}
+
 void Application::updateMouseRay() {
 
     bool showWarnings = Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::PipelineWarnings);
@@ -1852,6 +1859,8 @@ void Application::update(float deltaTime) {
     bool showWarnings = Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::PipelineWarnings);
     PerformanceWarning warn(showWarnings, "Application::update()");
 
+    updateLOD();
+
     // check what's under the mouse and update the mouse voxel
     updateMouseRay();
 
@@ -2325,14 +2334,7 @@ void Application::displaySide(Camera& whichCamera, bool selfAvatarOnly) {
         if (Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::Voxels)) {
             PerformanceWarning warn(Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::PipelineWarnings),
                 "Application::displaySide() ... voxels...");
-
             _voxels.render();
-            
-            // double check that our LOD doesn't need to be auto-adjusted
-            // adjust it unless we were asked to disable this feature
-            if (!Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::DisableAutoAdjustLOD)) {
-                Menu::getInstance()->autoAdjustLOD(_fps);
-            }
         }
 
         // also, metavoxels
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.h b/interface/src/Application.h
index 78826b4fd0..8c64da86b6 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.h
+++ b/interface/src/Application.h
@@ -284,6 +284,7 @@ private:
     void update(float deltaTime);
 
     // Various helper functions called during update()
+    void updateLOD();
     void updateMouseRay();
     void updateFaceshift();
     void updateVisage();
diff --git a/interface/src/Menu.h b/interface/src/Menu.h
index 9d4c7eaab9..e2e0d3895a 100644
--- a/interface/src/Menu.h
+++ b/interface/src/Menu.h
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ public:
     void autoAdjustLOD(float currentFPS);
     void setVoxelSizeScale(float sizeScale);
     float getVoxelSizeScale() const { return _voxelSizeScale; }
+    float getAvatarLODDistanceMultiplier() const { return DEFAULT_OCTREE_SIZE_SCALE / _voxelSizeScale; }
     void setBoundaryLevelAdjust(int boundaryLevelAdjust);
     int getBoundaryLevelAdjust() const { return _boundaryLevelAdjust; }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
index 7ada8b0764..ef6975d223 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
@@ -112,7 +112,8 @@ glm::quat Avatar::getWorldAlignedOrientation () const {
 }
 
 float Avatar::getLODDistance() const {
-    return glm::distance(Application::getInstance()->getCamera()->getPosition(), _position) / _scale;
+    return Menu::getInstance()->getAvatarLODDistanceMultiplier() *
+        glm::distance(Application::getInstance()->getCamera()->getPosition(), _position) / _scale;
 }
 
 void Avatar::simulate(float deltaTime) {
@@ -305,13 +306,11 @@ glm::quat Avatar::computeRotationFromBodyToWorldUp(float proportion) const {
 }
 
 void Avatar::renderBody() {    
-    if (_shouldRenderBillboard) {
+    if (_shouldRenderBillboard || !(_skeletonModel.isRenderable() && getHead()->getFaceModel().isRenderable())) {
+        // render the billboard until both models are loaded
         renderBillboard();
         return;
     }
-    if (!(_skeletonModel.isRenderable() && getHead()->getFaceModel().isRenderable())) {
-        return; // wait until both models are loaded
-    }
     _skeletonModel.render(1.0f);
     getHead()->render(1.0f);
     getHand()->render(false);
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/GeometryCache.cpp b/interface/src/renderer/GeometryCache.cpp
index 170ebc60e5..5b13e2da42 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/GeometryCache.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/GeometryCache.cpp
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ class GeometryReader : public QRunnable {
 public:
 
     GeometryReader(const QWeakPointer<Resource>& geometry, const QUrl& url,
-        const QByteArray& data, const QVariantHash& mapping);
+        QNetworkReply* reply, const QVariantHash& mapping);
 
     virtual void run();
 
@@ -458,40 +458,41 @@ private:
      
     QWeakPointer<Resource> _geometry;
     QUrl _url;
-    QByteArray _data;
+    QNetworkReply* _reply;
     QVariantHash _mapping;
 };
 
 GeometryReader::GeometryReader(const QWeakPointer<Resource>& geometry, const QUrl& url,
-        const QByteArray& data, const QVariantHash& mapping) :
+        QNetworkReply* reply, const QVariantHash& mapping) :
     _geometry(geometry),
     _url(url),
-    _data(data),
+    _reply(reply),
     _mapping(mapping) {
 }
 
 void GeometryReader::run() {
     QSharedPointer<Resource> geometry = _geometry.toStrongRef();
     if (geometry.isNull()) {
+        _reply->deleteLater();
         return;
     }
     try {
         QMetaObject::invokeMethod(geometry.data(), "setGeometry", Q_ARG(const FBXGeometry&,
-            _url.path().toLower().endsWith(".svo") ? readSVO(_data) : readFBX(_data, _mapping)));
+            _url.path().toLower().endsWith(".svo") ? readSVO(_reply->readAll()) : readFBX(_reply->readAll(), _mapping)));
         
