diff --git a/src/asset.cpp b/src/asset.cpp
index 99b986d..202f8ea 100644
--- a/src/asset.cpp
+++ b/src/asset.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ bool parseMeshNode(mesh* m,
 model* getCachedModel(Assets* assets, u64 path_hash);
 model* loadModelFile(Assets* assets, const char* filename);
 util_image* getCachedTexture(Assets* assets, u64 path_hash);
-util_image* loadTextureFile(Assets* assets, const char* filename);
 
 
 // interface
@@ -43,8 +42,12 @@ getTextureByPath(Assets* assets, const char* filepath)
 	util_image* texture =
 		getCachedTexture(assets, utilFNV64a_str(filepath));
 
-	if (!texture)
-		texture = loadTextureFile(assets, filepath);
+	// NOTE: the texture should be loaded when the model is loaded, so it's an
+	// 	error if we don't find it in cache
+	if (!texture) {
+		LOG(Error) << "texture file, " << filepath << " not loaded\n";
+		return nullptr;
+	}
 
 	return texture;
 }
@@ -90,9 +93,13 @@ copyDiffuseTexture(Assets* assets, const tinygltf::Model& t_mdl)
 		&& t_mdl.images.size() == 1
 		&& t_mdl.images[0].image.size() > 0);
 	tinygltf::Image t_img = t_mdl.images[0];
-
 	util_image* dtex = getFreeTexture(assets);
-	if (!dtex) return nullptr;
+
+	if (!dtex) {
+		LOG(Error) << "Error Loading diffuse texture\n";
+		// TODO: reclaim arena memory
+		return nullptr;
+	}
 
 	dtex->w = t_img.width;
 	dtex->h = t_img.height;
@@ -122,19 +129,16 @@ loadModelFile(Assets* assets, const char* filename)
 			<< " , msg: " << err << "\n";
 		return nullptr;
 	}
+
 #if 0
 	dumpNodes(t_mdl);
 #endif
+
 	// NOTE: assume we're working with a single buffer
 	assert(t_mdl.buffers.size() == 1);
 	model* mdl = initModel(assets, t_mdl, filename);
 	mdl->diffuse_texture = copyDiffuseTexture(assets, t_mdl);
-
-	if (mdl->diffuse_texture == nullptr) {
-		LOG(Error) << "Error Loading diffuse texture\n";
-		// TODO: reclaim arena memory
-		return nullptr;
-	}
+	if (mdl->diffuse_texture == nullptr) return nullptr;
 
 	uint mesh_idx = 0;
 
@@ -166,12 +170,6 @@ getCachedModel(Assets* assets, u64 path_hash)
 	return nullptr;
 }
 
-util_image*
-loadTextureFile(Assets* assets, const char* filename)
-{
-	return nullptr;
-}
-
 util_image*
 getCachedTexture(Assets* assets, u64 path_hash)
 {
diff --git a/src/entity.cpp b/src/entity.cpp
index 1bece4d..0f57166 100644
--- a/src/entity.cpp
+++ b/src/entity.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 bool
 initEntity(Entity* e,
+	GLContext* gl_ctx,
 	MemoryArena* arena,
 	model* mdl,
 	u32 num_attrib_mappings,
@@ -17,11 +18,19 @@ initEntity(Entity* e,
 	e->xform = ARENA_ALLOC(arena, glm::mat4, 1);
 	*e->xform = glm::mat4(1.f);
 	e->name = arenaCopyCStr(arena, name);
+	e->diffuse_texture = getGLTexture(gl_ctx, mdl->diffuse_texture);
+
+	if (!e->diffuse_texture)
+		return false;
 
 	for (u32 i = 0; i< e->num_meshes; i++) {
 		GLmesh* glm = &e->meshes[i];
-		*glm = loadGLMesh(mdl->meshes[i], GL_TRIANGLES, glm::vec3(0, 0, 0),
-				num_attrib_mappings, attrib_mappings);
+		*glm = loadGLMesh(mdl->meshes[i],
+					GL_TRIANGLES,
+					e->diffuse_texture->id,
+					glm::vec3(0, 0, 0),
+					num_attrib_mappings,
+					attrib_mappings);
 
 		if (glm->vao_id == 0) {
 			printf("%s(), error initializing entity\n", __FUNCTION__);
diff --git a/src/entity.h b/src/entity.h
index e7a1bf0..a13793b 100644
--- a/src/entity.h
+++ b/src/entity.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ struct Entity
 
 
 bool initEntity(Entity* e,
+	GLContext* gl_ctx,
 	MemoryArena* arena,
 	model* mdl,
 	u32 num_attrib_mappings,
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 3a6ae8b..1cc5680 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -279,9 +279,8 @@ loadScene(RenderState* rs)
 		Entity* e = getFreeEntity(orange_cubes);
 		assert(e != nullptr);
 
