diff --git a/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp b/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp
index 65f9718e80..001c7432df 100644
--- a/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp
@@ -292,6 +292,7 @@ int VoxelSystem::newTreeToArrays(VoxelNode* node) {
     assert(_viewFrustum); // you must set up _viewFrustum before calling this
     int   voxelsUpdated   = 0;
     bool  shouldRender    = false; // assume we don't need to render it
+    bool  isLeaf          = node->isLeaf();
     // if it's colored, we might need to render it!
     if (node->isColored()) {
         float distanceToNode  = node->distanceToCamera(*_viewFrustum);
@@ -299,13 +300,15 @@ int VoxelSystem::newTreeToArrays(VoxelNode* node) {
         float childBoundary   = boundaryDistanceForRenderLevel(node->getLevel() + 1);
         bool  inBoundary      = (distanceToNode <= boundary);
         bool  inChildBoundary = (distanceToNode <= childBoundary);
-        shouldRender = (node->isLeaf() && inChildBoundary) || (inBoundary && !inChildBoundary);
+        shouldRender = (isLeaf && inChildBoundary) || (inBoundary && !inChildBoundary);
     }
     node->setShouldRender(shouldRender && !node->isStagedForDeletion());
     // let children figure out their renderness
-    for (int i = 0; i < NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN; i++) {
-        if (node->getChildAtIndex(i)) {
-            voxelsUpdated += newTreeToArrays(node->getChildAtIndex(i));
+    if (!isLeaf) {
+        for (int i = 0; i < NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN; i++) {
+            if (node->getChildAtIndex(i)) {
+                voxelsUpdated += newTreeToArrays(node->getChildAtIndex(i));
+            }
         }
     }
     if (_renderFullVBO) {
@@ -886,7 +889,8 @@ public:
         coloredNodes(0),
         nodesInVBO(0),
         nodesInVBOOverExpectedMax(0),
-        duplicateVBOIndex(0)
+        duplicateVBOIndex(0),
+        leafNodes(0)
         {
             memset(hasIndexFound, false, MAX_VOXELS_PER_SYSTEM * sizeof(bool));
         };
@@ -898,9 +902,10 @@ public:
     unsigned long nodesInVBO;
     unsigned long nodesInVBOOverExpectedMax;
     unsigned long duplicateVBOIndex;
+    unsigned long leafNodes;
+
     unsigned long expectedMax;
     
-    bool colorThis;
     bool hasIndexFound[MAX_VOXELS_PER_SYSTEM];
 };
 
@@ -908,6 +913,10 @@ bool VoxelSystem::collectStatsForTreesAndVBOsOperation(VoxelNode* node, void* ex
     collectStatsForTreesAndVBOsArgs* args = (collectStatsForTreesAndVBOsArgs*)extraData;
     args->totalNodes++;
 
+    if (node->isLeaf()) {
+        args->leafNodes++;
+    }
+
     if (node->isColored()) {
         args->coloredNodes++;
     }
@@ -939,6 +948,7 @@ bool VoxelSystem::collectStatsForTreesAndVBOsOperation(VoxelNode* node, void* ex
 }
 
 void VoxelSystem::collectStatsForTreesAndVBOs() {
+    PerformanceWarning warn(true, "collectStatsForTreesAndVBOs()", true);
 
     glBufferIndex minDirty = GLBUFFER_INDEX_UNKNOWN;
     glBufferIndex maxDirty = 0;
@@ -957,8 +967,10 @@ void VoxelSystem::collectStatsForTreesAndVBOs() {
     printLog("_voxelsDirty=%s _voxelsInWriteArrays=%ld minDirty=%ld maxDirty=%ld \n", (_voxelsDirty ? "yes" : "no"), 
         _voxelsInWriteArrays, minDirty, maxDirty);
 
-    printLog("stats: total %ld, dirty %ld, colored %ld, shouldRender %ld, inVBO %ld, nodesInVBOOverExpectedMax %ld, duplicateVBOIndex %ld\n", 
-        args.totalNodes, args.dirtyNodes, args.coloredNodes, args.shouldRenderNodes, 
+    printLog("stats: total %ld, leaves %ld, dirty %ld, colored %ld, shouldRender %ld, inVBO %ld\n",
+        args.totalNodes, args.leafNodes, args.dirtyNodes, args.coloredNodes, args.shouldRenderNodes);
+
+    printLog("inVBO %ld, nodesInVBOOverExpectedMax %ld, duplicateVBOIndex %ld\n", 
         args.nodesInVBO, args.nodesInVBOOverExpectedMax, args.duplicateVBOIndex);
 
     glBufferIndex minInVBO = GLBUFFER_INDEX_UNKNOWN;
diff --git a/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelNode.cpp b/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelNode.cpp
index 19e6a12aa5..2e3194f5cb 100644
--- a/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelNode.cpp
+++ b/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelNode.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ void VoxelNode::init(unsigned char * octalCode) {
     for (int i = 0; i < NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN; i++) {
         _children[i] = NULL;
     }
+    _childCount = 0;
     
     _glBufferIndex = GLBUFFER_INDEX_UNKNOWN;
     _isDirty = true;
@@ -87,6 +88,8 @@ void VoxelNode::deleteChildAtIndex(int childIndex) {
     if (_children[childIndex]) {
         delete _children[childIndex];
         _children[childIndex] = NULL;
+        _isDirty = true;
+        _childCount--;
     }
 }
 
@@ -96,6 +99,7 @@ VoxelNode* VoxelNode::removeChildAtIndex(int childIndex) {
     if (_children[childIndex]) {
         _children[childIndex] = NULL;
         _isDirty = true;
+        _childCount--;
     }
     return returnedChild;
 }
@@ -111,6 +115,7 @@ void VoxelNode::addChildAtIndex(int childIndex) {
         _children[childIndex]->setFalseColored(false);
     
         _isDirty = true;
+        _childCount++;
     }
 }
 
@@ -215,6 +220,7 @@ bool VoxelNode::collapseIdenticalLeaves() {
 			delete _children[i]; // delete all the child nodes
 			_children[i]=NULL; // set it to NULL
 		}
+        _childCount = 0;
 		nodeColor collapsedColor;
 		collapsedColor[0]=red;		
 		collapsedColor[1]=green;		
@@ -235,15 +241,6 @@ void VoxelNode::setRandomColor(int minimumBrightness) {
     setColor(newColor);
 }
 
-bool VoxelNode::isLeaf() const {
-    for (int i = 0; i < NUMBER_OF_CHILDREN; i++) {
-        if (_children[i]) {
-            return false;
-        }
-    }
-    return true;
-}
-
 void VoxelNode::printDebugDetails(const char* label) const {
     printLog("%s - Voxel at corner=(%f,%f,%f) size=%f octcode=", label,
         _box.getCorner().x, _box.getCorner().y, _box.getCorner().z, _box.getSize().x);
diff --git a/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelNode.h b/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelNode.h
index c07cb528e6..410f39e218 100644
--- a/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelNode.h
+++ b/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelNode.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ private:
     AABox _box;
     unsigned char* _octalCode;
     VoxelNode* _children[8];
+    int _childCount;
 
     void calculateAABox();
 
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ public:
     bool isInView(const ViewFrustum& viewFrustum) const; 
     ViewFrustum::location inFrustum(const ViewFrustum& viewFrustum) const;
     float distanceToCamera(const ViewFrustum& viewFrustum) const; 
-    bool isLeaf() const;
+    bool isLeaf() const { return _childCount == 0; }
     void printDebugDetails(const char* label) const;
     bool isDirty() const { return _isDirty; };
     void clearDirtyBit() { _isDirty = false; };