diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderablePolyLineEntityItem.cpp b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderablePolyLineEntityItem.cpp
index 286efb5fb8..a34a1814b4 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderablePolyLineEntityItem.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderablePolyLineEntityItem.cpp
@@ -161,8 +161,12 @@ void RenderablePolyLineEntityItem::update(const quint64& now) {
     uniforms.color = toGlm(getXColor());
     memcpy(&_uniformBuffer.edit<PolyLineUniforms>(), &uniforms, sizeof(PolyLineUniforms));
     if (_pointsChanged || _strokeWidthsChanged || _normalsChanged) {
-        updateVertices();
-        updateGeometry();
+        QWriteLocker lock(&_quadReadWriteLock);
+        _empty = (_points.size() < 2 || _normals.size() < 2 || _strokeWidths.size() < 2);
+        if (!_empty) {
+            updateVertices();
+            updateGeometry();
+        }
     }
 
 }
@@ -170,8 +174,7 @@ void RenderablePolyLineEntityItem::update(const quint64& now) {
 void RenderablePolyLineEntityItem::render(RenderArgs* args) {
     checkFading();
 
-    QWriteLocker lock(&_quadReadWriteLock);
-    if (_points.size() < 2 || _normals.size () < 2 || _strokeWidths.size() < 2) {
+    if (_empty) {
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderablePolyLineEntityItem.h b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderablePolyLineEntityItem.h
index 44b29bdec1..eca6b7035a 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderablePolyLineEntityItem.h
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderablePolyLineEntityItem.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ protected:
     gpu::BufferPointer _verticesBuffer;
     gpu::BufferView _uniformBuffer;
     unsigned int _numVertices;
+    bool _empty { true };
     QVector<glm::vec3> _vertices;
 };