diff --git a/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackendTexture.cpp b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackendTexture.cpp
index 5003eadf89..0b2dffd6f7 100755
--- a/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackendTexture.cpp
+++ b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/GLBackendTexture.cpp
@@ -271,7 +271,12 @@ void GLBackend::syncGPUObject(const Texture& texture) {
 
                 if (texture.isAutogenerateMips()) {
                     glGenerateMipmap(GL_TEXTURE_2D);
+                    glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_LINEAR_MIPMAP_LINEAR);
                 }
+
+                // At this point the mip piels have been loaded, we can notify
+                texture.notifyGPULoaded(0);
+
                 glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, boundTex);
                 object->_contentStamp = texture.getDataStamp();
             }
@@ -302,6 +307,9 @@ void GLBackend::syncGPUObject(const Texture& texture) {
                 glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_LINEAR_MIPMAP_LINEAR);
             }
 
+            // At this point the mip piels have been loaded, we can notify
+            texture.notifyGPULoaded(0);
+
             glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, boundTex);
             object->_storageStamp = texture.getStamp();
             object->_size = texture.getSize();
diff --git a/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.cpp b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.cpp
index 33df50042e..81c861fff8 100755
--- a/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.cpp
+++ b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.cpp
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ using namespace gpu;
 
 Texture::Pixels::Pixels(const Element& format, Size size, const Byte* bytes) :
     _sysmem(size, bytes),
-    _format(format) {
+    _format(format),
+    _isGPULoaded(false) {
 }
 
 Texture::Pixels::~Pixels() {
@@ -53,6 +54,14 @@ const Texture::PixelsPointer Texture::Storage::getMip(uint16 level) const {
     return PixelsPointer();
 }
 
+void Texture::Storage::notifyGPULoaded(uint16 level) const {
+    PixelsPointer mip = getMip(level);
+    if (mip) {
+        mip->_isGPULoaded = true;
+        mip->_sysmem.resize(0);
+    }
+}
+
 bool Texture::Storage::isMipAvailable(uint16 level) const {
     PixelsPointer mip = getMip(level);
     return (mip && mip->_sysmem.getSize());
diff --git a/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.h b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.h
index f50be9e14e..084a9360b5 100755
--- a/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.h
+++ b/libraries/gpu/src/gpu/Texture.h
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ public:
         Pixels(const Element& format, Size size, const Byte* bytes);
         ~Pixels();
 
-        Sysmem _sysmem;
+        mutable Sysmem _sysmem;
         Element _format;
+        mutable bool _isGPULoaded;
     };
     typedef QSharedPointer< Pixels > PixelsPointer;
 
@@ -42,7 +43,8 @@ public:
         virtual bool allocateMip(uint16 level);
         virtual bool assignMipData(uint16 level, const Element& format, Size size, const Byte* bytes);
         virtual bool isMipAvailable(uint16 level) const;
- 
+        virtual void notifyGPULoaded(uint16 level) const;
+
     protected:
         Texture* _texture;
         std::vector<PixelsPointer> _mips;
@@ -168,7 +170,8 @@ public:
     // Access the the sub mips
     bool isStoredMipAvailable(uint16 level) const { return _storage->isMipAvailable(level); }
     const PixelsPointer accessStoredMip(uint16 level) const { return _storage->getMip(level); }
- 
+    void notifyGPULoaded(uint16 level) const { return _storage->notifyGPULoaded(level); }
+
     // access sizes for the stored mips
     uint16 getStoredMipWidth(uint16 level) const;
     uint16 getStoredMipHeight(uint16 level) const;