diff --git a/interface/src/Menu.cpp b/interface/src/Menu.cpp
index f7aabc8f06..dbafae490e 100644
--- a/interface/src/Menu.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Menu.cpp
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ Menu::Menu() :
     QMenu* metavoxelOptionsMenu = developerMenu->addMenu("Metavoxels");
     addCheckableActionToQMenuAndActionHash(metavoxelOptionsMenu, MenuOption::DisplayHermiteData, 0, false,
         Application::getInstance()->getMetavoxels(), SLOT(refreshVoxelData()));
-    addCheckableActionToQMenuAndActionHash(metavoxelOptionsMenu, MenuOption::RenderHeightfields, 0, true);
+    addCheckableActionToQMenuAndActionHash(metavoxelOptionsMenu, MenuOption::RenderSpanners, 0, true);
     addCheckableActionToQMenuAndActionHash(metavoxelOptionsMenu, MenuOption::RenderDualContourSurfaces, 0, true);
     addActionToQMenuAndActionHash(metavoxelOptionsMenu, MenuOption::NetworkSimulator, 0, this,
         SLOT(showMetavoxelNetworkSimulator()));
diff --git a/interface/src/Menu.h b/interface/src/Menu.h
index 8590d8580e..2dfadaa85d 100644
--- a/interface/src/Menu.h
+++ b/interface/src/Menu.h
@@ -451,9 +451,9 @@ namespace MenuOption {
     const QString RenderEntitiesAsScene = "Render Entities as Scene";
     const QString RenderFocusIndicator = "Show Eye Focus";
     const QString RenderHeadCollisionShapes = "Show Head Collision Shapes";
-    const QString RenderHeightfields = "Render Heightfields";
     const QString RenderLookAtVectors = "Show Look-at Vectors";
     const QString RenderSkeletonCollisionShapes = "Show Skeleton Collision Shapes";
+    const QString RenderSpanners = "Render Spanners";
     const QString RenderTargetFramerate = "Framerate";
     const QString RenderTargetFramerateUnlimited = "Unlimited";
     const QString RenderTargetFramerate60 = "60";
diff --git a/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.cpp b/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.cpp
index db3ab28b8f..8964571e5f 100644
--- a/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/MetavoxelSystem.cpp
@@ -1723,8 +1723,10 @@ int BufferRenderVisitor::visit(MetavoxelInfo& info) {
 }
 
 void DefaultMetavoxelRendererImplementation::render(MetavoxelData& data, MetavoxelInfo& info, const MetavoxelLOD& lod) {
-    SpannerRenderVisitor spannerRenderVisitor(lod);
-    data.guide(spannerRenderVisitor);
+    if (Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::RenderSpanners)) {
+        SpannerRenderVisitor spannerRenderVisitor(lod);
+        data.guide(spannerRenderVisitor);
+    }
     
     Application::getInstance()->getTextureCache()->setPrimaryDrawBuffers(true, true);
     
@@ -1953,7 +1955,7 @@ public:
 void HeightfieldRenderer::render(bool cursor) {
     // create the buffer objects lazily
     Heightfield* heightfield = static_cast<Heightfield*>(_spanner);
-    if (!heightfield->getHeight() || !Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::RenderHeightfields)) {
+    if (!heightfield->getHeight()) {
         return;
     }
     int width = heightfield->getHeight()->getWidth();