diff --git a/android/gltfio-android/src/main/cpp/Animator.cpp b/android/gltfio-android/src/main/cpp/Animator.cpp
index eade9634de8..94cfd73e5b8 100644
--- a/android/gltfio-android/src/main/cpp/Animator.cpp
+++ b/android/gltfio-android/src/main/cpp/Animator.cpp
@@ -17,12 +17,27 @@
 #include <jni.h>
 
 #include <gltfio/Animator.h>
+#include <gltfio/FilamentInstance.h>
 
 using namespace filament;
 using namespace filament::math;
 using namespace filament::gltfio;
 using namespace utils;
 
+extern "C" JNIEXPORT jlong JNICALL
+Java_com_google_android_filament_gltfio_Animator_nCreateAnimatorFromAssetAndInstance(JNIEnv*, jclass, jlong nativeAsset, jlong nativeInstance) {
+    FilamentAsset* asset = (FilamentAsset*) nativeAsset;
+    FilamentInstance* instance = (FilamentInstance*) nativeInstance;
+    Animator* animator = new Animator(asset, instance);
+    return (jlong)animator;
+}
+
+extern "C" JNIEXPORT void JNICALL
+Java_com_google_android_filament_gltfio_Animator_nDestroyAnimator(JNIEnv*, jclass, jlong nativeAnimator) {
+    Animator* animator = (Animator*) nativeAnimator;
+    delete animator;
+}
+
 extern "C" JNIEXPORT void JNICALL
 Java_com_google_android_filament_gltfio_Animator_nApplyAnimation(JNIEnv*, jclass, jlong nativeAnimator,
         jint index, jfloat time) {
diff --git a/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/Animator.java b/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/Animator.java
index cf2e86f071a..6add0c5d611 100644
--- a/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/Animator.java
+++ b/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/Animator.java
@@ -37,11 +37,30 @@
  */
 public class Animator {
     private long mNativeObject;
+    private Boolean mIsOwner = false;
 
     Animator(long nativeObject) {
         mNativeObject = nativeObject;
     }
 
+    public Animator(FilamentAsset asset, FilamentInstance instance) {
+        mNativeObject = nCreateAnimatorFromAssetAndInstance(asset.getNativeObject(), instance.getNativeObject());
+        mIsOwner = true;
+    }
+    
+    @Override
+    public void finalize() {
+        try {
+            super.finalize();
+        } catch (Throwable t) { // Ignore
+        } finally {
+            if (mIsOwner) {
+                nDestroyAnimator(mNativeObject);
+                mNativeObject = 0;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Applies rotation, translation, and scale to entities that have been targeted by the given
      * animation definition. Uses <code>TransformManager</code>.
@@ -137,6 +156,8 @@ void clearNativeObject() {
         mNativeObject = 0;
     }
 
+    private static native long nCreateAnimatorFromAssetAndInstance(long nativeAsset, long nativeInstance);
+    private static native void nDestroyAnimator(long nativeAnimator);
     private static native void nApplyAnimation(long nativeAnimator, int index, float time);
     private static native void nUpdateBoneMatrices(long nativeAnimator);
     private static native void nApplyCrossFade(long nativeAnimator, int animIndex, float animTime, float alpha);
diff --git a/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/Animator.h b/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/Animator.h
index 199555a40d3..fda05db29fc 100644
--- a/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/Animator.h
+++ b/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/Animator.h
@@ -97,6 +97,14 @@ class UTILS_PUBLIC Animator {
     // For internal use only.
     void addInstance(FFilamentInstance* instance);
 
+    /** Creates an Animator that will use the corresponding asset and instance, 
+     * can be used to animate an instance with animation from another asset.
+     * When used, the caller is responsible for deleting it.
+     * The normal way of getting an Animator is to call FilamentInstance::getAnimator().
+     */
+    Animator(FilamentAsset *asset, FilamentInstance *instance);
+    ~Animator();
+
 private:
 
     /*! \cond PRIVATE */
@@ -106,7 +114,6 @@ class UTILS_PUBLIC Animator {
 
     // If "instance" is null, then this is the primary animator.
     Animator(FFilamentAsset const* asset, FFilamentInstance* instance);
-    ~Animator();
 
     Animator(const Animator& animator) = delete;
     Animator(Animator&& animator) = delete;
diff --git a/libs/gltfio/src/Animator.cpp b/libs/gltfio/src/Animator.cpp
index 6e53b705c60..af1cc107e51 100644
--- a/libs/gltfio/src/Animator.cpp
+++ b/libs/gltfio/src/Animator.cpp
@@ -254,6 +254,9 @@ void Animator::addInstance(FFilamentInstance* instance) {
     }
 }
 
+Animator::Animator(FilamentAsset *asset, FilamentInstance *instance) : Animator(reinterpret_cast<FFilamentAsset*>(asset), reinterpret_cast<FFilamentInstance*>(instance)) {
+}
+
 Animator::~Animator() {
     delete mImpl;
 }
@@ -437,7 +440,6 @@ void AnimatorImpl::applyAnimation(const Channel& channel, float t, size_t prevIn
     const TimeValues& times = sampler->times;
     TrsTransformManager::Instance trsNode = trsTransformManager->getInstance(channel.targetEntity);
     TransformManager::Instance node = transformManager->getInstance(channel.targetEntity);
-
     switch (channel.transformType) {
 
         case Channel::SCALE: {
@@ -561,9 +563,11 @@ void AnimatorImpl::updateBoneMatrices(FFilamentInstance* instance) {
             }
             for (size_t boneIndex = 0; boneIndex < njoints; ++boneIndex) {
                 const auto& joint = skin.joints[boneIndex];
+                assert_invariant(assetSkin.inverseBindMatrices.size() > boneIndex);
                 const mat4f& inverseBindMatrix = assetSkin.inverseBindMatrices[boneIndex];
                 TransformManager::Instance jointInstance = transformManager->getInstance(joint);
                 mat4 globalJointTransform = transformManager->getWorldTransformAccurate(jointInstance);
+                assert_invariant(boneMatrices.size() > boneIndex);
                 boneMatrices[boneIndex] =
                         mat4f{ inverseGlobalTransform * globalJointTransform } *
                         inverseBindMatrix;