diff --git a/include/polyscope/render/managed_buffer.h b/include/polyscope/render/managed_buffer.h
index ccaefb87..594b6b3d 100644
--- a/include/polyscope/render/managed_buffer.h
+++ b/include/polyscope/render/managed_buffer.h
@@ -178,6 +178,12 @@ class ManagedBuffer : public virtual WeakReferrable {
   // same view will be returned repeatedly at no additional cost.
   std::shared_ptr<render::AttributeBuffer> getIndexedRenderAttributeBuffer(ManagedBuffer<uint32_t>& indices);
 
+  // Get a copy of the data viewed through an index, such that view[i] = data[indices[i]].
+  //
+  // This follows the same logic as above, but rather than returning a render buffer it simply returns a host-side 
+  // copy (which is not cached).
+  std::vector<T> getIndexedView(ManagedBuffer<uint32_t>& indices);
+
   // ========================================================================
   // == Direct access to the GPU (device-side) render texture buffer
   // ========================================================================
diff --git a/include/polyscope/surface_parameterization_quantity.h b/include/polyscope/surface_parameterization_quantity.h
index 8e90c47d..957bac4a 100644
--- a/include/polyscope/surface_parameterization_quantity.h
+++ b/include/polyscope/surface_parameterization_quantity.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class SurfaceParameterizationQuantity : public SurfaceMeshQuantity,
   void createProgram();
   size_t nFaces(); // works around an incomplete def of the parent mesh
   virtual void fillCoordBuffers(render::ShaderProgram& p) = 0;
+  virtual std::vector<glm::vec2> getCornerCoords() = 0;
 };
 
 
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ class SurfaceCornerParameterizationQuantity : public SurfaceParameterizationQuan
 
 protected:
   virtual void fillCoordBuffers(render::ShaderProgram& p) override;
+  virtual std::vector<glm::vec2> getCornerCoords() override;
 };
 
 
@@ -84,6 +86,7 @@ class SurfaceVertexParameterizationQuantity : public SurfaceParameterizationQuan
 
 protected:
   virtual void fillCoordBuffers(render::ShaderProgram& p) override;
+  virtual std::vector<glm::vec2> getCornerCoords() override;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/render/managed_buffer.cpp b/src/render/managed_buffer.cpp
index b8287ff7..35317b12 100644
--- a/src/render/managed_buffer.cpp
+++ b/src/render/managed_buffer.cpp
@@ -392,6 +392,14 @@ ManagedBuffer<T>::getIndexedRenderAttributeBuffer(ManagedBuffer<uint32_t>& indic
   return newBuffer;
 }
 
+template <typename T>
+std::vector<T> ManagedBuffer<T>::getIndexedView(ManagedBuffer<uint32_t>& indices) {
+  checkDeviceBufferTypeIs(DeviceBufferType::Attribute);
+  ensureHostBufferPopulated();
+  indices.ensureHostBufferPopulated();
+  return gather(data, indices.data);
+}
+
 template <typename T>
 void ManagedBuffer<T>::updateIndexedViews() {
   checkDeviceBufferTypeIs(DeviceBufferType::Attribute);
diff --git a/src/surface_parameterization_quantity.cpp b/src/surface_parameterization_quantity.cpp
index fc7b8a44..11945be6 100644
--- a/src/surface_parameterization_quantity.cpp
+++ b/src/surface_parameterization_quantity.cpp
@@ -109,12 +109,14 @@ CurveNetwork* SurfaceParameterizationQuantity::createCurveNetworkFromSeams(std::
   }
 
   // Populate data on the host
-  coords.ensureHostBufferPopulated();
   parent.triangleCornerInds.ensureHostBufferPopulated();
   parent.triangleVertexInds.ensureHostBufferPopulated();
   parent.edgeIsReal.ensureHostBufferPopulated();
   parent.vertexPositions.ensureHostBufferPopulated();
 
