diff --git a/modules/tiles/src/tileset/tileset-traverser.ts b/modules/tiles/src/tileset/tileset-traverser.ts
index ca98edd682..e267fc9508 100644
--- a/modules/tiles/src/tileset/tileset-traverser.ts
+++ b/modules/tiles/src/tileset/tileset-traverser.ts
@@ -335,38 +335,35 @@ export class TilesetTraverser {
   executeEmptyTraversal(root: Tile3D, frameState: FrameState): boolean {
     let allDescendantsLoaded = true;
     const stack = this._emptyTraversalStack;
-
     stack.push(root);
 
-    while (stack.length > 0 && allDescendantsLoaded) {
+    while (stack.length > 0) {
       const tile = stack.pop();
 
+      const traverse = !tile.hasRenderContent && this.canTraverse(tile, frameState, false, false);
+      const emptyLeaf = !tile.hasRenderContent && tile.children.length === 0;
+
+      // Traversal stops but the tile does not have content yet
+      // There will be holes if the parent tries to refine to its children, so don't refine
+      // One exception: a parent may refine even if one of its descendants is an empty leaf
+      if (!traverse && !tile.contentAvailable && !emptyLeaf) {
+        allDescendantsLoaded = false;
+      }
+
       this.updateTile(tile, frameState);
 
       if (!tile.isVisibleAndInRequestVolume) {
-        // Load tiles that aren't visible since they are still needed for the parent to refine
         this.loadTile(tile, frameState);
+        this.touchTile(tile, frameState);
       }
 
-      this.touchTile(tile, frameState);
-
-      // Only traverse if the tile is empty - traversal stop at descendants with content
-      const traverse = !tile.hasRenderContent && this.canTraverse(tile, frameState, false, true);
-
       if (traverse) {
         const children = tile.children;
         for (const child of children) {
-          // eslint-disable-next-line max-depth
-          if (stack.find(child)) {
-            stack.delete(child);
-          }
           stack.push(child);
         }
-      } else if (!tile.contentAvailable && !tile.hasEmptyContent) {
-        allDescendantsLoaded = false;
       }
     }
-
     return allDescendantsLoaded;
   }
 }