diff --git a/examples/assimp_loading/main.cpp b/examples/assimp_loading/main.cpp
index c4794ee..ad817f6 100644
--- a/examples/assimp_loading/main.cpp
+++ b/examples/assimp_loading/main.cpp
@@ -6,13 +6,15 @@
 #include "mesh.h"
 
 
+typedef void (*frame_callback_fn) (render_state*);
+
 void
 doFrameCallback(render_state* rs)
 {
 }
 
 void
-doRenderLoop(render_state* rs, void (*callback_fn) (render_state*))
+doRenderLoop(render_state* rs, frame_callback_fn callback_fn)
 {
 	const uint TARGET_FPS = 60;
 	const uint FRAME_DELAY = 1000 / TARGET_FPS;
@@ -45,10 +47,9 @@ main()
 {
 	render_state* rs = renInit();
 	meInitAssimp();
-
 	meMeshGroup mg;
-	if (meLoadFromFile(mg, "../data", "../data/spaceship.glb")) {
 
+	if (meLoadFromFile(mg, "../data", "../data/spaceship.glb")) {
 		doRenderLoop(rs, doFrameCallback);
 	} else {
 		LOG(Error) << "Error loading mesh, exiting\n";
diff --git a/src/mesh.cpp b/src/mesh.cpp
index 40f02a4..a371ec2 100644
--- a/src/mesh.cpp
+++ b/src/mesh.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ meMeshInfo* allocateMeshInfo(uint num_vertices, uint num_indices, bool has_norma
 void freeMesh(meMeshInfo* mesh);
 inline glm::vec3 copyVector(aiVector3D v_in, glm::vec3& v_out);
 meMeshInfo* copyMeshInfo(const char* data_dir, const aiScene* scene, aiMesh* mesh);
+bool loadDiffuseTexture(const char* data_dir, const aiScene* scene, aiMesh* mesh, meMeshInfo* mi);
 
 // interface
 
@@ -54,10 +55,22 @@ meLoadFromFile(meMeshGroup& mesh_group, const char* data_dir, const char* filena
 	mesh_group.use_normals = scene->mMeshes[0]->HasNormals();
 
 	for (uint i = 0; i < scene->mNumMeshes; i++) {
-		mesh_group.meshes[i] = copyMeshInfo(data_dir, scene, scene->mMeshes[i]);
+		//mesh_group.meshes[i] = copyMeshInfo(data_dir, scene, scene->mMeshes[i]);
+		aiMesh* mesh = scene->mMeshes[i];
+		meMeshInfo* mi = copyMeshInfo(data_dir, scene, mesh);
+
+		if (mesh->HasTextureCoords(0)) {
+			if (!loadDiffuseTexture(data_dir, scene, mesh, mi)) {
+				LOG(Error) << "Error loading texture, cleaning up import\n";
+				freeMesh(mi);
+				aiReleaseImport(scene);
+				return false;
+			}
+		}
+
+		mesh_group.meshes[i] = mi;
 	}
 
-	// free memeory from assimp
 	aiReleaseImport(scene);
 	return true;
 }
@@ -125,6 +138,35 @@ copyVector(aiVector3D v_in, glm::vec3& v_out)
 	return v_out;
 }
 
+bool
+loadDiffuseTexture(const char* data_dir, const aiScene* scene, aiMesh* mesh, meMeshInfo* mi)
+{
+	aiMaterial* mat = scene->mMaterials[mesh->mMaterialIndex];
+	aiString file_name;
+
+	if (mat->GetTextureCount(aiTextureType_DIFFUSE) < 1)
+		return false;
+
+	if (AI_SUCCESS != mat->GetTexture(
+			aiTextureType_DIFFUSE, 0, &file_name, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL))
+	{
+		LOG(Error) << "No diffuse texture from assimp\n";
+		return false;
+	} else {
+		const aiTexture* tex = scene->GetEmbeddedTexture(file_name.C_Str());
+		if (tex != nullptr) {
+			LOG(Info) << "has embedded texture\n";
+			// TODO: load binary texture data with stb_image
+		} else {
+			LOG(Info) << "Loading texture file: " << file_name.C_Str() << "\n";
+			mi->diffuse_texture = utilLoadImage(data_dir, file_name.C_Str());
+			mi->use_texture = true;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return true;
+}
+
 meMeshInfo*
 copyMeshInfo(const char* data_dir, const aiScene* scene, aiMesh* mesh)
 {
@@ -134,6 +176,7 @@ copyMeshInfo(const char* data_dir, const aiScene* scene, aiMesh* mesh)
 
 	// copy vertices, normals, and texture coords
 	for (uint i = 0; i < mi->num_vertices; i++) {
+		//TODO: can probably use glm::vec3 constructor here and remove copyVector helper
 		copyVector(mesh->mVertices[i], mi->vertices[i]);
 
 		if (has_normals)
@@ -150,26 +193,5 @@ copyMeshInfo(const char* data_dir, const aiScene* scene, aiMesh* mesh)
 		for (uint j = 0; j < 3; j++)
 			mi->indices[i * 3 + j] = mesh->mFaces[i].mIndices[j];
 
-	// material
-	aiMaterial* mat = scene->mMaterials[mesh->mMaterialIndex];
-	aiColor3D color(0.f, 0.f, 0.f);
-
-	if (AI_SUCCESS == mat->Get(AI_MATKEY_COLOR_DIFFUSE, color)) {
-		mi->diffuse_color.r = color.r;
-		mi->diffuse_color.g = color.g;
-		mi->diffuse_color.b = color.b;
-	}
-
-	if (has_tex && mat->GetTextureCount(aiTextureType_DIFFUSE) > 0) {
-		aiString file_name;
-		if (AI_SUCCESS != mat->GetTexture(aiTextureType_DIFFUSE, 0, &file_name, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL)) {
-			LOG(Error) << "No diffuse texture from assimp\n";
-		} else {
-			LOG(Info) << "Loading texture file: " << file_name.C_Str() << "\n";
-			mi->diffuse_texture = utilLoadImage(data_dir, file_name.C_Str());
-			mi->use_texture = true;
-		}
-	}
-
 	return mi;
 }