diff --git a/indra/llprimitive/llprimitive.cpp b/indra/llprimitive/llprimitive.cpp
index bfa65666b5..28a030d684 100644
--- a/indra/llprimitive/llprimitive.cpp
+++ b/indra/llprimitive/llprimitive.cpp
@@ -219,6 +219,11 @@ LLTextureEntry* LLPrimitive::getTE(const U8 index) const
 	return mTextureList.getTexture(index);
 }
 
+LLTextureEntry& LLPrimitive::getTEref( const U8 te_num ) const
+{
+	return mTextureList.getTextureRef( te_num );
+}
+
 //===============================================================
 void LLPrimitive::setNumTEs(const U8 num_tes)
 {
@@ -713,7 +718,7 @@ void LLPrimitive::copyTEs(const LLPrimitive *primitivep)
 	}
 	for (i = 0; i < num_tes; i++)
 	{
-		mTextureList.copyTexture(i, *(primitivep->getTE(i)));
+		mTextureList.copyTexture(i, primitivep->getTEref(i));
 	}
 }
 
@@ -805,7 +810,7 @@ BOOL LLPrimitive::setVolume(const LLVolumeParams &volume_params, const S32 detai
 		if (old_face_mask & cur_mask)
 		{
 			S32 te_index = face_index_from_id(cur_mask, old_faces);
-			old_tes.copyTexture(face_bit, *(getTE(te_index)));
+			old_tes.copyTexture(face_bit, getTEref(te_index));
 			//LL_INFOS() << face_bit << ":" << te_index << ":" << old_tes[face_bit].getID() << LL_ENDL;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/indra/llprimitive/llprimitive.h b/indra/llprimitive/llprimitive.h
index 19d9d52817..4250bc1dbd 100644
--- a/indra/llprimitive/llprimitive.h
+++ b/indra/llprimitive/llprimitive.h
@@ -357,7 +357,8 @@ public:
 	
 	// Modify texture entry properties
 	inline BOOL validTE(const U8 te_num) const;
-	LLTextureEntry* getTE(const U8 te_num) const;
+	LLTextureEntry* getTE( const U8 te_num ) const;
+	LLTextureEntry& getTEref( const U8 te_num ) const;
 
 	virtual void setNumTEs(const U8 num_tes);
 	virtual void setAllTESelected(bool sel);
diff --git a/indra/llprimitive/llprimtexturelist.cpp b/indra/llprimitive/llprimtexturelist.cpp
index f4f08248b8..b4c6e5c98a 100644
--- a/indra/llprimitive/llprimtexturelist.cpp
+++ b/indra/llprimitive/llprimtexturelist.cpp
@@ -137,14 +137,8 @@ S32 LLPrimTextureList::copyTexture(const U8 index, const LLTextureEntry& te)
 		// we're changing an existing entry
 	llassert(mEntryList[index]);
 	delete (mEntryList[index]);
-	if  (&te)
-	{
-		mEntryList[index] = te.newCopy();
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		mEntryList[index] = LLPrimTextureList::newTextureEntry();
-	}
+	mEntryList[index] = te.newCopy();
+
 	return TEM_CHANGE_TEXTURE;
 }
 
@@ -176,6 +170,17 @@ LLTextureEntry* LLPrimTextureList::getTexture(const U8 index) const
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+LLTextureEntry& LLPrimTextureList::getTextureRef( const U8 index ) const
+{
+	if( index >= mEntryList.size() )
+	{
+		LL_ERRS() << "Texture index out of bounds, index: " << (U32)index << " mEntryList.size(): " << mEntryList.size() << LL_ENDL;
+	}
+
+	return *mEntryList[ index ];
+}
+
+
 //virtual 
 //S32 setTE(const U8 index, const LLTextureEntry& te) = 0;
 
diff --git a/indra/llprimitive/llprimtexturelist.h b/indra/llprimitive/llprimtexturelist.h
index 49c636e40f..e286770a32 100644
--- a/indra/llprimitive/llprimtexturelist.h
+++ b/indra/llprimitive/llprimtexturelist.h
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ public:
 //	void copyTexture(const U8 index, const LLTextureEntry* entry);
 
 	// returns pointer to texture at 'index' slot
-	LLTextureEntry* getTexture(const U8 index) const;
+	LLTextureEntry* getTexture( const U8 index ) const;
+	LLTextureEntry& getTextureRef( const U8 index ) const;
 
 	S32 setID(const U8 index, const LLUUID& id);
 	S32 setColor(const U8 index, const LLColor3& color);