diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/AnimNodeLoader.cpp b/libraries/animation/src/AnimNodeLoader.cpp
index 866f443005..3ba042cba0 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/AnimNodeLoader.cpp
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/AnimNodeLoader.cpp
@@ -69,13 +69,13 @@ static NodeProcessFunc animNodeTypeToProcessFunc(AnimNode::Type type) {
     return nullptr;
 }
 
-#define READ_STRING(NAME, JSON_OBJ, ID, URL)                            \
+#define READ_STRING(NAME, JSON_OBJ, ID, URL, ERROR_RETURN)              \
     auto NAME##_VAL = JSON_OBJ.value(#NAME);                            \
     if (!NAME##_VAL.isString()) {                                       \
         qCCritical(animation) << "AnimNodeLoader, error reading string" \
                               << #NAME << ", id =" << ID                \
                               << ", url =" << URL.toDisplayString();    \
-        return nullptr;                                                 \
+        return ERROR_RETURN;                                            \
     }                                                                   \
     QString NAME = NAME##_VAL.toString()
 
@@ -86,23 +86,23 @@ static NodeProcessFunc animNodeTypeToProcessFunc(AnimNode::Type type) {
         NAME = NAME##_VAL.toString();                                   \
     }
 
-#define READ_BOOL(NAME, JSON_OBJ, ID, URL)                              \
+#define READ_BOOL(NAME, JSON_OBJ, ID, URL, ERROR_RETURN)                \
     auto NAME##_VAL = JSON_OBJ.value(#NAME);                            \
     if (!NAME##_VAL.isBool()) {                                         \
         qCCritical(animation) << "AnimNodeLoader, error reading bool"   \
                               << #NAME << ", id =" << ID                \
                               << ", url =" << URL.toDisplayString();    \
-        return nullptr;                                                 \
+        return ERROR_RETURN;                                            \
     }                                                                   \
     bool NAME = NAME##_VAL.toBool()
 
-#define READ_FLOAT(NAME, JSON_OBJ, ID, URL)                             \
+#define READ_FLOAT(NAME, JSON_OBJ, ID, URL, ERROR_RETURN)               \
     auto NAME##_VAL = JSON_OBJ.value(#NAME);                            \
     if (!NAME##_VAL.isDouble()) {                                       \
         qCCritical(animation) << "AnimNodeLoader, error reading double" \
                               << #NAME << "id =" << ID                  \
                               << ", url =" << URL.toDisplayString();    \
-        return nullptr;                                                 \
+        return ERROR_RETURN;                                            \
     }                                                                   \
     float NAME = (float)NAME##_VAL.toDouble()
 
@@ -171,11 +171,11 @@ static AnimNode::Pointer loadNode(const QJsonObject& jsonObj, const QUrl& jsonUr
 
 static AnimNode::Pointer loadClipNode(const QJsonObject& jsonObj, const QString& id, const QUrl& jsonUrl) {
 
-    READ_STRING(url, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl);
-    READ_FLOAT(startFrame, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl);
-    READ_FLOAT(endFrame, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl);
-    READ_FLOAT(timeScale, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl);
-    READ_BOOL(loopFlag, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl);
+    READ_STRING(url, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl, nullptr);
+    READ_FLOAT(startFrame, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl, nullptr);
+    READ_FLOAT(endFrame, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl, nullptr);
+    READ_FLOAT(timeScale, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl, nullptr);
+    READ_BOOL(loopFlag, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl, nullptr);
 
     READ_OPTIONAL_STRING(startFrameVar, jsonObj);
     READ_OPTIONAL_STRING(endFrameVar, jsonObj);
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ static AnimNode::Pointer loadClipNode(const QJsonObject& jsonObj, const QString&
 
 static AnimNode::Pointer loadBlendLinearNode(const QJsonObject& jsonObj, const QString& id, const QUrl& jsonUrl) {
 
-    READ_FLOAT(alpha, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl);
+    READ_FLOAT(alpha, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl, nullptr);
 
     READ_OPTIONAL_STRING(alphaVar, jsonObj);
 
@@ -239,8 +239,8 @@ static AnimOverlay::BoneSet stringToBoneSetEnum(const QString& str) {
 
 static AnimNode::Pointer loadOverlayNode(const QJsonObject& jsonObj, const QString& id, const QUrl& jsonUrl) {
 
-    READ_STRING(boneSet, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl);
-    READ_FLOAT(alpha, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl);
+    READ_STRING(boneSet, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl, nullptr);
+    READ_FLOAT(alpha, jsonObj, id, jsonUrl, nullptr);
 
     auto boneSetEnum = stringToBoneSetEnum(boneSet);
     if (boneSetEnum == AnimOverlay::NumBoneSets) {
@@ -278,12 +278,12 @@ bool processStateMachineNode(AnimNode::Pointer node, const QJsonObject& jsonObj,
     auto smNode = std::static_pointer_cast<AnimStateMachine>(node);
     assert(smNode);
 
