diff --git a/crates/viewer/re_renderer/src/importer/stl.rs b/crates/viewer/re_renderer/src/importer/stl.rs
index deca0e7a2ebd..51cd42c4f669 100644
--- a/crates/viewer/re_renderer/src/importer/stl.rs
+++ b/crates/viewer/re_renderer/src/importer/stl.rs
@@ -2,10 +2,7 @@ use itertools::Itertools;
 use smallvec::smallvec;
 use tinystl::StlData;
 
-use crate::{
-    mesh::{self},
-    CpuModel, RenderContext,
-};
+use crate::{mesh, CpuModel, RenderContext};
 
 #[derive(thiserror::Error, Debug)]
 pub enum StlImportError {
diff --git a/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/framework.rs b/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/framework.rs
index c0fd2433c92e..751565ad619c 100644
--- a/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/framework.rs
+++ b/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/framework.rs
@@ -326,16 +326,18 @@ impl<E: Example + 'static> Application<E> {
 }
 
 #[allow(dead_code)]
-pub fn load_rerun_mesh(re_ctx: &RenderContext) -> Vec<re_renderer::renderer::GpuMeshInstance> {
+pub fn load_rerun_mesh(
+    re_ctx: &RenderContext,
+) -> anyhow::Result<Vec<re_renderer::renderer::GpuMeshInstance>> {
     let reader = std::io::Cursor::new(include_bytes!("../../../tests/assets/rerun.obj.zip"));
-    let mut zip = zip::ZipArchive::new(reader).unwrap();
-    let mut zipped_obj = zip.by_name("rerun.obj").unwrap();
+    let mut zip = zip::ZipArchive::new(reader)?;
+    let mut zipped_obj = zip.by_name("rerun.obj")?;
     let mut obj_data = Vec::new();
-    std::io::Read::read_to_end(&mut zipped_obj, &mut obj_data).unwrap();
-    re_renderer::importer::obj::load_obj_from_buffer(&obj_data, re_ctx)
-        .unwrap()
-        .into_gpu_meshes(re_ctx)
-        .unwrap()
+    std::io::Read::read_to_end(&mut zipped_obj, &mut obj_data)?;
+    Ok(
+        re_renderer::importer::obj::load_obj_from_buffer(&obj_data, re_ctx)?
+            .into_gpu_meshes(re_ctx)?,
+    )
 }
 
 struct WrapApp<E: Example + 'static> {
diff --git a/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/multiview.rs b/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/multiview.rs
index fe19c9abb712..af74feb01fc0 100644
--- a/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/multiview.rs
+++ b/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/multiview.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ use re_math::IsoTransform;
 
 use re_renderer::{
     renderer::{
-        GenericSkyboxDrawData, LineDrawData, LineStripFlags, MeshDrawData, GpuMeshInstance,
+        GenericSkyboxDrawData, GpuMeshInstance, LineDrawData, LineStripFlags, MeshDrawData,
         TestTriangleDrawData,
     },
     view_builder::{OrthographicCameraMode, Projection, TargetConfiguration, ViewBuilder},
@@ -276,7 +276,8 @@ impl Example for Multiview {
             .map(|_| random_color(&mut rnd))
             .collect_vec();
 
-        let model_mesh_instances = crate::framework::load_rerun_mesh(re_ctx);
+        let model_mesh_instances =
+            crate::framework::load_rerun_mesh(re_ctx).expect("Failed to load rerun mesh");
 
         let mesh_instance_positions_and_colors = lorenz_points(10.0)
             .iter()
diff --git a/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/outlines.rs b/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/outlines.rs
index c640d70d398b..9df0fab6fbbf 100644
--- a/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/outlines.rs
+++ b/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/outlines.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ impl framework::Example for Outlines {
         Self {
             is_paused: false,
             seconds_since_startup: 0.0,
-            model_mesh_instances: crate::framework::load_rerun_mesh(re_ctx),
+            model_mesh_instances: crate::framework::load_rerun_mesh(re_ctx)
+                .expect("Failed to load rerun mesh"),
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/picking.rs b/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/picking.rs
index ea06f9b7e4da..af5ab17de139 100644
--- a/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/picking.rs
+++ b/crates/viewer/re_renderer_examples/picking.rs
@@ -86,7 +86,8 @@ impl framework::Example for Picking {
             })
             .collect_vec();
 
-        let model_mesh_instances = crate::framework::load_rerun_mesh(re_ctx);
+        let model_mesh_instances =
+            crate::framework::load_rerun_mesh(re_ctx).expect("Failed to load rerun mesh");
 
         Self {
             point_sets,