diff --git a/filament/src/UniformBuffer.h b/filament/src/UniformBuffer.h
index cac637301a..7b5e4c783e 100644
--- a/filament/src/UniformBuffer.h
+++ b/filament/src/UniformBuffer.h
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@ public:
         return static_cast<char*>(mBuffer) + offset;
     }
 
+    void* invalidate() noexcept {
+        return invalidateUniforms(0, mSize);
+    }
+
     // pointer to the uniform buffer
     void const* getBuffer() const noexcept { return mBuffer; }
 
diff --git a/filament/src/components/RenderableManager.cpp b/filament/src/components/RenderableManager.cpp
index a5028fe10c..28261beba5 100644
--- a/filament/src/components/RenderableManager.cpp
+++ b/filament/src/components/RenderableManager.cpp
@@ -255,21 +255,10 @@ void FRenderableManager::create(
     auto& manager = mManager;
     FEngine::DriverApi& driver = engine.getDriverApi();
 
-    // If we already have an instance we can reuse parts of it without completely
-    // destroying it. In particular we can reuse the UBO since it's the same for
-    // all renderables
-    bool canReuse = false;
-    Instance ci = getInstance(entity);
-    if (UTILS_UNLIKELY(ci)) {
-        canReuse = true;
-        destroyComponentPrimitives(engine, manager[ci].primitives);
-        std::unique_ptr<Bones> const& bones = manager[ci].bones;
-        if (bones && !builder->mSkinningBoneCount) {
-            driver.destroyUniformBuffer(bones->handle);
-        }
+    if (UTILS_UNLIKELY(manager.hasComponent(entity))) {
+        destroy(entity);
     }
-
-    ci = manager.addComponent(entity);
+    Instance ci = manager.addComponent(entity);
     assert(ci);
 
     if (ci) {
@@ -288,31 +277,29 @@ void FRenderableManager::create(
         setCastShadows(ci, builder->mCastShadows);
         setReceiveShadows(ci, builder->mReceiveShadows);
         setCulling(ci, builder->mCulling);
-        static_cast<Visibility&>(manager[ci].visibility).skinning = builder->mSkinningBoneCount > 0;
+        setSkinning(ci, false);
 
-        if (!canReuse) {
-            if (builder->mSkinningBoneCount) {
-                std::unique_ptr<Bones>& bones = manager[ci].bones;
-
-                bones.reset(new Bones); // FIXME: maybe use a pool allocator
-                bones->bones = UniformBuffer(CONFIG_MAX_BONE_COUNT * sizeof(PerRenderableUibBone));
-                bones->handle = driver.createUniformBuffer(CONFIG_MAX_BONE_COUNT * sizeof(PerRenderableUibBone),
-                        driver::BufferUsage::DYNAMIC);
-            }
-        }
-        if (builder->mSkinningBoneCount) {
-            std::unique_ptr<Bones> const& bones = manager[ci].bones;
+        const size_t count = builder->mSkinningBoneCount;
+        if (UTILS_UNLIKELY(count)) {
+            std::unique_ptr<Bones>& bones = manager[ci].bones;
+            bones = std::unique_ptr<Bones>(new Bones{
+                    driver.createUniformBuffer(count * sizeof(PerRenderableUibBone),
+                            driver::BufferUsage::DYNAMIC),
+                    UniformBuffer{ count * sizeof(PerRenderableUibBone) },
+                    (uint8_t)count
+            });
             assert(bones);
-            bones->count = (uint8_t)builder->mSkinningBoneCount;
-            if (builder->mUserBones) {
-                setBones(ci, builder->mUserBones, bones->count);
-            } else if (builder->mUserBoneMatrices) {
-                setBones(ci, builder->mUserBoneMatrices, bones->count);
-            } else {
-                // initialize the bones to identity
-                PerRenderableUibBone* UTILS_RESTRICT out =
-                        (PerRenderableUibBone*)bones->bones.invalidateUniforms(0, bones->count * sizeof(PerRenderableUibBone));
-                std::uninitialized_fill_n(out, bones->count, PerRenderableUibBone{});
+            if (bones) {
+                setSkinning(ci, true);
+                if (builder->mUserBones) {
+                    setBones(ci, builder->mUserBones, count);
+                } else if (builder->mUserBoneMatrices) {
+                    setBones(ci, builder->mUserBoneMatrices, count);
+                } else {
+                    // initialize the bones to identity
+                    PerRenderableUibBone* out = (PerRenderableUibBone*)bones->bones.invalidate();
+                    std::uninitialized_fill_n(out, count, PerRenderableUibBone{});
+                }
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/filament/src/components/RenderableManager.h b/filament/src/components/RenderableManager.h
index 5c60070f42..e3e572f6d0 100644
--- a/filament/src/components/RenderableManager.h
+++ b/filament/src/components/RenderableManager.h
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ public:
     inline void setLayerMask(Instance instance, uint8_t layerMask) noexcept;
     inline void setReceiveShadows(Instance instance, bool enable) noexcept;
     inline void setCulling(Instance instance, bool enable) noexcept;
+    inline void setSkinning(Instance instance, bool enable) noexcept;
     inline void setPrimitives(Instance instance, utils::Slice<FRenderPrimitive> const& primitives) noexcept;
     inline void setBones(Instance instance, Bone const* transforms, size_t boneCount, size_t offset = 0) noexcept;
     inline void setBones(Instance instance, math::mat4f const* transforms, size_t boneCount, size_t offset = 0) noexcept;
@@ -175,11 +176,11 @@ private:
 
             union {
                 // this specific usage of union is permitted. All fields are identical
-                Field<AABB>                 aabb;
-                Field<LAYERS>               layers;
-                Field<VISIBILITY>           visibility;
-                Field<PRIMITIVES>           primitives;
-                Field<BONES>                bones;
+                Field<AABB>         aabb;
+                Field<LAYERS>       layers;
+                Field<VISIBILITY>   visibility;
+                Field<PRIMITIVES>   primitives;
+                Field<BONES>        bones;
             };
         };
 
@@ -245,6 +246,13 @@ void FRenderableManager::setCulling(Instance instance, bool enable) noexcept {
     }
 }
 
+void FRenderableManager::setSkinning(Instance instance, bool enable) noexcept {
+    if (instance) {
+        Visibility& visibility = mManager[instance].visibility;
+        visibility.skinning = enable;
+    }
+}
+
 void FRenderableManager::setPrimitives(Instance instance,
         utils::Slice<FRenderPrimitive> const& primitives) noexcept {
     if (instance) {