-    READ_STRING(currentState, jsonObj, nodeId, jsonUrl);
+    READ_STRING(currentState, jsonObj, nodeId, jsonUrl, false);
 
     auto statesValue = jsonObj.value("states");
     if (!statesValue.isArray()) {
         qCCritical(animation) << "AnimNodeLoader, bad array \"states\" in stateMachine node, id =" << nodeId << ", url =" << jsonUrl.toDisplayString();
-        return nullptr;
+        return false;
     }
 
     // build a map for all children by name.
@@ -302,13 +302,13 @@ bool processStateMachineNode(AnimNode::Pointer node, const QJsonObject& jsonObj,
     for (const auto& stateValue : statesArray) {
         if (!stateValue.isObject()) {
             qCCritical(animation) << "AnimNodeLoader, bad state object in \"states\", id =" << nodeId << ", url =" << jsonUrl.toDisplayString();
-            return nullptr;
+            return false;
         }
         auto stateObj = stateValue.toObject();
 
-        READ_STRING(id, stateObj, nodeId, jsonUrl);
-        READ_FLOAT(interpTarget, stateObj, nodeId, jsonUrl);
-        READ_FLOAT(interpDuration, stateObj, nodeId, jsonUrl);
+        READ_STRING(id, stateObj, nodeId, jsonUrl, false);
+        READ_FLOAT(interpTarget, stateObj, nodeId, jsonUrl, false);
+        READ_FLOAT(interpDuration, stateObj, nodeId, jsonUrl, false);
 
         READ_OPTIONAL_STRING(interpTargetVar, stateObj);
         READ_OPTIONAL_STRING(interpDurationVar, stateObj);
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ bool processStateMachineNode(AnimNode::Pointer node, const QJsonObject& jsonObj,
         auto iter = childMap.find(stdId);
         if (iter == childMap.end()) {
             qCCritical(animation) << "AnimNodeLoader, could not find stateMachine child (state) with nodeId =" << nodeId << "stateId =" << id << "url =" << jsonUrl.toDisplayString();
-            return nullptr;
+            return false;
         }
 
         auto statePtr = std::make_shared<AnimStateMachine::State>(stdId, iter->second, interpTarget, interpDuration);
@@ -337,19 +337,19 @@ bool processStateMachineNode(AnimNode::Pointer node, const QJsonObject& jsonObj,
         auto transitionsValue = stateObj.value("transitions");
         if (!transitionsValue.isArray()) {
             qCritical(animation) << "AnimNodeLoader, bad array \"transitions\" in stateMachine node, stateId =" << id << "nodeId =" << nodeId << "url =" << jsonUrl.toDisplayString();
-            return nullptr;
+            return false;
         }
 
         auto transitionsArray = transitionsValue.toArray();
         for (const auto& transitionValue : transitionsArray) {
             if (!transitionValue.isObject()) {
                 qCritical(animation) << "AnimNodeLoader, bad transition object in \"transtions\", stateId =" << id << "nodeId =" << nodeId << "url =" << jsonUrl.toDisplayString();
-                return nullptr;
+                return false;
             }
             auto transitionObj = transitionValue.toObject();
 
-            READ_STRING(var, transitionObj, nodeId, jsonUrl);
-            READ_STRING(state, transitionObj, nodeId, jsonUrl);
+            READ_STRING(var, transitionObj, nodeId, jsonUrl, false);
+            READ_STRING(state, transitionObj, nodeId, jsonUrl, false);
 
             transitionMap.insert(TransitionMap::value_type(statePtr, StringPair(var.toStdString(), state.toStdString())));
         }
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ bool processStateMachineNode(AnimNode::Pointer node, const QJsonObject& jsonObj,
             srcState->addTransition(AnimStateMachine::State::Transition(transition.second.first, iter->second));
         } else {
             qCCritical(animation) << "AnimNodeLoader, bad state machine transtion from srcState =" << srcState->_id.c_str() << "dstState =" << transition.second.second.c_str() << "nodeId =" << nodeId << "url = " << jsonUrl.toDisplayString();
-            return nullptr;
+            return false;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/entities/src/main.cpp b/tests/entities/src/main.cpp
index a94bda9a86..807a57cdb8 100644
--- a/tests/entities/src/main.cpp
+++ b/tests/entities/src/main.cpp
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ void testByteCountCodedStable(const T& value) {
     Q_ASSERT(decoder.data == coder.data);
     #ifndef QT_NO_DEBUG
     auto consumed = decoder.decode(encoded.data(), encoded.size());
-    #endif
     Q_ASSERT(consumed == (unsigned int)originalEncodedSize);
+    #endif
 
 }
 
@@ -124,9 +124,9 @@ void testPropertyFlags(uint32_t value) {
     {
         #ifndef QT_NO_DEBUG
         int decodeSize = decodeNew.decode((const uint8_t*)encoded.data(), encoded.size());
-        #endif
         Q_ASSERT(originalSize == decodeSize);
         Q_ASSERT(decodeNew == original);
+        #endif
     }
 }