diff --git a/include/openspace/rendering/texturecomponent.h b/include/openspace/rendering/texturecomponent.h
index 0046ea1cc0..2a7d94e681 100644
--- a/include/openspace/rendering/texturecomponent.h
+++ b/include/openspace/rendering/texturecomponent.h
@@ -39,11 +39,15 @@ class TextureComponent {
 
 public:
     TextureComponent() = default;
-    TextureComponent(const Texture::FilterMode filterMode, bool watchFile = true);
+    TextureComponent(const Texture::FilterMode filterMode, bool watchFile = true,
+        bool shouldPurge = true);
     ~TextureComponent() = default;
 
     Texture* texture() const;
 
+    void setShouldWatchFileForChanges(bool value);
+    void setShouldPurgeFromRAM(bool value);
+
     void bind();
     void uploadToGpu();
 
@@ -60,9 +64,10 @@ private:
 
     Texture::FilterMode _filterMode = Texture::FilterMode::LinearMipMap;
     bool _shouldWatchFile = true;
+    bool _shouldPurgeFromRAM = true;
 
-    bool _fileIsDirty = false;
-    bool _textureIsDirty = false;
+    bool _fileIsDirty;
+    bool _textureIsDirty;
 };
 
 } // namespace openspace
diff --git a/src/rendering/texturecomponent.cpp b/src/rendering/texturecomponent.cpp
index 62e9aabf5a..c334ac851b 100644
--- a/src/rendering/texturecomponent.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/texturecomponent.cpp
@@ -35,14 +35,25 @@ namespace {
 
 namespace openspace {
 
-TextureComponent::TextureComponent(const Texture::FilterMode filterMode, bool watchFile)
-    : _filterMode(filterMode), _shouldWatchFile(watchFile)
+TextureComponent::TextureComponent(const Texture::FilterMode filterMode,
+                                   bool watchFile, bool shouldPurge)
+    : _filterMode(filterMode)
+    , _shouldWatchFile(watchFile)
+    , _shouldPurgeFromRAM(shouldPurge)
 {}
 
 ghoul::opengl::Texture* TextureComponent::texture() const {
     return _texture.get();
 }
 
+void TextureComponent::setShouldWatchFileForChanges(bool value) {
+    _shouldWatchFile = value;
+}
+
+void TextureComponent::setShouldPurgeFromRAM(bool value) {
+    _shouldPurgeFromRAM = value;
+}
+
 void TextureComponent::bind() {
     ghoul_assert(_texture, "Texture must be loaded before binding");
     _texture->bind();
@@ -55,6 +66,9 @@ void TextureComponent::uploadToGpu() {
     }
     _texture->uploadTexture();
     _texture->setFilter(_filterMode);
+    if (_shouldPurgeFromRAM) {
+        _texture->purgeFromRAM();
+    }
 }
 
 void TextureComponent::loadFromFile(const std::string& path) {
@@ -67,7 +81,6 @@ void TextureComponent::loadFromFile(const std::string& path) {
 
         if (texture) {
             LDEBUG(fmt::format("Loaded texture from '{}'", absPath(path)));
-            _texture = nullptr;
             _texture = std::move(texture);
 
             _textureFile = std::make_unique<ghoul::filesystem::File>(path);