diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp
index 435eaf9184..91ca2359b4 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ AnimSkeleton::AnimSkeleton(const HFMModel& hfmModel) {
     }
     buildSkeletonFromJoints(joints, hfmModel.jointRotationOffsets);
 
+    // we make a copy of the inverseBindMatrices in order to prevent mutating the model bind pose
+    // when we are dealing with a joint offset in the model
     for (int i = 0; i < (int)hfmModel.meshes.size(); i++) {
         const HFMMesh& mesh = hfmModel.meshes.at(i);
         std::vector<HFMCluster> dummyClustersList;
@@ -39,12 +41,11 @@ AnimSkeleton::AnimSkeleton(const HFMModel& hfmModel) {
             localCluster.inverseBindMatrix = cluster.inverseBindMatrix;
             localCluster.inverseBindTransform.evalFromRawMatrix(localCluster.inverseBindMatrix);
 
-            // we make a copy of the inversebindMatrices in order to prevent mutating the model bind pose
+            // if we have a joint offset in the fst file then multiply its inverse by the
+            // model cluster inverse bind matrix
             if (hfmModel.jointRotationOffsets.contains(cluster.jointIndex)) {
                 AnimPose localOffset(hfmModel.jointRotationOffsets[cluster.jointIndex], glm::vec3());
-                if ((hfmModel.clusterBindMatrixOriginalValues.size() > i) && (hfmModel.clusterBindMatrixOriginalValues[i].size() > j)) {
-                    localCluster.inverseBindMatrix = (glm::mat4)localOffset.inverse() * hfmModel.clusterBindMatrixOriginalValues[i][j];
-                }
+                localCluster.inverseBindMatrix = (glm::mat4)localOffset.inverse() * cluster.inverseBindMatrix;
                 localCluster.inverseBindTransform.evalFromRawMatrix(localCluster.inverseBindMatrix);
             }
             dummyClustersList.push_back(localCluster);
diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h
index 7436609ee1..ab89eb643d 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/AnimSkeleton.h
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public:
     void dump(const AnimPoseVec& poses) const;
 
     std::vector<int> lookUpJointIndices(const std::vector<QString>& jointNames) const;
-    std::vector<std::vector<HFMCluster>> _clusterBindMatrixOriginalValues;
+    const HFMCluster getClusterBindMatricesOriginalValues(const int meshIndex, const int clusterIndex) const { return _clusterBindMatrixOriginalValues[meshIndex][clusterIndex]; }
 
 protected:
     void buildSkeletonFromJoints(const std::vector<HFMJoint>& joints, const QMap<int, glm::quat> jointOffsets);
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ protected:
     std::vector<int> _nonMirroredIndices;
     std::vector<int> _mirrorMap;
     QHash<QString, int> _jointIndicesByName;
+    std::vector<std::vector<HFMCluster>> _clusterBindMatrixOriginalValues;
 
     // no copies
     AnimSkeleton(const AnimSkeleton&) = delete;
diff --git a/libraries/fbx/src/FBX.h b/libraries/fbx/src/FBX.h
index 943db4b7fe..d4072f03d7 100644
--- a/libraries/fbx/src/FBX.h
+++ b/libraries/fbx/src/FBX.h
@@ -349,7 +349,6 @@ public:
     Extents meshExtents;
 
     QVector<HFMAnimationFrame> animationFrames;
-    std::vector<std::vector<glm::mat4>> clusterBindMatrixOriginalValues;
 
