diff --git a/PengEngine.vcxproj b/PengEngine.vcxproj
index bd46a6f..582a35d 100644
--- a/PengEngine.vcxproj
+++ b/PengEngine.vcxproj
@@ -630,6 +630,7 @@ xcopy /y /d /s $(SolutionDir)resources $(OutDir)\resources\</Command>
     <None Include="resources\audio\demo\bounce_wall.asset" />
     <None Include="resources\audio\demo\goal.asset" />
     <None Include="resources\entities\demo\pong\ball.asset" />
+    <None Include="resources\meshes\demo\suzanne.asset" />
     <None Include="resources\scenes\demo\pong.json" />
     <None Include="resources\shaders\core\fallback.asset" />
     <None Include="resources\shaders\core\phong.asset" />
diff --git a/PengEngine.vcxproj.filters b/PengEngine.vcxproj.filters
index 308e654..646faf1 100644
--- a/PengEngine.vcxproj.filters
+++ b/PengEngine.vcxproj.filters
@@ -755,6 +755,7 @@
     <None Include="resources\audio\core\menu_click.asset" />
     <None Include="resources\audio\core\menu_select.asset" />
     <None Include="resources\entities\demo\pong\ball.asset" />
+    <None Include="resources\meshes\demo\suzanne.asset" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <Natvis Include="src\core\entity.natvis" />
diff --git a/resources/meshes/demo/suzanne.asset b/resources/meshes/demo/suzanne.asset
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68567b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/meshes/demo/suzanne.asset
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+    "name": "Suzanne",
+    "mesh": "resources/meshes/demo/suzanne.obj"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/resources/scenes/demo/sandbox.json b/resources/scenes/demo/sandbox.json
index ff21c26..78be16b 100644
--- a/resources/scenes/demo/sandbox.json
+++ b/resources/scenes/demo/sandbox.json
@@ -29,6 +29,26 @@
                 "components::MeshRenderer"
             ]
         },
+        {
+            "type": "Entity",
+            "name": "Suzanne",
+            "transform": {
+                "position": {
+                    "x": -30,
+                    "y": -3,
+                    "z": 3
+                },
+                "rotation": {
+                    "y": 180
+                }
+            },
+            "components": [
+                {
+                    "type": "components::MeshRenderer",
+                    "mesh": "resources/meshes/demo/suzanne.asset"
+                }
+            ]
+        },
         {
             "type": "entities::Camera",
             "transform": {
diff --git a/src/components/mesh_renderer.cpp b/src/components/mesh_renderer.cpp
index ba525db..13ac1a3 100644
--- a/src/components/mesh_renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/components/mesh_renderer.cpp
@@ -1,13 +1,16 @@
 #include "mesh_renderer.h"
 
+#include <core/logger.h>
+#include <core/asset.h>
+#include <core/serialized_member.h>
 #include <entities/camera.h>
 #include <entities/point_light.h>
 #include <entities/spot_light.h>
 #include <entities/directional_light.h>
+#include <rendering/mesh.h>
 #include <rendering/primitives.h>
 #include <rendering/material.h>
 #include <rendering/render_queue.h>
-#include <core/logger.h>
 #include <utils/utils.h>
 #include <math/math.h>
 
@@ -33,7 +36,7 @@ MeshRenderer::MeshRenderer(
 	, _mesh(std::move(mesh))
 	, _material(std::move(material))
 {
-    // TODO: serialize _mesh
+	SERIALIZED_MEMBER(_mesh);
 	// TODO: serialize _material
 }
 
diff --git a/src/demo/pong/peng_pong.cpp b/src/demo/pong/peng_pong.cpp
index 78426a5..9ad8993 100644
--- a/src/demo/pong/peng_pong.cpp
+++ b/src/demo/pong/peng_pong.cpp
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 #include "goal.h"
 #include "paddle.h"
 #include "pause_menu.h"
-#include "rendering/mesh_decoder.h"
 
 IMPLEMENT_ENTITY(demo::pong::PengPong);
 
@@ -48,8 +47,6 @@ void PengPong::post_create()
 	build_camera();
 	build_main_menu();
 
-	MeshDecoder::load_file("resources/meshes/demo/suzanne.obj");
-
 	Logger::success("PengPong started");
 }
 
diff --git a/src/rendering/mesh.cpp b/src/rendering/mesh.cpp
index 0b7e279..aa9d4dd 100644
--- a/src/rendering/mesh.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/mesh.cpp
@@ -2,11 +2,14 @@
 
 #include <utils/utils.h>
 #include <utils/check.h>
-#include <utils/strtools.h>
 #include <utils/vectools.h>
+#include <core/archive.h>
 #include <core/logger.h>
+#include <memory/gc.h>
 #include <profiling/scoped_event.h>
 
+#include "mesh_decoder.h"
+
 using namespace rendering;
 using namespace math;
 
@@ -53,6 +56,13 @@ Mesh::Mesh(const std::string& name, const RawMeshData& raw_data)
     )
 { }
 
+Mesh::Mesh(const std::string& name, const std::string& mesh_path)
+    : Mesh(
+        name,
+        MeshDecoder::load_file(mesh_path)
+    )
+{ }
+
 Mesh::~Mesh()
 {
     SCOPED_EVENT("Destroying mesh", _name.c_str());
@@ -63,6 +73,12 @@ Mesh::~Mesh()
     glDeleteVertexArrays(1, &_vao);
 }
 
