diff --git a/android/filament-utils-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/utils/ModelViewer.kt b/android/filament-utils-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/utils/ModelViewer.kt
index e9b135fbef..30f489f951 100644
--- a/android/filament-utils-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/utils/ModelViewer.kt
+++ b/android/filament-utils-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/utils/ModelViewer.kt
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ class ModelViewer {
     private var swapChain: SwapChain? = null
     private var assetLoader: AssetLoader
     private var resourceLoader: ResourceLoader
+    private val readyRenderables = IntArray(128) // add up to 128 entities at a time
 
     private val eyePos = DoubleArray(3)
     private val target = DoubleArray(3)
@@ -207,13 +208,7 @@ class ModelViewer {
         resourceLoader.asyncUpdateLoad()
 
         // Add renderable entities to the scene as they become ready.
-        asset?.let {
-            var entity = 0
-            val popRenderable = {entity = it.popRenderable(); entity != 0}
-            while (popRenderable()) {
-                scene.addEntity(entity)
-            }
-        }
+        asset?.let { populateScene(it) }
 
         // Extract the camera basis from the helper and push it to the Filament camera.
         cameraManipulator.getLookAt(eyePos, target, upward)
@@ -229,6 +224,14 @@ class ModelViewer {
         }
     }
 
+    private fun populateScene(asset: FilamentAsset) {
+        var count = 0
+        val popRenderables = {count = asset.popRenderables(readyRenderables); count != 0}
+        while (popRenderables()) {
+            scene.addEntities(readyRenderables.take(count).toIntArray())
+        }
+    }
+
     private fun addDetachListener(view: android.view.View) {
         view.addOnAttachStateChangeListener(object : android.view.View.OnAttachStateChangeListener {
             override fun onViewAttachedToWindow(v: android.view.View?) {}
diff --git a/android/gltfio-android/src/main/cpp/FilamentAsset.cpp b/android/gltfio-android/src/main/cpp/FilamentAsset.cpp
index 83e706023c..e27b522ff1 100644
--- a/android/gltfio-android/src/main/cpp/FilamentAsset.cpp
+++ b/android/gltfio-android/src/main/cpp/FilamentAsset.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,17 @@ Java_com_google_android_filament_gltfio_FilamentAsset_nPopRenderable(JNIEnv*, jc
     return asset->popRenderable().getId();
 }
 
+extern "C" JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL
+Java_com_google_android_filament_gltfio_FilamentAsset_nPopRenderables(JNIEnv* env, jclass,
+        jlong nativeAsset, jintArray result) {
+    FilamentAsset* asset = (FilamentAsset*) nativeAsset;
+    jsize available = env->GetArrayLength(result);
+    Entity* entities = (Entity*) env->GetIntArrayElements(result, nullptr);
+    size_t retval = asset->popRenderables(entities, available);
+    env->ReleaseIntArrayElements(result, (jint*) entities, 0);
+    return retval;
+}
+
 extern "C" JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL
 Java_com_google_android_filament_gltfio_FilamentAsset_nGetEntityCount(JNIEnv*, jclass,
         jlong nativeAsset) {
@@ -47,8 +58,10 @@ extern "C" JNIEXPORT void JNICALL
 Java_com_google_android_filament_gltfio_FilamentAsset_nGetEntities(JNIEnv* env, jclass,
         jlong nativeAsset, jintArray result) {
     FilamentAsset* asset = (FilamentAsset*) nativeAsset;
+    jsize available = env->GetArrayLength(result);
     Entity* entities = (Entity*) env->GetIntArrayElements(result, nullptr);
-    std::copy_n(asset->getEntities(), asset->getEntityCount(), entities);
+    std::copy_n(asset->getEntities(),
+            std::min(available, (jsize) asset->getEntityCount()), entities);
     env->ReleaseIntArrayElements(result, (jint*) entities, 0);
 }
 
diff --git a/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/FilamentAsset.java b/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/FilamentAsset.java
index 3e6a228e3f..e7e4dcfa9f 100644
--- a/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/FilamentAsset.java
+++ b/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/FilamentAsset.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package com.google.android.filament.gltfio;
 