+  // expand out the coords buffer based on how the quantity is indexed
+  std::vector<glm::vec2> cornerCoords = getCornerCoords();
+
   // helper to canonicalize edge direction
   auto canonicalizeEdge = [](std::pair<int32_t, int32_t>& inds, std::pair<glm::vec2, glm::vec2>& coords) 
   {
@@ -141,7 +143,7 @@ CurveNetwork* SurfaceParameterizationQuantity::createCurveNetworkFromSeams(std::
       int32_t iC_tail = parent.triangleCornerInds.data[3*iT + (k+0)%3];
       int32_t iC_tip = parent.triangleCornerInds.data[3*iT + (k+1)%3];
       std::pair<int32_t, int32_t> eInd (iV_tail, iV_tip);
-      std::pair<glm::vec2, glm::vec2> eC (coords.data[iC_tail], coords.data[iC_tip]);
+      std::pair<glm::vec2, glm::vec2> eC (cornerCoords[iC_tail], cornerCoords[iC_tip]);
       canonicalizeEdge(eInd, eC); // make sure ordering is consistent
 
       // increment the count
@@ -178,7 +180,7 @@ CurveNetwork* SurfaceParameterizationQuantity::createCurveNetworkFromSeams(std::
   for(const std::pair<int32_t, int32_t>& edge: seamEdges)  {
     int32_t vA = edge.first;
     int32_t vB = edge.second;
- 
+
     // get unique vertices for the edges
     if(vertexIndToDense.find(vA) == vertexIndToDense.end()) {
       vertexIndToDense[vA] = seamEdgeNodes.size();
@@ -196,7 +198,6 @@ CurveNetwork* SurfaceParameterizationQuantity::createCurveNetworkFromSeams(std::
   }
 
   // add the curve network
-
   return registerCurveNetwork(structureName, seamEdgeNodes, seamEdgeInds);
 }
 
@@ -227,6 +228,11 @@ void SurfaceCornerParameterizationQuantity::fillCoordBuffers(render::ShaderProgr
   p.setAttribute("a_value2", coords.getIndexedRenderAttributeBuffer(parent.triangleCornerInds));
 }
 
+
+std::vector<glm::vec2> SurfaceCornerParameterizationQuantity::getCornerCoords() {
+  return coords.getIndexedView(parent.triangleCornerInds);
+}
+
 void SurfaceCornerParameterizationQuantity::buildCornerInfoGUI(size_t cInd) {
 
   glm::vec2 coord = coords.getValue(cInd);
@@ -254,6 +260,10 @@ void SurfaceVertexParameterizationQuantity::fillCoordBuffers(render::ShaderProgr
   p.setAttribute("a_value2", coords.getIndexedRenderAttributeBuffer(parent.triangleVertexInds));
 }
 
+std::vector<glm::vec2> SurfaceVertexParameterizationQuantity::getCornerCoords() {
+  return coords.getIndexedView(parent.triangleVertexInds);
+}
+
 void SurfaceVertexParameterizationQuantity::buildVertexInfoGUI(size_t vInd) {
 
   glm::vec2 coord = coords.getValue(vInd);
diff --git a/test/src/curve_network_test.cpp b/test/src/curve_network_test.cpp
index 8b7fd794..3225a9cf 100644
--- a/test/src/curve_network_test.cpp
+++ b/test/src/curve_network_test.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,14 @@ TEST_F(PolyscopeTest, ShowCurveNetwork) {
   EXPECT_FALSE(polyscope::hasCurveNetwork("test1"));
 }
 
+TEST_F(PolyscopeTest, EmptyCurveNetwork) {
+  std::vector<glm::vec3> points;
+  std::vector<std::array<size_t, 2>> edges;
+  polyscope::registerCurveNetwork("empty", points, edges);
+  polyscope::show(3);
+  polyscope::removeAllStructures();
+}
+
 TEST_F(PolyscopeTest, CurveNetworkAppearance) {
   auto psCurve = registerCurveNetwork();
 
diff --git a/test/src/surface_mesh_test.cpp b/test/src/surface_mesh_test.cpp
index dc593f11..16b2ca21 100644
--- a/test/src/surface_mesh_test.cpp
+++ b/test/src/surface_mesh_test.cpp
@@ -497,6 +497,10 @@ TEST_F(PolyscopeTest, SurfaceMeshVertexParam) {
   q1->setStyle(polyscope::ParamVizStyle::LOCAL_RAD);
   polyscope::show(3);
 
+  // create the curve network
+  q1->createCurveNetworkFromSeams();
+  polyscope::show(3);
+
   polyscope::removeAllStructures();
 }