diff --git a/engine/src/blender/com/jme3/scene/plugins/blender/animations/ArmatureHelper.java b/engine/src/blender/com/jme3/scene/plugins/blender/animations/ArmatureHelper.java
index a0112aba6..2775fb21a 100644
--- a/engine/src/blender/com/jme3/scene/plugins/blender/animations/ArmatureHelper.java
+++ b/engine/src/blender/com/jme3/scene/plugins/blender/animations/ArmatureHelper.java
@@ -31,17 +31,6 @@
  */
 package com.jme3.scene.plugins.blender.animations;
 
-import com.jme3.animation.Bone;
-import com.jme3.animation.BoneTrack;
-import com.jme3.animation.Skeleton;
-import com.jme3.math.Matrix4f;
-import com.jme3.scene.Spatial;
-import com.jme3.scene.plugins.blender.AbstractBlenderHelper;
-import com.jme3.scene.plugins.blender.BlenderContext;
-import com.jme3.scene.plugins.blender.curves.BezierCurve;
-import com.jme3.scene.plugins.blender.exceptions.BlenderFileException;
-import com.jme3.scene.plugins.blender.file.Pointer;
-import com.jme3.scene.plugins.blender.file.Structure;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -49,6 +38,17 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 
+import com.jme3.animation.Bone;
+import com.jme3.animation.BoneTrack;
+import com.jme3.animation.Skeleton;
+import com.jme3.math.Matrix4f;
+import com.jme3.scene.plugins.blender.AbstractBlenderHelper;
+import com.jme3.scene.plugins.blender.BlenderContext;
+import com.jme3.scene.plugins.blender.curves.BezierCurve;
+import com.jme3.scene.plugins.blender.exceptions.BlenderFileException;
+import com.jme3.scene.plugins.blender.file.Pointer;
+import com.jme3.scene.plugins.blender.file.Structure;
+
 /**
  * This class defines the methods to calculate certain aspects of animation and
  * armature functionalities.
diff --git a/engine/src/blender/com/jme3/scene/plugins/blender/modifiers/ArmatureModifier.java b/engine/src/blender/com/jme3/scene/plugins/blender/modifiers/ArmatureModifier.java
index c6c8f1e1e..a69103f6b 100644
--- a/engine/src/blender/com/jme3/scene/plugins/blender/modifiers/ArmatureModifier.java
+++ b/engine/src/blender/com/jme3/scene/plugins/blender/modifiers/ArmatureModifier.java
@@ -314,9 +314,10 @@ import com.jme3.util.BufferUtils;
                         List<Structure> dw = pDW.fetchData(blenderContext.getInputStream());
                         for (Structure deformWeight : dw) {
                             Integer boneIndex = groupToBoneIndexMap.get(((Number) deformWeight.getFieldValue("def_nr")).intValue());
-                            // null here means that we came accross group that has no bone attached to
-                            if (boneIndex != null) {
-                                float weight = ((Number) deformWeight.getFieldValue("weight")).floatValue();
+                            float weight = ((Number) deformWeight.getFieldValue("weight")).floatValue();
+                            // boneIndex == null: it here means that we came accross group that has no bone attached to, so simply ignore it
+                            // if weight == 0 and weightIndex == 0 then ignore the weight (do not set weight = 0 as a first weight)
+                            if (boneIndex != null && (weight > 0.0f || weightIndex > 0)) {
                                 if (weightIndex < MAXIMUM_WEIGHTS_PER_VERTEX) {
                                     if (weight == 0.0f) {
                                         boneIndex = Integer.valueOf(0);
@@ -341,8 +342,8 @@ import com.jme3.util.BufferUtils;
                                         weightToIndexMap.put(weight, lowestWeightAndIndex.getValue());
                                     }
                                 }
+                                ++weightIndex;
                             }
-                            ++weightIndex;
                         }
                     } else {
                         // 0.0 weight indicates, do not transform this vertex, but keep it in bind pose.