diff --git a/src/assets/assetLoaderTypes/AssetLoaderTypeMesh.js b/src/assets/assetLoaderTypes/AssetLoaderTypeMesh.js
index a45ebf91..215a38aa 100644
--- a/src/assets/assetLoaderTypes/AssetLoaderTypeMesh.js
+++ b/src/assets/assetLoaderTypes/AssetLoaderTypeMesh.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export class AssetLoaderTypeMesh extends AssetLoaderType {
 					assertInstanceType: VertexState,
 				},
 			});
-			mesh.setVertexState(vertexState);
+			mesh.setVertexState(vertexState, { deleteUnusedBuffers: true });
 		}
 
 		const indexFormat = decomposer.getUint8();
diff --git a/src/core/Mesh.js b/src/core/Mesh.js
index 1fb90b21..4c0c3033 100644
--- a/src/core/Mesh.js
+++ b/src/core/Mesh.js
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ export class Mesh {
 	/**
 	 * @param {InternalMeshAttributeBuffer} attributeBuffer
 	 */
-	copyAttributeBufferData(attributeBuffer) {
+	copyAttributeBufferData(attributeBuffer, allowUnusedBufferCreation = true) {
 		// todo: there's probably still some performance that can be gained here
 		// currently it's decomposing the buffer into vectors and turning
 		// it back into a buffer, if the buffer doesn't need to be changed it
@@ -355,12 +355,24 @@ export class Mesh {
 				// TODO: handle converting attribute data when the attribute type is not specified
 				continue;
 			}
-			const array = Array.from(attributeBuffer.getVertexData(attribute.attributeType));
-			const castArray = /** @type {number[] | import("../math/Vec2.js").Vec2[] | import("../math/Vec3.js").Vec3[]} */ (array);
-			this.setVertexData(attribute.attributeType, castArray, {
+
+			/** @type {UnusedAttributeBufferOptions<any>} */
+			const opts = {
 				unusedFormat: attribute.format,
 				unusedComponentCount: attribute.componentCount,
-			});
+			};
+
+			if (!allowUnusedBufferCreation) {
+				const existingBuffer = this.#getInternalAttributeBuffer(attribute.attributeType, {
+					...opts,
+					createUnused: false,
+				});
+				if (!existingBuffer) continue;
+			}
+
+			const array = Array.from(attributeBuffer.getVertexData(attribute.attributeType));
+			const castArray = /** @type {number[] | import("../math/Vec2.js").Vec2[] | import("../math/Vec3.js").Vec3[]} */ (array);
+			this.setVertexData(attribute.attributeType, castArray, opts);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -453,8 +465,13 @@ export class Mesh {
 	 * This means that old references obtained via {@linkcode getAttributeBufferForType}
 	 * will no longer be part of this mesh. Only when the format stays the same, will old references be reused.
 	 * @param {import("../rendering/VertexState.js").VertexState?} vertexState
+	 * @param {object} [options]
+	 * @param {boolean} [options.deleteUnusedBuffers] Defaults to true, deletes all old buffers that are not present in
+	 * the provided vertexState.
 	 */
-	setVertexState(vertexState) {
+	setVertexState(vertexState, {
+		deleteUnusedBuffers = true,
+	} = {}) {
 		if (vertexState == this.#vertexState) return;
 		this.#vertexState = vertexState;
 
@@ -504,7 +521,7 @@ export class Mesh {
 		}
 
 		for (const buffer of buffersNeedingCopy) {
-			this.copyAttributeBufferData(buffer);
+			this.copyAttributeBufferData(buffer, !deleteUnusedBuffers);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/unit/src/core/Mesh/Mesh.test.js b/test/unit/src/core/Mesh/Mesh.test.js
index 7eba6a1c..37ef7e0f 100644
--- a/test/unit/src/core/Mesh/Mesh.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/src/core/Mesh/Mesh.test.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { assertEquals, assertExists, assertNotStrictEquals, assertStrictEquals, assertThrows } from "std/testing/asserts.ts";
 import { Mesh, Vec2, Vec3, Vec4 } from "../../../../../src/mod.js";
-import { FakeVertexState, mockVertexStateColor, mockVertexStateSingleAttribute, mockVertexStateSingleAttributeSameFormat, mockVertexStateTwoAttributes, mockVertexStateUv } from "./shared.js";
+import { FakeVertexState, mockVertexStateColor, mockVertexStateSingleAttribute, mockVertexStateSingleAttributeSameFormat, mockVertexStateTwoAttributes, mockVertexStateTwoBuffers, mockVertexStateUv } from "./shared.js";
 import { assertVecAlmostEquals } from "../../../../../src/util/asserts.js";
 
 Deno.test({
@@ -543,6 +543,79 @@ Deno.test({
 		assertEquals(result2.isUnused, true);
 		assertEquals(Array.from(mesh.getAttributeBuffers()).length, 2);
 