     int getJointIndex(const QString& name) const { return jointIndices.value(name) - 1; }
     QStringList getJointNames() const;
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp
index e00a82d71f..86d4793aa5 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp
@@ -114,18 +114,22 @@ void CauterizedModel::updateClusterMatrices() {
     for (int i = 0; i < (int)_meshStates.size(); i++) {
         Model::MeshState& state = _meshStates[i];
         const HFMMesh& mesh = hfmModel.meshes.at(i);
+        int meshIndex = i;
+
         for (int j = 0; j < mesh.clusters.size(); j++) {
             const HFMCluster& cluster = mesh.clusters.at(j);
+            int clusterIndex = j;
+
             if (_useDualQuaternionSkinning) {
                 auto jointPose = _rig.getJointPose(cluster.jointIndex);
                 Transform jointTransform(jointPose.rot(), jointPose.scale(), jointPose.trans());
                 Transform clusterTransform;
-                Transform::mult(clusterTransform, jointTransform, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->_clusterBindMatrixOriginalValues[i][j].inverseBindTransform);
+                Transform::mult(clusterTransform, jointTransform, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->getClusterBindMatricesOriginalValues(meshIndex, clusterIndex).inverseBindTransform);
                 state.clusterDualQuaternions[j] = Model::TransformDualQuaternion(clusterTransform);
                 state.clusterDualQuaternions[j].setCauterizationParameters(0.0f, jointPose.trans());
             } else {
                 auto jointMatrix = _rig.getJointTransform(cluster.jointIndex);
-                glm_mat4u_mul(jointMatrix, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->_clusterBindMatrixOriginalValues[i][j].inverseBindMatrix, state.clusterMatrices[j]);
+                glm_mat4u_mul(jointMatrix, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->getClusterBindMatricesOriginalValues(meshIndex, clusterIndex).inverseBindMatrix, state.clusterMatrices[j]);
             }
         }
     }
@@ -146,9 +150,11 @@ void CauterizedModel::updateClusterMatrices() {
         for (int i = 0; i < _cauterizeMeshStates.size(); i++) {
             Model::MeshState& state = _cauterizeMeshStates[i];
             const HFMMesh& mesh = hfmModel.meshes.at(i);
+            int meshIndex = i;
 
             for (int j = 0; j < mesh.clusters.size(); j++) {
                 const HFMCluster& cluster = mesh.clusters.at(j);
+                int clusterIndex = j;
 
                 if (_useDualQuaternionSkinning) {
                     if (_cauterizeBoneSet.find(cluster.jointIndex) == _cauterizeBoneSet.end()) {
@@ -157,7 +163,7 @@ void CauterizedModel::updateClusterMatrices() {
                     } else {
                         Transform jointTransform(cauterizePose.rot(), cauterizePose.scale(), cauterizePose.trans());
                         Transform clusterTransform;
-                        Transform::mult(clusterTransform, jointTransform, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->_clusterBindMatrixOriginalValues[i][j].inverseBindTransform);
+                        Transform::mult(clusterTransform, jointTransform, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->getClusterBindMatricesOriginalValues(meshIndex, clusterIndex).inverseBindTransform);
                         state.clusterDualQuaternions[j] = Model::TransformDualQuaternion(clusterTransform);
                         state.clusterDualQuaternions[j].setCauterizationParameters(1.0f, cauterizePose.trans());
                     }
@@ -166,7 +172,7 @@ void CauterizedModel::updateClusterMatrices() {
                         // not cauterized so just copy the value from the non-cauterized version.
                         state.clusterMatrices[j] = _meshStates[i].clusterMatrices[j];
                     } else {
-                        glm_mat4u_mul(cauterizeMatrix, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->_clusterBindMatrixOriginalValues[i][j].inverseBindMatrix, state.clusterMatrices[j]);
+                        glm_mat4u_mul(cauterizeMatrix, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->getClusterBindMatricesOriginalValues(meshIndex, clusterIndex).inverseBindMatrix, state.clusterMatrices[j]);
                     }
                 }
             }
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
index a5565d0646..9cefbf65a8 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
@@ -1418,20 +1418,21 @@ void Model::updateClusterMatrices() {
     const HFMModel& hfmModel = getHFMModel();
     for (int i = 0; i < (int) _meshStates.size(); i++) {
         MeshState& state = _meshStates[i];
+        int meshIndex = i;
         const HFMMesh& mesh = hfmModel.meshes.at(i);
         for (int j = 0; j < mesh.clusters.size(); j++) {
             const HFMCluster& cluster = mesh.clusters.at(j);
+            int clusterIndex = j;
+
             if (_useDualQuaternionSkinning) {
                 auto jointPose = _rig.getJointPose(cluster.jointIndex);
                 Transform jointTransform(jointPose.rot(), jointPose.scale(), jointPose.trans());
                 Transform clusterTransform;
-                Transform::mult(clusterTransform, jointTransform, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->_clusterBindMatrixOriginalValues[i][j].inverseBindTransform);
-                //Transform::mult(clusterTransform, jointTransform, cluster.inverseBindTransform);
+                Transform::mult(clusterTransform, jointTransform, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->getClusterBindMatricesOriginalValues(meshIndex, clusterIndex).inverseBindTransform);
                 state.clusterDualQuaternions[j] = Model::TransformDualQuaternion(clusterTransform);
             } else {
                 auto jointMatrix = _rig.getJointTransform(cluster.jointIndex);
-                glm_mat4u_mul(jointMatrix, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->_clusterBindMatrixOriginalValues[i][j].inverseBindMatrix, state.clusterMatrices[j]);
-                // glm_mat4u_mul(jointMatrix, cluster.inverseBindMatrix, state.clusterMatrices[j]);
+                glm_mat4u_mul(jointMatrix, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->getClusterBindMatricesOriginalValues(meshIndex, clusterIndex).inverseBindMatrix, state.clusterMatrices[j]);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/SoftAttachmentModel.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/SoftAttachmentModel.cpp
index e45141a838..a6f82e1417 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/SoftAttachmentModel.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/SoftAttachmentModel.cpp
@@ -46,31 +46,25 @@ void SoftAttachmentModel::updateClusterMatrices() {
     for (int i = 0; i < (int) _meshStates.size(); i++) {
         MeshState& state = _meshStates[i];
         const HFMMesh& mesh = hfmModel.meshes.at(i);
-
+        int meshIndex = i;
         for (int j = 0; j < mesh.clusters.size(); j++) {
             const HFMCluster& cluster = mesh.clusters.at(j);
 
