diff --git a/src/core/renderer/tiles/optimizedTraverseFunctions.js b/src/core/renderer/tiles/optimizedTraverseFunctions.js
index 1725e8830..aa11830d2 100644
--- a/src/core/renderer/tiles/optimizedTraverseFunctions.js
+++ b/src/core/renderer/tiles/optimizedTraverseFunctions.js
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ function toggleTiles( tile, renderer ) {
 
 			}
 
-		} else {
+		} else if ( tile.internal.hasContent ) {
 
 			tile.traversal.active = false;
 
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ function toggleTiles( tile, renderer ) {
 		}
 
 		// if the tile is loaded and in frustum we can mark it as visible
-		tile.traversal.visible = tile.internal.hasRenderableContent && tile.traversal.active && tile.traversal.inFrustum && tile.internal.loadingState === LOADED;
+		tile.traversal.visible = tile.traversal.active && tile.traversal.inFrustum && ( tile.internal.hasRenderableContent && tile.internal.loadingState === LOADED || ! tile.internal.hasContent );
 		renderer.stats.used ++;
 
 		if ( tile.traversal.inFrustum ) {
@@ -488,7 +488,8 @@ function toggleTiles( tile, renderer ) {
 		}
 
 		// If the active or visible state changed then call the functions.
-		if ( tile.internal.hasRenderableContent && tile.internal.loadingState === LOADED ) {
+		// Fire for tiles with loaded renderable content, or for empty tiles (no content at all).
+		if ( ( tile.internal.hasRenderableContent && tile.internal.loadingState === LOADED ) || ! tile.internal.hasContent ) {
 
 			if ( tile.traversal.wasSetActive !== setActive ) {
 
diff --git a/src/core/renderer/tiles/traverseFunctions.js b/src/core/renderer/tiles/traverseFunctions.js
index 8283d815b..38107090d 100644
--- a/src/core/renderer/tiles/traverseFunctions.js
+++ b/src/core/renderer/tiles/traverseFunctions.js
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ function markVisibleTiles( tile, renderer ) {
 	// Request the tile contents or mark it as visible if we've found a leaf.
 	if ( tile.traversal.isLeaf ) {
 
-		if ( tile.internal.loadingState === LOADED ) {
+		if ( tile.internal.loadingState === LOADED || ! tile.internal.hasContent ) {
 
 			if ( tile.traversal.inFrustum ) {
 
@@ -449,7 +449,8 @@ function toggleTiles( tile, renderer ) {
 		}
 
 		// If the active or visible state changed then call the functions.
-		if ( tile.internal.hasRenderableContent && tile.internal.loadingState === LOADED ) {
+		// Fire for tiles with loaded renderable content, or for empty tiles (no content at all).
+		if ( ( tile.internal.hasRenderableContent && tile.internal.loadingState === LOADED ) || ! tile.internal.hasContent ) {
 
 			if ( tile.traversal.wasSetActive !== setActive ) {
 
diff --git a/src/three/plugins/DebugTilesPlugin.js b/src/three/plugins/DebugTilesPlugin.js
index 66e9c9915..84b0d914d 100644
--- a/src/three/plugins/DebugTilesPlugin.js
+++ b/src/three/plugins/DebugTilesPlugin.js
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ export class DebugTilesPlugin {
 
 		};
 
-		this._onTileVisibilityChangeCB = ( { scene, tile, visible } ) => {
+		this._onTileVisibilityChangeCB = ( { tile, visible } ) => {
 
 			this._onTileVisibilityChange( tile, visible );
 
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ export class DebugTilesPlugin {
 
 			if ( result ) {
 
-				return true;
+				return;
 
 			}
 
@@ -647,7 +647,12 @@ export class DebugTilesPlugin {
 		// update tile materials
 		visibleTiles.forEach( tile => {
 
-			const scene = tile.engineData.scene;
+			const { scene } = tile.engineData;
+			if ( ! scene ) {
+
+				return;
+
+			}
 
 			// create a random color per-tile
 			let h, s, l;
diff --git a/src/three/plugins/TileFlatteningPlugin.js b/src/three/plugins/TileFlatteningPlugin.js
index 396da98f4..570284de5 100644
--- a/src/three/plugins/TileFlatteningPlugin.js
+++ b/src/three/plugins/TileFlatteningPlugin.js
@@ -97,9 +97,15 @@ export class TileFlatteningPlugin {
 	_updateTile( tile ) {
 
 		const { positionsUpdated, positionsMap, shapes, tiles } = this;
+		const { scene } = tile.engineData;
 		positionsUpdated.add( tile );
 
-		const scene = tile.engineData.scene;
+		if ( ! scene ) {
+
+			return;
+
+		}
+
 		if ( ! positionsMap.has( tile ) ) {
 
 			// save the geometry positions for resetting after
@@ -222,7 +228,6 @@ export class TileFlatteningPlugin {
 
 		} );
 
-
 		this.tiles.dispatchEvent( { type: 'needs-render' } );
 
 	}
diff --git a/src/three/plugins/batched/BatchedTilesPlugin.js b/src/three/plugins/batched/BatchedTilesPlugin.js
index 7591a75f4..c5ef02a90 100644
--- a/src/three/plugins/batched/BatchedTilesPlugin.js
+++ b/src/three/plugins/batched/BatchedTilesPlugin.js
@@ -169,6 +169,12 @@ export class BatchedTilesPlugin {
 	setTileVisible( tile, visible ) {
 
 		const scene = tile.engineData.scene;
+		if ( ! scene ) {
+
+			return false;
+
+		}
+
 		if ( visible ) {
 
 			// Add tileset to the batched mesh if it hasn't been added already
diff --git a/src/three/plugins/fade/TilesFadePlugin.js b/src/three/plugins/fade/TilesFadePlugin.js
index 09889bbd5..7ae904cbc 100644
--- a/src/three/plugins/fade/TilesFadePlugin.js
+++ b/src/three/plugins/fade/TilesFadePlugin.js
@@ -399,6 +399,12 @@ export class TilesFadePlugin {
 	// callback for fading to prevent tiles from being removed until the fade effect has completed
 	setTileVisible( tile, visible ) {
 
+		if ( ! tile.engineData.scene ) {
+
+			return false;
+
+		}
+
 		const fadeManager = this._fadeManager;
 
 		// track the fade state
diff --git a/src/three/renderer/tiles/raycastTraverse.js b/src/three/renderer/tiles/raycastTraverse.js
index ef49cd5a4..2e2003360 100644
--- a/src/three/renderer/tiles/raycastTraverse.js
+++ b/src/three/renderer/tiles/raycastTraverse.js
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ function distanceSort( a, b ) {
 function intersectTileScene( tile, raycaster, renderer, intersects ) {
 
 	const { scene } = tile.engineData;
+	if ( ! scene ) {
+
+		return;
+
+	}
+
 	const didRaycast = renderer.invokeOnePlugin( plugin => plugin.raycastTile && plugin.raycastTile( tile, scene, raycaster, intersects ) );
 	if ( ! didRaycast ) {