 import androidx.annotation.NonNull;
+import androidx.annotation.Nullable;
 
 import com.google.android.filament.Box;
 import com.google.android.filament.Entity;
@@ -76,6 +77,16 @@ public class FilamentAsset {
         return nPopRenderable(mNativeObject);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Pops one or more renderables off the queue, or returns the available number.
+     *
+     * Returns the number of entities written into the given array. If the given array
+     * is null, returns the number of available renderables.
+     */
+    public int popRenderables(@Nullable @Entity int[] entities) {
+        return nPopRenderables(mNativeObject, entities);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Gets the list of entities, one for each glTF node.
      *
@@ -143,6 +154,7 @@ public class FilamentAsset {
 
     private static native int nGetRoot(long nativeAsset);
     private static native int nPopRenderable(long nativeAsset);
+    private static native int nPopRenderables(long nativeAsset, int[] result);
     private static native int nGetEntityCount(long nativeAsset);
     private static native void nGetEntities(long nativeAsset, int[] result);
     private static native void nGetBoundingBox(long nativeAsset, float[] box);
diff --git a/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/FilamentAsset.h b/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/FilamentAsset.h
index 65f66c1dfb..723faab22e 100644
--- a/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/FilamentAsset.h
+++ b/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/FilamentAsset.h
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ public:
      * Pops a ready renderable off the queue, or returns 0 if no renderables have become ready.
      *
      * NOTE: To determine the progress percentage or completion status, please use
-     * ResourceLoader#asyncGetLoadProgress.
+     * ResourceLoader#asyncGetLoadProgress. To get the number of ready renderables,
+     * please use popRenderables().
      *
      * This method allows clients to progressively add the asset's renderables to the scene as
      * textures gradually become ready through asynchronous loading. For example, on every frame
@@ -84,10 +85,22 @@ public:
      *
      *    while (utils::Entity e = popRenderable()) { scene.addEntity(e); }
      *
-     * See ResourceLoader#asyncBeginLoad.
+     * \see ResourceLoader#asyncBeginLoad
+     * \see popRenderables()
      */
     utils::Entity popRenderable() noexcept;
 
+    /**
+     * Pops up to "count" ready renderables off the queue, or returns the available number.
+     *
+     * The given pointer should either be null or point to memory that can hold up to count
+     * entities. If the pointer is null, returns the number of available renderables. Otherwise
+     * returns the number of entities that have been written.
+     *
+     * \see ResourceLoader#asyncBeginLoad
+     */
+    size_t popRenderables(utils::Entity* entities, size_t count) noexcept;
+
     /** Gets all material instances. These are already bound to renderables. */
     const filament::MaterialInstance* const* getMaterialInstances() const noexcept;
 
diff --git a/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/SimpleViewer.h b/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/SimpleViewer.h
index c66a6d9917..9ea746ca37 100644
--- a/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/SimpleViewer.h
+++ b/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/SimpleViewer.h
@@ -257,27 +257,26 @@ SimpleViewer::~SimpleViewer() {
 }
 
 void SimpleViewer::populateScene(FilamentAsset* asset, bool scale) {
-    if (mAsset == asset) {
-        while (utils::Entity e = mAsset->popRenderable()) {
-            mScene->addEntity(e);
+    if (mAsset != asset) {
+        removeAsset();
+        mAsset = asset;
+        if (!asset) {
+            mAnimator = nullptr;
+            return;
+        }
+        mAnimator = asset->getAnimator();
+        if (scale) {
+            auto& tcm = mEngine->getTransformManager();
+            auto root = tcm.getInstance(mAsset->getRoot());
+            filament::math::mat4f transform = fitIntoUnitCube(mAsset->getBoundingBox());
+            tcm.setTransform(root, transform);
         }
-        return;
     }
-    removeAsset();
-    mAsset = asset;
-    if (!asset) {
-        mAnimator = nullptr;
-        return;
-    }
-    mAnimator = asset->getAnimator();
-    if (scale) {
-        auto& tcm = mEngine->getTransformManager();
-        auto root = tcm.getInstance(mAsset->getRoot());
-        filament::math::mat4f transform = fitIntoUnitCube(mAsset->getBoundingBox());
-        tcm.setTransform(root, transform);
-    }
-    while (utils::Entity e = mAsset->popRenderable()) {
-        mScene->addEntity(e);
+
+    static constexpr int kNumAvailable = 128;
+    utils::Entity renderables[kNumAvailable];
+    while (size_t numWritten = mAsset->popRenderables(renderables, kNumAvailable)) {
+        mScene->addEntities(renderables, numWritten);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/gltfio/src/DependencyGraph.cpp b/libs/gltfio/src/DependencyGraph.cpp
index 3997c66ab5..56736a2bc7 100644
--- a/libs/gltfio/src/DependencyGraph.cpp
+++ b/libs/gltfio/src/DependencyGraph.cpp
@@ -21,13 +21,16 @@ using namespace utils;
 