+peng::shared_ref<Mesh> Mesh::load_asset(const Archive& archive)
+{
+    const std::string mesh_path = archive.read<std::string>("mesh");
+    return memory::GC::alloc<Mesh>(archive.name, mesh_path);
+}
+
 void Mesh::render() const
 {
     bind();
diff --git a/src/rendering/mesh.h b/src/rendering/mesh.h
index dbe3fc7..acd5be0 100644
--- a/src/rendering/mesh.h
+++ b/src/rendering/mesh.h
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include <string>
-#include <vector>
-
 #include <GL/glew.h>
 
+#include <memory/shared_ref.h>
+
 #include "raw_mesh_data.h"
 
+struct Archive;
+
 namespace rendering
 {
     // TODO: generate bounds for the mesh to be used in culling
@@ -15,11 +17,14 @@ namespace rendering
     public:
         Mesh(std::string&& name, RawMeshData&& raw_data);
         Mesh(const std::string& name, const RawMeshData& raw_data);
+        Mesh(const std::string& name, const std::string& mesh_path);
 
         Mesh(const Mesh&) = delete;
         Mesh(Mesh&&) = delete;
         ~Mesh();
 
+        static peng::shared_ref<Mesh> load_asset(const Archive& archive);
+
         // Renders the mesh
         // A shader/material must already be in use before calling this
         void render() const;
@@ -41,4 +46,4 @@ namespace rendering
         GLuint _vbo;
         GLuint _vao;
     };
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/rendering/mesh_decoder.cpp b/src/rendering/mesh_decoder.cpp
index 05b47db..d31964b 100644
--- a/src/rendering/mesh_decoder.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/mesh_decoder.cpp
@@ -124,13 +124,13 @@ RawMeshData MeshDecoder::load_obj(const std::string& path)
                 line_number, line.c_str()
             );
 
-            Vector3u triangle;
+            uint32_t triangle[3];
             for (uint8_t i = 0; i < 3; i++)
             {
-                const std::string& token = tokens[1 + i];
+                const std::string& vertex_token = tokens[1 + i];
                 uint32_t vertex_index;
 
-                if (const auto it = vertex_cache.find(token); it != vertex_cache.end())
+                if (const auto it = vertex_cache.find(vertex_token); it != vertex_cache.end())
                 {
                     vertex_index = it->second;
                 }
@@ -139,52 +139,53 @@ RawMeshData MeshDecoder::load_obj(const std::string& path)
                     // Decode token
                     static thread_local std::vector<std::string> inner_tokens;
                     inner_tokens.clear();
-                    strtools::split(token, '/', std::back_inserter(inner_tokens));
+                    strtools::split(vertex_token, '/', std::back_inserter(inner_tokens));
 
                     DECODE_CHECK(inner_tokens.size() == 3,
                         "Invalid OBJ file - vertex '%s' does not use the v/vt/vn format\n%d: %s",
-                        line_number, token.c_str(), line.c_str()
+                        line_number, vertex_token.c_str(), line.c_str()
                     );
 
+                    // OBJ files use 1 indexing instead of 0 indexing
                     const uint32_t position_index = std::stoi(inner_tokens[0]);
                     const uint32_t tex_coord_index = std::stoi(inner_tokens[1]);
                     const uint32_t normal_index = std::stoi(inner_tokens[2]);
 
-                    if (!(position_index < vertex_positions.size()))
-                    {
-                        Logger::error("Invalid OBJ file - vertex '%s' has invalid position index %d\n%d: %s", token.c_str(), position_index, line_number, line.c_str()); return RawMeshData::corrupt_data();
-                    } do {} while (0);
+                    DECODE_CHECK(position_index <= vertex_positions.size(),
+                        "Invalid OBJ file - vertex '%s' has invalid position index %d\n%d: %s",
+                        vertex_token.c_str(), position_index, line_number, line.c_str()
+                    );
 
-                    DECODE_CHECK(tex_coord_index < uv_coords.size(),
+                    DECODE_CHECK(tex_coord_index <= uv_coords.size(),
                         "Invalid OBJ file - vertex '%s' has invalid tex coord index %d\n%d: %s",
-                        token.c_str(), tex_coord_index, line_number, line.c_str()
+                        vertex_token.c_str(), tex_coord_index, line_number, line.c_str()
                     );
 
-                    DECODE_CHECK(normal_index < vertex_normals.size(),
+                    DECODE_CHECK(normal_index <= vertex_normals.size(),
                         "Invalid OBJ file - vertex '%s' has invalid normal index %d\n%d: %s",
-                        token.c_str(), normal_index, line_number, line.c_str()
+                        vertex_token.c_str(), normal_index, line_number, line.c_str()
                     );
 
                     const Vertex vertex(
-                        vertex_positions[position_index],
-                        vertex_normals[normal_index],
-                        uv_coords[tex_coord_index]
+                        vertex_positions[position_index - 1],
+                        vertex_normals[normal_index - 1],
+                        uv_coords[tex_coord_index - 1]
                     );
 
-                    vertex_index = vertex_cache[token] = static_cast<uint32_t>(raw_data.vertices.size());
-                    raw_data.vertices.push_back(vertex);
-                }
+                    vertex_index = static_cast<uint32_t>(raw_data.vertices.size());
+                    vertex_cache[vertex_token] = vertex_index;
 
-                switch (i)
-                {
-                    case 0: triangle.x = vertex_index; break;
-                    case 1: triangle.y = vertex_index; break;
-                    case 2: triangle.z = vertex_index; break;
-                    default: break;
+                    raw_data.vertices.push_back(vertex);
                 }
 
-                raw_data.triangles.push_back(triangle);
+                triangle[i] = vertex_index;
             }
+
+            raw_data.triangles.emplace_back(
+                triangle[0],
+                triangle[1],
+                triangle[2]
+            );
         }
     }