diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp
index eed908e429..8a05591b4b 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableModelEntityItem.cpp
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ void RenderableModelEntityItem::render(RenderArgs* args) {
 
     if (hasModel()) {
         if (_model) {
-            if (getModelURL() != _model->getURLAsString()) {
+            if (getModelURL() != _model->getURL().toString()) {
                 qDebug() << "Updating model URL: " << getModelURL();
                 _model->setURL(getModelURL());
             }
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
index c2d723a323..74831becb1 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@ Model::Model(RigPointer rig, QObject* parent) :
     _cauterizeBones(false),
     _pupilDilation(0.0f),
     _url(HTTP_INVALID_COM),
-    _urlAsString(HTTP_INVALID_COM),
     _isVisible(true),
     _blendNumber(0),
     _appliedBlendNumber(0),
@@ -1028,14 +1027,12 @@ int Model::getLastFreeJointIndex(int jointIndex) const {
 }
 
 void Model::setURL(const QUrl& url) {
-
     // don't recreate the geometry if it's the same URL
     if (_url == url && _geometry && _geometry->getURL() == url) {
         return;
     }
 
     _url = url;
-    _urlAsString = _url.toString();
 
     {
         render::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
index e55bff6aca..71fa3d2c2c 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@ public:
     /// Sets the URL of the model to render.
     Q_INVOKABLE void setURL(const QUrl& url);
     const QUrl& getURL() const { return _url; }
-    const QString& getURLAsString() const { return _urlAsString; }
 
     // new Scene/Engine rendering support
     void setVisibleInScene(bool newValue, std::shared_ptr<render::Scene> scene);
@@ -314,7 +313,6 @@ private:
     QVector<float> _blendshapeCoefficients;
 
     QUrl _url;
-    QString _urlAsString;
     QUrl _collisionUrl;
     bool _isVisible;