diff --git a/src/graphics/render/NamedSkeletons.cpp b/src/graphics/render/NamedSkeletons.cpp
index 35dd57ec7..c30278a9c 100644
--- a/src/graphics/render/NamedSkeletons.cpp
+++ b/src/graphics/render/NamedSkeletons.cpp
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ using namespace rigging;
 NamedSkeletons::NamedSkeletons() = default;
 
 std::shared_ptr<rigging::Skeleton> NamedSkeletons::createSkeleton(
-    const std::string& name, const SkeletonConfig* config
+    const std::string& name, std::shared_ptr<const SkeletonConfig> config
 ) {
-    auto skeleton = std::make_shared<Skeleton>(config);
+    auto skeleton = std::make_shared<Skeleton>(std::move(config));
     skeletons[name] = skeleton;
     return skeleton;
 }
diff --git a/src/graphics/render/NamedSkeletons.hpp b/src/graphics/render/NamedSkeletons.hpp
index 4e4fb77a1..4982443b6 100644
--- a/src/graphics/render/NamedSkeletons.hpp
+++ b/src/graphics/render/NamedSkeletons.hpp
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ public:
     NamedSkeletons();
 
     std::shared_ptr<rigging::Skeleton> createSkeleton(
-        const std::string& name, const rigging::SkeletonConfig* config
+        const std::string& name,
+        std::shared_ptr<const rigging::SkeletonConfig> config
     );
 
     rigging::Skeleton* getSkeleton(const std::string& name);
diff --git a/src/graphics/render/WorldRenderer.cpp b/src/graphics/render/WorldRenderer.cpp
index e1f683b96..9f173eb38 100644
--- a/src/graphics/render/WorldRenderer.cpp
+++ b/src/graphics/render/WorldRenderer.cpp
@@ -113,7 +113,9 @@ WorldRenderer::WorldRenderer(
         content.getDefaults()["hand-skeleton"].asString()
     );
     hands = std::make_unique<HandsRenderer>(
-        assets, *modelBatch, skeletons->createSkeleton("hand", &skeletonConfig)
+        assets,
+        *modelBatch,
+        skeletons->createSkeleton("hand", skeletonConfig.shared_from_this())
     );
     shadowMapping = std::make_unique<Shadows>(level);
     debugLines = std::make_unique<DebugLinesRenderer>(level);
diff --git a/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libentity.cpp b/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libentity.cpp
index 0ae21f3c7..d2c0c4bc5 100644
--- a/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libentity.cpp
+++ b/src/logic/scripting/lua/libs/libentity.cpp
@@ -108,13 +108,13 @@ static int l_set_skeleton(lua::State* L) {
     }
     if (auto entity = get_entity(L, 1)) {
         std::string skeletonName = lua::require_string(L, 2);
-        auto rigConfig = assets->get<rigging::SkeletonConfig>(skeletonName);
+        auto rigConfig = assets->getShared<rigging::SkeletonConfig>(skeletonName);
         if (rigConfig == nullptr) {
             throw std::runtime_error(
                 "skeleton not found '" + skeletonName + "'"
             );
         }
-        entity->setRig(rigConfig);
+        entity->setRig(std::move(rigConfig));
     }
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/objects/Entities.cpp b/src/objects/Entities.cpp
index dbdaa1881..c98349f3c 100644
--- a/src/objects/Entities.cpp
+++ b/src/objects/Entities.cpp
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ void Entities::loadEntity(const dv::value& map, Entity entity) {
     std::string skeletonName = skeleton->config->getName();
     map.at("skeleton-name").get(skeletonName);
     if (skeletonName != skeleton->config->getName()) {
-        skeleton->config = assets->get<rigging::SkeletonConfig>(skeletonName);
+        skeleton->config = assets->getShared<rigging::SkeletonConfig>(skeletonName);
     }
     if (auto foundSkeleton = map.at(COMP_SKELETON)) {
         skeleton->deserialize(*foundSkeleton);
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ void Entities::render(
             continue;
         }
 
-        const auto* rigConfig = skeleton.config;
+        const auto& rigConfig = skeleton.config;
         if (rigConfig) {
             rigConfig->render(
                 assets, batch, skeleton, transform.rot, pos, size
diff --git a/src/objects/Entity.cpp b/src/objects/Entity.cpp
index e8c276dd2..0bf898351 100644
--- a/src/objects/Entity.cpp
+++ b/src/objects/Entity.cpp
@@ -37,15 +37,9 @@ rigging::Skeleton* Entity::getSkeleton() const {
     return registry.try_get<rigging::Skeleton>(entity);
 }
 
