diff --git a/src/hdskins/java/com/voxelmodpack/hdskins/HDSkinManager.java b/src/hdskins/java/com/voxelmodpack/hdskins/HDSkinManager.java
index 4d902abf..b21b8e8c 100644
--- a/src/hdskins/java/com/voxelmodpack/hdskins/HDSkinManager.java
+++ b/src/hdskins/java/com/voxelmodpack/hdskins/HDSkinManager.java
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ public final class HDSkinManager implements IResourceManagerReloadListener {
                 metadata = new HashMap<>();
             } else if (metadata.containsKey("model")) {
                 // try to reset the model.
-                metadata.put("model", metadata.get("model").contains("slim") ? "slim" : "default");
+                metadata.put("model", VanillaModels.of(metadata.get("model")));
             }
 
             for (ISkinParser parser : skinParsers) {
diff --git a/src/hdskins/java/com/voxelmodpack/hdskins/VanillaModels.java b/src/hdskins/java/com/voxelmodpack/hdskins/VanillaModels.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3595381a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hdskins/java/com/voxelmodpack/hdskins/VanillaModels.java
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+package com.voxelmodpack.hdskins;
+
+public class VanillaModels {
+    public static final String SLIM = "slim";
+    public static final String DEFAULT = "default";
+
+    public static String of(String model) {
+        return model != null && model.contains(SLIM) ? SLIM : DEFAULT;
+    }
+
+    public static String nonNull(String model) {
+        return model == null ? DEFAULT : SLIM;
+    }
+
+    public static boolean isSlim(String model) {
+        return SLIM.equals(model);
+    }
+
+    public static boolean isFat(String model) {
+        return DEFAULT.equals(model);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/hdskins/java/com/voxelmodpack/hdskins/gui/GuiSkins.java b/src/hdskins/java/com/voxelmodpack/hdskins/gui/GuiSkins.java
index 8ec65c1e..615572ce 100644
--- a/src/hdskins/java/com/voxelmodpack/hdskins/gui/GuiSkins.java
+++ b/src/hdskins/java/com/voxelmodpack/hdskins/gui/GuiSkins.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import com.voxelmodpack.hdskins.HDSkinManager;
 import com.voxelmodpack.hdskins.SkinChooser;
 import com.voxelmodpack.hdskins.SkinUploader;
 import com.voxelmodpack.hdskins.SkinUploader.ISkinUploadHandler;
+import com.voxelmodpack.hdskins.VanillaModels;
 import com.voxelmodpack.hdskins.server.SkinServer;
 import com.voxelmodpack.hdskins.upload.GLWindow;
 import com.voxelmodpack.hdskins.util.CallableFutures;
@@ -173,15 +174,15 @@ public class GuiSkins extends GameGui implements ISkinUploadHandler {
         addButton(new Button(width / 2 - 50, height - 25, 100, 20, "hdskins.options.close", sender ->
                     mc.displayGuiScreen(new GuiMainMenu())));
 
-        addButton(btnModeSteve = new FeatureSwitch(width - 25, 32, sender -> switchSkinMode("default")))
+        addButton(btnModeSteve = new FeatureSwitch(width - 25, 32, sender -> switchSkinMode(VanillaModels.DEFAULT)))
                 .setIcon(new ItemStack(Items.LEATHER_LEGGINGS), 0x3c5dcb)
-                .setEnabled("slim".equals(uploader.getMetadataField("model")))
+                .setEnabled(VanillaModels.isSlim(uploader.getMetadataField("model")))
                 .setTooltip("hdskins.mode.steve")
                 .setTooltipOffset(0, 10);
 
-        addButton(btnModeAlex = new FeatureSwitch(width - 25, 51, sender -> switchSkinMode("slim")))
+        addButton(btnModeAlex = new FeatureSwitch(width - 25, 51, sender -> switchSkinMode(VanillaModels.SLIM)))
                 .setIcon(new ItemStack(Items.LEATHER_LEGGINGS), 0xfff500)
-                .setEnabled("default".equals(uploader.getMetadataField("model")))
+                .setEnabled(VanillaModels.isFat(uploader.getMetadataField("model")))
                 .setTooltip("hdskins.mode.alex")
                 .setTooltipOffset(0, 10);
 
@@ -248,7 +249,7 @@ public class GuiSkins extends GameGui implements ISkinUploadHandler {
     protected void switchSkinMode(String model) {
         playSound(SoundEvents.BLOCK_BREWING_STAND_BREW);
 
