diff --git a/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Asset Types/SkeletonDataAssetInspector.cs b/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Asset Types/SkeletonDataAssetInspector.cs
index be77de911..bf3a76b56 100644
--- a/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Asset Types/SkeletonDataAssetInspector.cs	
+++ b/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Asset Types/SkeletonDataAssetInspector.cs	
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ namespace Spine.Unity.Editor {
 
 		void Clear () {
 			preview.Clear();
-			targetSkeletonDataAsset.Clear();
+			SpineEditorUtilities.ClearSkeletonDataAsset(targetSkeletonDataAsset);
 			targetSkeletonData = null;
 		}
 
diff --git a/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/AssetUtility.cs b/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/AssetUtility.cs
index 7542516bb..92c4d41cf 100644
--- a/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/AssetUtility.cs
+++ b/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/AssetUtility.cs
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ namespace Spine.Unity.Editor {
 						}
 
 						Debug.LogFormat("Changes to '{0}' or atlas detected. Clearing SkeletonDataAsset: {1}", skeletonJSONPath, localPath);
-						skeletonDataAsset.Clear();
+						SpineEditorUtilities.ClearSkeletonDataAsset(skeletonDataAsset);
 
 						string guid = AssetDatabase.AssetPathToGUID(AssetDatabase.GetAssetPath(skeletonDataAsset));
 						string lastHash = EditorPrefs.GetString(guid + "_hash");
@@ -978,7 +978,7 @@ namespace Spine.Unity.Editor {
 					AssetDatabase.CreateAsset(skeletonDataAsset, filePath);
 				} else {
 					skeletonDataAsset.atlasAssets = atlasAssets;
-					skeletonDataAsset.Clear();
+					SpineEditorUtilities.ClearSkeletonDataAsset(skeletonDataAsset);
 				}
 				var skeletonData = skeletonDataAsset.GetSkeletonData(true);
 				if (skeletonData != null)
diff --git a/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/BlendModeMaterialsUtility.cs b/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/BlendModeMaterialsUtility.cs
index d7a3977a9..476b2d556 100644
--- a/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/BlendModeMaterialsUtility.cs
+++ b/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/BlendModeMaterialsUtility.cs
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ namespace Spine.Unity.Editor {
 				}
 			}
 
-			skeletonDataAsset.Clear();
+			SpineEditorUtilities.ClearSkeletonDataAsset(skeletonDataAsset);
 			skeletonData = skeletonDataAsset.GetSkeletonData(true);
 			if (anyMaterialsChanged)
 				ReloadSceneSkeletons(skeletonDataAsset);
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ namespace Spine.Unity.Editor {
 
 			var skinEntries = new List<Skin.SkinEntry>();
 
-			skeletonDataAsset.Clear();
+			SpineEditorUtilities.ClearSkeletonDataAsset(skeletonDataAsset);
 			skeletonDataAsset.isUpgradingBlendModeMaterials = true;
 			SkeletonData skeletonData = skeletonDataAsset.GetSkeletonData(true);
 
diff --git a/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/DataReloadHandler.cs b/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/DataReloadHandler.cs
index 2125ff616..d29be7b9e 100644
--- a/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/DataReloadHandler.cs
+++ b/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/DataReloadHandler.cs
@@ -91,8 +91,7 @@ namespace Spine.Unity.Editor {
 				}
 
 				foreach (var skeletonDataAsset in skeletonDataAssetsToReload) {
-					skeletonDataAsset.Clear();
-					skeletonDataAsset.GetSkeletonData(true);
+					ReloadSkeletonDataAsset(skeletonDataAsset, false);
 				}
 
 				foreach (var skeletonRenderer in activeSkeletonRenderers)
@@ -119,14 +118,24 @@ namespace Spine.Unity.Editor {
 				}
 			}
 
+			public static void ClearAnimationReferenceAssets (SkeletonDataAsset skeletonDataAsset) {
+				ForEachAnimationReferenceAsset(skeletonDataAsset, (referenceAsset) => referenceAsset.Clear());
+			}
+
 			public static void ReloadAnimationReferenceAssets (SkeletonDataAsset skeletonDataAsset) {
+				ForEachAnimationReferenceAsset(skeletonDataAsset, (referenceAsset) => referenceAsset.Initialize());
+			}
+
+			private static void ForEachAnimationReferenceAsset (SkeletonDataAsset skeletonDataAsset,
+				System.Action<AnimationReferenceAsset> func) {
+
 				string[] guids = UnityEditor.AssetDatabase.FindAssets("t:AnimationReferenceAsset");
 				foreach (string guid in guids) {
 					string path = UnityEditor.AssetDatabase.GUIDToAssetPath(guid);
 					if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(path)) {
 						var referenceAsset = UnityEditor.AssetDatabase.LoadAssetAtPath<AnimationReferenceAsset>(path);
 						if (referenceAsset.SkeletonDataAsset == skeletonDataAsset)
-							referenceAsset.Initialize();
+							func(referenceAsset);
 					}
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/SpineEditorUtilities.cs b/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/SpineEditorUtilities.cs
index 49ae43cdf..ad0f488f4 100644
--- a/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/SpineEditorUtilities.cs
+++ b/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Editor/spine-unity/Editor/Utility/SpineEditorUtilities.cs
@@ -266,14 +266,23 @@ namespace Spine.Unity.Editor {
 			ReinitializeComponent(component);
 		}
 
-		public static void ReloadSkeletonDataAsset (SkeletonDataAsset skeletonDataAsset) {
-			if (skeletonDataAsset != null) {
+		public static void ClearSkeletonDataAsset (SkeletonDataAsset skeletonDataAsset) {
+			skeletonDataAsset.Clear();
+			DataReloadHandler.ClearAnimationReferenceAssets(skeletonDataAsset);
+		}
+
+		public static void ReloadSkeletonDataAsset (SkeletonDataAsset skeletonDataAsset, bool clearAtlasAssets = true) {
+			if (skeletonDataAsset == null)
+				return;
+
+			if (clearAtlasAssets) {
 				foreach (AtlasAssetBase aa in skeletonDataAsset.atlasAssets) {
 					if (aa != null) aa.Clear();
 				}
-				skeletonDataAsset.Clear();
 			}
+			ClearSkeletonDataAsset(skeletonDataAsset);
 			skeletonDataAsset.GetSkeletonData(true);
+			DataReloadHandler.ReloadAnimationReferenceAssets(skeletonDataAsset);
 		}
 
 		public static void ReinitializeComponent (SkeletonRenderer component) {
diff --git a/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Runtime/spine-unity/Asset Types/AnimationReferenceAsset.cs b/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Runtime/spine-unity/Asset Types/AnimationReferenceAsset.cs
index 370704331..9564f3bb0 100644
--- a/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Runtime/spine-unity/Asset Types/AnimationReferenceAsset.cs	
+++ b/spine-unity/Assets/Spine/Runtime/spine-unity/Asset Types/AnimationReferenceAsset.cs	
@@ -48,11 +48,16 @@ namespace Spine.Unity {
 				if (animation == null)
 					Initialize();
 #endif
-
 				return animation;
 			}
 		}
 
+		/// <summary>Clears the cached animation corresponding to a loaded SkeletonData object.
+		/// Use this to force a reload for the next time Animation is called.</summary>
+		public void Clear () {
+			animation = null;
+		}
+
 		public void Initialize () {
 			if (skeletonDataAsset == null) return;
 			SkeletonData skeletonData = skeletonDataAsset.GetSkeletonData(AnimationReferenceAsset.QuietSkeletonData);