-void Entity::setRig(const rigging::SkeletonConfig* rigConfig) {
+void Entity::setRig(std::shared_ptr<const rigging::SkeletonConfig> rigConfig) {
     auto& skeleton = registry.get<rigging::Skeleton>(entity);
-    skeleton.config = rigConfig;
-    skeleton.pose.matrices.resize(
-        rigConfig->getBones().size(), glm::mat4(1.0f)
-    );
-    skeleton.calculated.matrices.resize(
-        rigConfig->getBones().size(), glm::mat4(1.0f)
-    );
+    skeleton.setConfig(std::move(rigConfig));
 }
 
 dv::value Entity::serialize() const {
diff --git a/src/objects/Entity.hpp b/src/objects/Entity.hpp
index ef00a1bf2..960bdfc9a 100644
--- a/src/objects/Entity.hpp
+++ b/src/objects/Entity.hpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public:
 
     rigging::Skeleton* getSkeleton() const;
 
-    void setRig(const rigging::SkeletonConfig* rigConfig);
+    void setRig(std::shared_ptr<const rigging::SkeletonConfig> rigConfig);
 
     entityid_t getUID() const;
 
diff --git a/src/objects/rigging.cpp b/src/objects/rigging.cpp
index d1a41bef7..f686bfbcf 100644
--- a/src/objects/rigging.cpp
+++ b/src/objects/rigging.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ void Bone::setModel(const std::string& name) {
     model = {name, nullptr, true};
 }
 
-Skeleton::Skeleton(const SkeletonConfig* config)
+Skeleton::Skeleton(std::shared_ptr<const SkeletonConfig> config)
     : config(config),
       pose(config->getBones().size()),
       calculated(config->getBones().size()),
@@ -86,6 +86,16 @@ void Skeleton::deserialize(const dv::value& root) {
     }
 }
 
+void Skeleton::setConfig(std::shared_ptr<const SkeletonConfig> rigConfig) {
+    config = std::move(rigConfig);
+    pose.matrices.resize(
+        config->getBones().size(), glm::mat4(1.0f)
+    );
+    calculated.matrices.resize(
+        config->getBones().size(), glm::mat4(1.0f)
+    );
+}
+
 static void get_all_nodes(std::vector<Bone*>& nodes, Bone* node) {
     nodes[node->getIndex()] = node;
     for (auto& subnode : node->getBones()) {
@@ -97,6 +107,7 @@ SkeletonConfig::SkeletonConfig(
     const std::string& name, std::unique_ptr<Bone> root, size_t nodesCount
 )
     : name(name), root(std::move(root)), nodes(nodesCount) {
+    assert(this->root.get() != nullptr);
     get_all_nodes(nodes, this->root.get());
 }
 
@@ -159,6 +170,9 @@ void SkeletonConfig::render(
     const glm::vec3& position,
     const glm::vec3& scale
 ) const {
+    if (skeleton.config->root == nullptr) {
+        return;
+    }
     update(skeleton, rotation, position, scale);
 
     if (!skeleton.visible) {
diff --git a/src/objects/rigging.hpp b/src/objects/rigging.hpp
index 7726d0b95..9e7fc75f6 100644
--- a/src/objects/rigging.hpp
+++ b/src/objects/rigging.hpp
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ namespace rigging {
     };
 
     struct Skeleton {
-        const SkeletonConfig* config;
+        std::shared_ptr<const SkeletonConfig> config;
         Pose pose;
         Pose calculated;
         std::vector<BoneFlags> flags;
@@ -89,13 +89,15 @@ namespace rigging {
 
         util::VecInterpolation<3, float> interpolation {false};
 
-        Skeleton(const SkeletonConfig* config);
+        Skeleton(std::shared_ptr<const SkeletonConfig> config);
 
         dv::value serialize(bool saveTextures, bool savePose) const;
         void deserialize(const dv::value& root);
+
+        void setConfig(std::shared_ptr<const SkeletonConfig> config);
     };
 
-    class SkeletonConfig {
+    class SkeletonConfig : public std::enable_shared_from_this<SkeletonConfig> {
         std::string name;
         std::unique_ptr<Bone> root;
         std::unordered_map<std::string, size_t> indices;
@@ -135,7 +137,7 @@ namespace rigging {
         ) const;
 
         Skeleton instance() const {
-            return Skeleton(this);
+            return Skeleton(shared_from_this());
         }
 
         const Bone* find(std::string_view str) const;