+            int clusterIndex = j;
             // TODO: cache these look-ups as an optimization
             int jointIndexOverride = getJointIndexOverride(cluster.jointIndex);
+            glm::mat4 jointMatrix;
+            if (jointIndexOverride >= 0 && jointIndexOverride < _rigOverride.getJointStateCount()) {
+                jointMatrix = _rigOverride.getJointTransform(jointIndexOverride);
+            } else {
+                jointMatrix = _rig.getJointTransform(cluster.jointIndex);
+            }
             if (_useDualQuaternionSkinning) {
-                glm::mat4 jointMatrix;
-                if (jointIndexOverride >= 0 && jointIndexOverride < _rigOverride.getJointStateCount()) {
-                    jointMatrix = _rigOverride.getJointTransform(jointIndexOverride);
-                } else {
-                    jointMatrix = _rig.getJointTransform(cluster.jointIndex);
-                }
-
                 glm::mat4 m;
-                glm_mat4u_mul(jointMatrix, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->_clusterBindMatrixOriginalValues[i][j].inverseBindMatrix, m);
+                glm_mat4u_mul(jointMatrix, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->getClusterBindMatricesOriginalValues(meshIndex, clusterIndex).inverseBindMatrix, m);
                 state.clusterDualQuaternions[j] = Model::TransformDualQuaternion(m);
             } else {
-                glm::mat4 jointMatrix;
-                if (jointIndexOverride >= 0 && jointIndexOverride < _rigOverride.getJointStateCount()) {
-                    jointMatrix = _rigOverride.getJointTransform(jointIndexOverride);
-                } else {
-                    jointMatrix = _rig.getJointTransform(cluster.jointIndex);
-                }
-                glm_mat4u_mul(jointMatrix, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->_clusterBindMatrixOriginalValues[i][j].inverseBindMatrix, state.clusterMatrices[j]);
+                glm_mat4u_mul(jointMatrix, _rig.getAnimSkeleton()->getClusterBindMatricesOriginalValues(meshIndex, clusterIndex).inverseBindMatrix, state.clusterMatrices[j]);
             }
         }
     }