 namespace gltfio {
 
-Entity DependencyGraph::popReadyRenderable() noexcept {
-    if (mReadyRenderables.empty()) {
-        return Entity();
+size_t DependencyGraph::popRenderables(Entity* result, size_t count) noexcept {
+    if (result == nullptr) {
+        return mReadyRenderables.size();
     }
-    auto oldest = mReadyRenderables.front();
-    mReadyRenderables.pop();
-    return oldest;
+    size_t numWritten = 0;
+    while (numWritten < count && !mReadyRenderables.empty()) {
+        result[numWritten++] = mReadyRenderables.front();
+        mReadyRenderables.pop();
+    }
+    return numWritten;
 }
 
 void DependencyGraph::addEdge(Entity entity, MaterialInstance* mi) {
diff --git a/libs/gltfio/src/DependencyGraph.h b/libs/gltfio/src/DependencyGraph.h
index d1c750f55d..25ae276c11 100644
--- a/libs/gltfio/src/DependencyGraph.h
+++ b/libs/gltfio/src/DependencyGraph.h
@@ -62,8 +62,10 @@ public:
     using Material = filament::MaterialInstance;
     using Entity = utils::Entity;
 
-    // Returns a ready-to-render entity, or 0 if no new entities have become renderable.
-    Entity popReadyRenderable() noexcept;
+    // Pops up to "count" ready-to-render entities off the queue.
+    // If "result" is non-null, returns the number of written items.
+    // If "result" is null, returns the number of available entities.
+    size_t popRenderables(Entity* result, size_t count) noexcept;
 
     // These are called during the initial asset loader phase.
     void addEdge(Entity entity, Material* material);
diff --git a/libs/gltfio/src/FFilamentAsset.h b/libs/gltfio/src/FFilamentAsset.h
index 9df662ff03..93f1760415 100644
--- a/libs/gltfio/src/FFilamentAsset.h
+++ b/libs/gltfio/src/FFilamentAsset.h
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ struct FFilamentAsset : public FilamentAsset {
         return mRoot;
     }
 
-    utils::Entity popRenderable() noexcept {
-        return mDependencyGraph.popReadyRenderable();
+    size_t popRenderables(utils::Entity* entities, size_t count) noexcept {
+        return mDependencyGraph.popRenderables(entities, count);
     }
 
     size_t getMaterialInstanceCount() const noexcept {
diff --git a/libs/gltfio/src/FilamentAsset.cpp b/libs/gltfio/src/FilamentAsset.cpp
index 4a7b570f51..568b43ba16 100644
--- a/libs/gltfio/src/FilamentAsset.cpp
+++ b/libs/gltfio/src/FilamentAsset.cpp
@@ -36,7 +36,13 @@ Entity FilamentAsset::getRoot() const noexcept {
 }
 
 Entity FilamentAsset::popRenderable() noexcept {
-    return upcast(this)->popRenderable();
+    Entity result[1];
+    const bool empty = !popRenderables(result, 1);
+    return empty ? Entity() : result[0];
+}
+
+size_t FilamentAsset::popRenderables(Entity* result, size_t count) noexcept {
+    return upcast(this)->popRenderables(result, count);
 }
 
 size_t FilamentAsset::getMaterialInstanceCount() const noexcept {