-		// FIXME: check if mesh texture is cached here?
-		if (!initEntity(e, rs->rg_arena, tex_cube, 2, attrib_mappings,
-						"debug_box"))
+		if (!initEntity(e, rs->gl_ctx, rs->rg_arena, tex_cube,
+					2, attrib_mappings, "debug_box"))
 		{
 			// FIXME: this doesn't actually do anything
 			freeRenderGroup(orange_cubes, rs->rg_arena);
@@ -299,7 +298,8 @@ loadScene(RenderState* rs)
 	assert(e != nullptr);
 	// FIXME: this a bug, we're reusing the attrib_mappings from the debug
 	// 	shader for the default shader, which could have different attributes
-	initEntity(e, rs->rg_arena, tex_cube, 2, attrib_mappings, "orange_box");
+	initEntity(e, rs->gl_ctx, rs->rg_arena, tex_cube,
+			2, attrib_mappings, "orange_box");
 
 	return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/shader.cpp b/src/shader.cpp
index 0660be7..3c39fd0 100644
--- a/src/shader.cpp
+++ b/src/shader.cpp
@@ -27,33 +27,12 @@ bool compileAndLinkShader(shader_program* shader,
 	GLuint& vs_id,
 	GLuint& fs_id);
 u32 getGLTypeSize(GLenum e);
+GLTexture* getFreeGLTexture(GLContext* gl_ctx);
+bool loadGLTexture(util_image* image, GLuint& tex_id);
 
 
 // NOTE: interface
 
-shader_program*
-getFreeShader(GLContext* gl_ctx)
-{
-	if (gl_ctx->num_shaders >= gl_ctx->max_shaders) {
-		printf("%s(), GLContext->shaders full\n", __FUNCTION__);
-		return nullptr;
-	}
-
-	shader_program* s = &gl_ctx->shaders[gl_ctx->num_shaders++];
-	return s;
-}
-
-shader_program*
-getShaderByHash(GLContext* gl_ctx, u64 hash)
-{
-	for (u32 i; i < gl_ctx->num_shaders; i++) {
-		if (gl_ctx->shaders[i].hash == hash)
-			return &gl_ctx->shaders[i];
-	}
-
-	return nullptr;
-}
-
 bool
 addShaderProgram(MemoryArena* arena,
 	GLContext* gl_ctx,
@@ -103,6 +82,29 @@ addShaderProgram(MemoryArena* arena,
 	return false;
 }
 
+shader_program*
+getFreeShader(GLContext* gl_ctx)
+{
+	if (gl_ctx->num_shaders >= gl_ctx->max_shaders) {
+		printf("%s(), GLContext->shaders full\n", __FUNCTION__);
+		return nullptr;
+	}
+
+	shader_program* s = &gl_ctx->shaders[gl_ctx->num_shaders++];
+	return s;
+}
+
+shader_program*
+getShaderByHash(GLContext* gl_ctx, u64 hash)
+{
+	for (u32 i; i < gl_ctx->num_shaders; i++) {
+		if (gl_ctx->shaders[i].hash == hash)
+			return &gl_ctx->shaders[i];
+	}
+
+	return nullptr;
+}
+
 shader_program*
 getShaderByName(const char* name, GLContext* gl_ctx)
 {
@@ -130,6 +132,33 @@ getShaderByID(GLContext* gl_ctx, GLuint prog_id)
 	return nullptr;
 }
 