     } catch (const QString& error) {
         qDebug() << "Error reading " << _url << ": " << error;
         QMetaObject::invokeMethod(geometry.data(), "finishedLoading", Q_ARG(bool, false));
     }
+    _reply->deleteLater();
 }
 
 void NetworkGeometry::downloadFinished(QNetworkReply* reply) {
     QUrl url = reply->url();
-    QByteArray data = reply->readAll();
-    
     if (url.path().toLower().endsWith(".fst")) {
         // it's a mapping file; parse it and get the mesh filename
-        _mapping = readMapping(data);
+        _mapping = readMapping(reply->readAll());
+        reply->deleteLater();
         QString filename = _mapping.value("filename").toString();
         if (filename.isNull()) {
             qDebug() << "Mapping file " << url << " has no filename.";
@@ -525,7 +526,7 @@ void NetworkGeometry::downloadFinished(QNetworkReply* reply) {
     }
     
     // send the reader off to the thread pool
-    QThreadPool::globalInstance()->start(new GeometryReader(_self, url, data, _mapping));
+    QThreadPool::globalInstance()->start(new GeometryReader(_self, url, reply, _mapping));
 }
 
 void NetworkGeometry::setGeometry(const FBXGeometry& geometry) {
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/TextureCache.cpp b/interface/src/renderer/TextureCache.cpp
index 794516f7b7..dcaf059714 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/TextureCache.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/TextureCache.cpp
@@ -273,27 +273,28 @@ NetworkTexture::NetworkTexture(const QUrl& url, bool normalMap) :
 class ImageReader : public QRunnable {
 public:
 
-    ImageReader(const QWeakPointer<Resource>& texture, const QByteArray& data);
+    ImageReader(const QWeakPointer<Resource>& texture, QNetworkReply* reply);
     
     virtual void run();
 
 private:
     
     QWeakPointer<Resource> _texture;
-    QByteArray _data;
+    QNetworkReply* _reply;
 };
 
-ImageReader::ImageReader(const QWeakPointer<Resource>& texture, const QByteArray& data) :
+ImageReader::ImageReader(const QWeakPointer<Resource>& texture, QNetworkReply* reply) :
     _texture(texture),
-    _data(data) {
+    _reply(reply) {
 }
 
 void ImageReader::run() {
     QSharedPointer<Resource> texture = _texture.toStrongRef();
     if (texture.isNull()) {
+        _reply->deleteLater();
         return;
     }
-    QImage image = QImage::fromData(_data);
+    QImage image = QImage::fromData(_reply->readAll());
     if (image.format() != QImage::Format_ARGB32) {
         image = image.convertToFormat(QImage::Format_ARGB32);
     }
@@ -320,11 +321,12 @@ void ImageReader::run() {
     QMetaObject::invokeMethod(texture.data(), "setImage", Q_ARG(const QImage&, image),
         Q_ARG(const glm::vec4&, accumulated / (imageArea * EIGHT_BIT_MAXIMUM)),
         Q_ARG(bool, translucentPixels >= imageArea / 2));
+    _reply->deleteLater();
 }
 
 void NetworkTexture::downloadFinished(QNetworkReply* reply) {
     // send the reader off to the thread pool
-    QThreadPool::globalInstance()->start(new ImageReader(_self, reply->readAll()));
+    QThreadPool::globalInstance()->start(new ImageReader(_self, reply));
 }
 
 void NetworkTexture::setImage(const QImage& image, const glm::vec4& averageColor, bool translucent) {
diff --git a/libraries/metavoxels/src/ScriptCache.cpp b/libraries/metavoxels/src/ScriptCache.cpp
index fd58f5b6f3..702a36de2a 100644
--- a/libraries/metavoxels/src/ScriptCache.cpp
+++ b/libraries/metavoxels/src/ScriptCache.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ NetworkProgram::NetworkProgram(ScriptCache* cache, const QUrl& url) :
 
 void NetworkProgram::downloadFinished(QNetworkReply* reply) {
     _program = QScriptProgram(QTextStream(reply).readAll(), reply->url().toString());
+    reply->deleteLater();
     finishedLoading(true);
     emit loaded();
 }
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/ResourceCache.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/ResourceCache.cpp
index 90dc5961dc..bd08b240c5 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/ResourceCache.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/ResourceCache.cpp
@@ -161,7 +161,6 @@ void Resource::handleDownloadProgress(qint64 bytesReceived, qint64 bytesTotal) {
         return;
     }
     _reply->disconnect(this);
-    _reply->deleteLater();
     QNetworkReply* reply = _reply;
     _reply = NULL;
     ResourceCache::requestCompleted();
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/ResourceCache.h b/libraries/shared/src/ResourceCache.h
index eae5e752e2..c77318aac2 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/ResourceCache.h
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/ResourceCache.h
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ protected slots:
 
 protected:
 
+    /// Called when the download has finished.  The recipient should delete the reply when done with it.
     virtual void downloadFinished(QNetworkReply* reply) = 0;
 
     /// Should be called by subclasses when all the loading that will be done has been done.