diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 7be8582cdc..d90c82e6ca 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include <QMenuBar>
 #include <QMouseEvent>
 #include <QNetworkAccessManager>
+#include <QNetworkDiskCache>
 #include <QOpenGLFramebufferObject>
 #include <QWheelEvent>
 #include <QSettings>
@@ -208,6 +209,9 @@ Application::Application(int& argc, char** argv, timeval &startup_time) :
     _window->setMenuBar(Menu::getInstance());
     
     _networkAccessManager = new QNetworkAccessManager(this);
+    QNetworkDiskCache* cache = new QNetworkDiskCache(_networkAccessManager);
+    cache->setCacheDirectory("interfaceCache");
+    _networkAccessManager->setCache(cache);
     
     QRect available = desktop()->availableGeometry();
     _window->resize(available.size());
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
index 57a754cae1..1d50416b73 100755
--- a/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
@@ -699,6 +699,10 @@ void Avatar::renderBody(bool lookingInMirror, bool renderAvatarBalls) {
                           SKIN_COLOR[1] - _bodyBall[b].touchForce * 0.2f,
                           SKIN_COLOR[2] - _bodyBall[b].touchForce * 0.1f);
                 
+                if (b == BODY_BALL_NECK_BASE && _head.getBlendFace().isActive()) {
+                    continue; // don't render the neck if we have a face model
+                }
+                
                 if ((b != BODY_BALL_HEAD_TOP  )
                     &&  (b != BODY_BALL_HEAD_BASE )) {
                     glPushMatrix();
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.cpp
index 15e70bef82..4bd0c0d7da 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.cpp
@@ -118,7 +118,9 @@ void BlendFace::setModelURL(const QUrl& url) {
     if (!url.isValid()) {
         return;
     }
-    _modelReply = Application::getInstance()->getNetworkAccessManager()->get(QNetworkRequest(url));
+    QNetworkRequest request(url);
+    request.setAttribute(QNetworkRequest::CacheLoadControlAttribute, QNetworkRequest::PreferCache);
+    _modelReply = Application::getInstance()->getNetworkAccessManager()->get(request);
     connect(_modelReply, SIGNAL(downloadProgress(qint64,qint64)), SLOT(handleModelDownloadProgress(qint64,qint64)));
     connect(_modelReply, SIGNAL(error(QNetworkReply::NetworkError)), SLOT(handleModelReplyError()));
 }
@@ -163,7 +165,7 @@ void BlendFace::setRig(const fsMsgRig& rig) {
 }
 
 void BlendFace::handleModelDownloadProgress(qint64 bytesReceived, qint64 bytesTotal) {
-    if (bytesReceived < bytesTotal) {
+    if (bytesReceived < bytesTotal && !_modelReply->isFinished()) {
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.h b/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.h
index 937d696edf..5e98650e12 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.h
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/BlendFace.h
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ public:
     BlendFace(Head* owningHead);
     ~BlendFace();
     
+    bool isActive() const { return _iboID != 0; }
+    
     bool render(float alpha);
     
     Q_INVOKABLE void setModelURL(const QUrl& url);
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
index 342a9945ef..16718948f0 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
@@ -567,6 +567,10 @@ void MyAvatar::renderBody(bool lookingInMirror, bool renderAvatarBalls) {
                               alpha);
                 }
                 
+                if (b == BODY_BALL_NECK_BASE && _head.getBlendFace().isActive()) {
+                    continue; // don't render the neck if we have a face model
+                }
+                
                 if ((b != BODY_BALL_HEAD_TOP  )
                     &&  (b != BODY_BALL_HEAD_BASE )) {
                     glPushMatrix();
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/FBXReader.cpp b/interface/src/renderer/FBXReader.cpp
index 8398ba2513..b23f7fee35 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/FBXReader.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/FBXReader.cpp
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ FBXGeometry extractFBXGeometry(const FBXNode& node) {
                     if (object.properties.at(2) == "Mesh") {
                         FBXGeometry mesh;
                     
-                        QVector<glm::vec3> vertices;
+                        QVector<glm::vec3> normals;
                         QVector<int> polygonIndices;
                         foreach (const FBXNode& data, object.children) {
                             if (data.name == "Vertices") {
@@ -284,12 +284,19 @@ FBXGeometry extractFBXGeometry(const FBXNode& node) {
                             } else if (data.name == "LayerElementNormal") {
                                 foreach (const FBXNode& subdata, data.children) {
                                     if (subdata.name == "Normals") {
-                                        mesh.normals = createVec3Vector(
-                                            subdata.properties.at(0).value<QVector<double> >());
+                                        normals = createVec3Vector(subdata.properties.at(0).value<QVector<double> >());
                                     }
                                 }    
                             }
                         }
+                        
+                        // the (base) normals correspond to the polygon indices, for some reason
+                        mesh.normals.resize(mesh.vertices.size());
+                        for (int i = 0, n = polygonIndices.size(); i < n; i++) {
+                            int index = polygonIndices.at(i);
+                            mesh.normals[index < 0 ? (-index - 1) : index] = normals[i];
+                        } 
+                        
                         // convert the polygons to quads and triangles
                         for (const int* beginIndex = polygonIndices.constData(), *end = beginIndex + polygonIndices.size();
                                 beginIndex != end; ) {