diff --git a/libraries/models/src/ModelItem.cpp b/libraries/models/src/ModelItem.cpp
index 7a4f9e3edc..c04f9a76ae 100644
--- a/libraries/models/src/ModelItem.cpp
+++ b/libraries/models/src/ModelItem.cpp
@@ -671,9 +671,26 @@ void ModelItem::adjustEditPacketForClockSkew(unsigned char* codeColorBuffer, ssi
 }
 
 
-QMap<QString, AnimationPointer> ModelItem::_loadedAnimations; // TODO: cleanup??
+QMap<QString, AnimationPointer> ModelItem::_loadedAnimations; // TODO: improve cleanup by leveraging the AnimationPointer(s)
 AnimationCache ModelItem::_animationCache;
 
+// This class/instance will cleanup the animations once unloaded.
+class ModelAnimationsBookkeeper {
+public:
+    ~ModelAnimationsBookkeeper() {
+        ModelItem::cleanupLoadedAnimations();
+    }
+};
+
+ModelAnimationsBookkeeper modelAnimationsBookkeeperInstance;
+
+void ModelItem::cleanupLoadedAnimations() {
+    foreach(AnimationPointer animation, _loadedAnimations) {
+        animation.clear();
+    }
+    _loadedAnimations.clear();
+}
+
 Animation* ModelItem::getAnimation(const QString& url) {
     AnimationPointer animation;
     
diff --git a/libraries/models/src/ModelItem.h b/libraries/models/src/ModelItem.h
index 18074fbe13..847e58e7c2 100644
--- a/libraries/models/src/ModelItem.h
+++ b/libraries/models/src/ModelItem.h
@@ -278,6 +278,8 @@ public:
     bool getAnimationIsPlaying() const { return _animationIsPlaying; }
     float getAnimationFrameIndex() const { return _animationFrameIndex; }
     float getAnimationFPS() const { return _animationFPS; }
+    
+    static void cleanupLoadedAnimations();
 
 protected:
     glm::vec3 _position;