diff --git a/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/animation/SkeletonControl.java b/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/animation/SkeletonControl.java
index 4cefd721c..8e31f4d9d 100644
--- a/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/animation/SkeletonControl.java
+++ b/jme3-core/src/main/java/com/jme3/animation/SkeletonControl.java
@@ -35,21 +35,20 @@ import com.jme3.export.*;
 import com.jme3.material.MatParamOverride;
 import com.jme3.math.FastMath;
 import com.jme3.math.Matrix4f;
-import com.jme3.renderer.RenderManager;
-import com.jme3.renderer.RendererException;
-import com.jme3.renderer.ViewPort;
+import com.jme3.renderer.*;
 import com.jme3.scene.*;
 import com.jme3.scene.VertexBuffer.Type;
 import com.jme3.scene.control.AbstractControl;
 import com.jme3.scene.control.Control;
 import com.jme3.scene.mesh.IndexBuffer;
 import com.jme3.shader.VarType;
-import com.jme3.util.*;
+import com.jme3.util.SafeArrayList;
+import com.jme3.util.TempVars;
 import com.jme3.util.clone.Cloner;
 import com.jme3.util.clone.JmeCloneable;
+
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.Buffer;
-import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
 import java.nio.FloatBuffer;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
@@ -145,6 +144,12 @@ public class SkeletonControl extends AbstractControl implements Cloneable, JmeCl
     }
 
     private boolean testHardwareSupported(RenderManager rm) {
+
+        //Only 255 bones max supported with hardware skinning
+        if (skeleton.getBoneCount() > 255) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
         switchToHardware();
         
         try {