+GLTexture*
+getGLTexture(GLContext* gl_ctx, util_image* diffuse_img)
+{
+	u64 fp_hash = utilFNV64a_str(diffuse_img->file_path);
+
+	for (u32 i = 0; i < gl_ctx->num_textures; i++) {
+		GLTexture* glt = &gl_ctx->textures[i];
+
+		if (glt->filepath_hash == fp_hash)
+			return glt;
+	}
+
+	GLTexture* glt = getFreeGLTexture(gl_ctx);
+	if (!glt) return nullptr;
+
+	glt->pixel_format = (diffuse_img->num_channels == 3) ? GL_RGB : GL_RGBA;
+	glt->width = diffuse_img->w;
+	glt->height = diffuse_img->h;
+	glt->filepath_hash = diffuse_img->filepath_hash;
+
+	if (loadGLTexture(diffuse_img, glt->id))
+		return glt;
+
+	printf("%s(), Error, unable to load texture\n", __FUNCTION__);
+	return nullptr;
+}
+
 void
 renderVAO(GLmesh* glmesh, glm::mat4* model_xform, shader_program* shader)
 {
@@ -211,28 +240,12 @@ initGLAttribBuffer(gl_buffer* buf, GLenum target, GLVertexAttrib* attrib)
 	buf->name = utilAllocateCStr(attrib->name);
 }
 
-// FIXME: WIP
-bool
-initGLTexture(const util_image image, GLuint& tex_id)
-{
-	glGenTextures(1, &tex_id);
-	glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, tex_id);
-	glPixelStorei(GL_UNPACK_ROW_LENGTH, 0);
-	GLenum pixel_format = (image.num_channels == 3) ? GL_RGB : GL_RGBA;
-	glTexImage2D(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, pixel_format, image.w, image.h, 0,
-				pixel_format, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, image.pixels);
-	glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER, GL_NEAREST);
-	glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_NEAREST);
-
-	return (glGetError() == GL_NO_ERROR);
-}
-// FIXME: WIP
-
 // FIXME: might as well pass in pointer to GLmesh, since that's how we're
 // 	going to use this, can void copying GLmesh twice that way
 GLmesh
 loadGLMesh(const mesh& m,
 	GLenum draw_mode,
+	GLuint diffuse_texture_id,
 	const glm::vec3& pos,
 	u32 num_mappings,
 	GLBufferToAttribMapping mappings[])
@@ -240,6 +253,7 @@ loadGLMesh(const mesh& m,
 	// NOTE: need to use freeGLMesh() when freeing because we're not storing
 	// 	the gl_buffers on a memory arean (yet)
 	GLmesh glm = initGLmesh(m, num_mappings, draw_mode, pos);
+	glm.tex_id = diffuse_texture_id;
 	glGenVertexArrays(1, &glm.vao_id);
 	glBindVertexArray(glm.vao_id);
 
@@ -293,6 +307,31 @@ freeGLMesh(GLmesh* glm)
 
 // NOTE: internal
 
+GLTexture*
+getFreeGLTexture(GLContext* gl_ctx)
+{
+	if (gl_ctx->num_textures < gl_ctx->max_textures)
+		return &gl_ctx->textures[gl_ctx->num_textures++];
+
+	printf("%s(), no free textures\n", __FUNCTION__);
+	return nullptr;
+}
+
+bool
+loadGLTexture(util_image* image, GLuint& tex_id)
+{
+	glGenTextures(1, &tex_id);
+	glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, tex_id);
+	glPixelStorei(GL_UNPACK_ROW_LENGTH, 0);
+	GLenum pixel_format = (image->num_channels == 3) ? GL_RGB : GL_RGBA;
+	glTexImage2D(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, pixel_format, image->w, image->h, 0,
+				pixel_format, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, image->pixels);
+	glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER, GL_NEAREST);
+	glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_NEAREST);
+
+	return (glGetError() == GL_NO_ERROR);
+}
+
 bool
 compileAndLinkShader(shader_program* shader,
 	const char* vert_src,
diff --git a/src/shader.h b/src/shader.h
index ce8daee..d9d19fd 100644
--- a/src/shader.h
+++ b/src/shader.h
@@ -164,10 +164,12 @@ shader_program* getShaderByName(const char* name, GLContext* gl_ctx);
 shader_program* getShaderByID(GLContext* gl_ctx, GLuint prog_id);
 shader_program* getShaderByHash(GLContext* gl_ctx, u64 hash);
 shader_program* getFreeShader(GLContext* gl_ctx);
+GLTexture* getGLTexture(GLContext* gl_ctx, util_image* diffuse_img);
 void renderVAO(GLmesh* glmesh, glm::mat4* model_xform, shader_program* shader);
 GLVertexAttrib* getVertexAttribByName(shader_program* shader, const char* name);
 GLmesh loadGLMesh(const mesh& m,
 	GLenum draw_mode,
+	GLuint diffuse_texture_id,
 	const glm::vec3& pos,
 	u32 num_mappings,
 	GLBufferToAttribMapping mappings[]);