+		mesh.setVertexState(mockVertexStateTwoAttributes, { deleteUnusedBuffers: false });
+
+		assertEquals(Array.from(mesh.getAttributeBuffers()).length, 1);
+
+		const positions = Array.from(mesh.getVertexData(Mesh.AttributeType.POSITION));
+		assertEquals(positions.length, 2);
+		assertVecAlmostEquals(positions[0], [1, 2, 3]);
+		assertVecAlmostEquals(positions[1], [4, 5, 6]);
+
+		const normals = Array.from(mesh.getVertexData(Mesh.AttributeType.NORMAL));
+		assertEquals(normals.length, 2);
+		assertVecAlmostEquals(normals[0], [1, 2, 3]);
+		assertVecAlmostEquals(normals[1], [4, 5, 6]);
+	},
+});
+
+Deno.test({
+	name: "setVertexState() deletes old unused buffers by default.",
+	fn() {
+		const mesh = new Mesh();
+		mesh.setVertexState(mockVertexStateTwoBuffers);
+		mesh.setVertexCount(2);
+		mesh.setVertexData(Mesh.AttributeType.POSITION, [
+			new Vec3(1, 2, 3),
+			new Vec3(4, 5, 6),
+		]);
+		mesh.setVertexData(Mesh.AttributeType.NORMAL, [
+			new Vec3(1, 2, 3),
+			new Vec3(4, 5, 6),
+		]);
+
+		const result1 = mesh.getAttributeBufferForType(Mesh.AttributeType.POSITION);
+		assertExists(result1);
+		assertEquals(result1.isUnused, false);
+		const result2 = mesh.getAttributeBufferForType(Mesh.AttributeType.NORMAL);
+		assertExists(result2);
+		assertEquals(result2.isUnused, false);
+		assertEquals(Array.from(mesh.getAttributeBuffers()).length, 2);
+
+		mesh.setVertexState(mockVertexStateSingleAttribute);
+
+		assertEquals(Array.from(mesh.getAttributeBuffers()).length, 1);
+
+		const positions = Array.from(mesh.getVertexData(Mesh.AttributeType.POSITION));
+		assertEquals(positions.length, 2);
+		assertVecAlmostEquals(positions[0], [1, 2, 3]);
+		assertVecAlmostEquals(positions[1], [4, 5, 6]);
+	},
+});
+
+Deno.test({
+	name: "setVertexState() converts two separate buffers into a single interleaved one.",
+	fn() {
+		const mesh = new Mesh();
+		mesh.setVertexState(mockVertexStateTwoBuffers);
+		mesh.setVertexCount(2);
+		mesh.setVertexData(Mesh.AttributeType.POSITION, [
+			new Vec3(1, 2, 3),
+			new Vec3(4, 5, 6),
+		]);
+		mesh.setVertexData(Mesh.AttributeType.NORMAL, [
+			new Vec3(1, 2, 3),
+			new Vec3(4, 5, 6),
+		]);
+
+		const result1 = mesh.getAttributeBufferForType(Mesh.AttributeType.POSITION);
+		assertExists(result1);
+		assertEquals(result1.isUnused, false);
+		const result2 = mesh.getAttributeBufferForType(Mesh.AttributeType.NORMAL);
+		assertExists(result2);
+		assertEquals(result2.isUnused, false);
+		assertEquals(Array.from(mesh.getAttributeBuffers()).length, 2);
+
 		mesh.setVertexState(mockVertexStateTwoAttributes);
 
 		assertEquals(Array.from(mesh.getAttributeBuffers()).length, 1);
diff --git a/test/unit/src/core/Mesh/shared.js b/test/unit/src/core/Mesh/shared.js
index 4d6b0b07..fb846293 100644
--- a/test/unit/src/core/Mesh/shared.js
+++ b/test/unit/src/core/Mesh/shared.js
@@ -101,3 +101,32 @@ export const mockVertexStateColor = /** @type {import("../../../../../src/mod.js
 		]),
 	},
 ]));
+
+export const mockVertexStateTwoBuffers = /** @type {import("../../../../../src/mod.js").VertexState} */ (new FakeVertexState([
+	{
+		attributes: new Map([
+			[
+				Mesh.AttributeType.POSITION,
+				{
+					attributeType: Mesh.AttributeType.POSITION,
+					offset: 0,
+					format: Mesh.AttributeFormat.FLOAT32,
+					componentCount: 3,
+				},
+			],
+		]),
+	},
+	{
+		attributes: new Map([
+			[
+				Mesh.AttributeType.NORMAL,
+				{
+					attributeType: Mesh.AttributeType.NORMAL,
+					offset: 12,
+					format: Mesh.AttributeFormat.FLOAT32,
+					componentCount: 3,
+				},
+			],
+		]),
+	},
+]));