-        boolean thinArmType = "slim".equals(model);
+        boolean thinArmType = VanillaModels.isSlim(model);
 
         btnModeSteve.enabled = thinArmType;
         btnModeAlex.enabled = !thinArmType;
diff --git a/src/hdskins/java/com/voxelmodpack/hdskins/resources/PreviewTexture.java b/src/hdskins/java/com/voxelmodpack/hdskins/resources/PreviewTexture.java
index 700775e6..dd25aa9a 100644
--- a/src/hdskins/java/com/voxelmodpack/hdskins/resources/PreviewTexture.java
+++ b/src/hdskins/java/com/voxelmodpack/hdskins/resources/PreviewTexture.java
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import net.minecraft.client.renderer.IImageBuffer;
 import net.minecraft.client.renderer.ThreadDownloadImageData;
 import net.minecraft.util.ResourceLocation;
 
+import com.voxelmodpack.hdskins.VanillaModels;
+
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 
 public class PreviewTexture extends ThreadDownloadImageData {
@@ -17,7 +19,7 @@ public class PreviewTexture extends ThreadDownloadImageData {
     public PreviewTexture(@Nullable String model, String url, ResourceLocation fallbackTexture, @Nullable IImageBuffer imageBuffer) {
         super(null, url, fallbackTexture, imageBuffer);
 
-        this.model = model == null ? "default" : model;
+        this.model = VanillaModels.nonNull(model);
         this.fileUrl = url;
     }
 
@@ -40,6 +42,6 @@ public class PreviewTexture extends ThreadDownloadImageData {
     }
 
     public boolean usesThinArms() {
-        return "slim".equals(model);
+        return VanillaModels.isSlim(model);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/PonySkinParser.java b/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/PonySkinParser.java
index 056233b1..75be1684 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/PonySkinParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/PonySkinParser.java
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package com.minelittlepony;
 import com.mojang.authlib.GameProfile;
 import com.mojang.authlib.minecraft.MinecraftProfileTexture;
 import com.voxelmodpack.hdskins.ISkinParser;
+import com.voxelmodpack.hdskins.VanillaModels;
+
 import net.minecraft.util.ResourceLocation;
 
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -13,7 +15,7 @@ public class PonySkinParser implements ISkinParser {
     public void parse(GameProfile profile, MinecraftProfileTexture.Type type, ResourceLocation resource,
             Map<String, String> metadata) {
         if (type == MinecraftProfileTexture.Type.SKIN) {
-            boolean slim = "slim".equals(metadata.get("model"));
+            boolean slim = VanillaModels.isSlim(metadata.get("model"));
             // TODO use proper model metadata system
 
             metadata.put("model", MineLittlePony.getInstance().getManager()
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/model/player/PlayerModels.java b/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/model/player/PlayerModels.java
index c8f31782..e0516bf2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/model/player/PlayerModels.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/minelittlepony/model/player/PlayerModels.java
@@ -7,12 +7,13 @@ import com.minelittlepony.render.player.RenderSeaponyPlayer;
 import net.minecraft.client.renderer.entity.RenderManager;
 
 import com.minelittlepony.model.ModelWrapper;
+import com.voxelmodpack.hdskins.VanillaModels;
 
 public enum PlayerModels {
     /**
      * The default non-pony model. This is typically handled my the vanilla renderer.
      */
-    DEFAULT("default", "slim", () -> PMAPI.earthpony, () -> PMAPI.earthponySmall),
+    DEFAULT(VanillaModels.DEFAULT, VanillaModels.SLIM, () -> PMAPI.earthpony, () -> PMAPI.earthponySmall),
     EARTH("earthpony", () -> PMAPI.earthpony, () -> PMAPI.earthponySmall),
     PEGASUS("pegasus", () -> PMAPI.pegasus, () -> PMAPI.pegasusSmall),
     BATPONY("batpony", () -> PMAPI.bat, () -> PMAPI.batSmall),
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ public enum PlayerModels {
     private final String normalKey, slimKey;
 
     PlayerModels(String key, ModelResolver normal, ModelResolver slim) {
-        this(key, "slim" + key, normal, slim);
+        this(key, VanillaModels.SLIM + key, normal, slim);
     }
 
     PlayerModels(String normalKey, String slimKey, ModelResolver normal, ModelResolver slim) {