diff --git a/.rive_head b/.rive_head
index 5d3e122e..1faf3938 100644
--- a/.rive_head
+++ b/.rive_head
@@ -1 +1 @@
-ba94f03ad0d0cbcea241f14f72689a2184ed7dcd
+3734dc3ab996c24c024129cb5f88d257f241074d
diff --git a/include/rive/viewmodel/runtime/viewmodel_instance_artboard_runtime.hpp b/include/rive/viewmodel/runtime/viewmodel_instance_artboard_runtime.hpp
index fb512fc7..57bb9010 100644
--- a/include/rive/viewmodel/runtime/viewmodel_instance_artboard_runtime.hpp
+++ b/include/rive/viewmodel/runtime/viewmodel_instance_artboard_runtime.hpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ public:
         ViewModelInstanceValueRuntime(viewModelInstance)
     {}
     void value(rcp<BindableArtboard> bindableArtboard);
+    void viewModelInstance(rcp<ViewModelInstance> viewModelInstance);
     const DataType dataType() override { return DataType::artboard; }
 
 #ifdef TESTING
diff --git a/include/rive/viewmodel/viewmodel_instance_artboard.hpp b/include/rive/viewmodel/viewmodel_instance_artboard.hpp
index ac225037..812d3b55 100644
--- a/include/rive/viewmodel/viewmodel_instance_artboard.hpp
+++ b/include/rive/viewmodel/viewmodel_instance_artboard.hpp
@@ -18,11 +18,14 @@ protected:
 
 public:
     void asset(rcp<BindableArtboard> value);
+    void viewModelInstance(rcp<ViewModelInstance> value);
     rcp<BindableArtboard> asset() { return m_bindableArtboard; }
     void applyValue(DataValueInteger*);
+    rcp<ViewModelInstance> viewModelInstance() { return m_viewModelInstance; }
 
 private:
     rcp<BindableArtboard> m_bindableArtboard = nullptr;
+    rcp<ViewModelInstance> m_viewModelInstance = nullptr;
 #ifdef WITH_RIVE_TOOLS
 public:
     void onChanged(ViewModelArtboardChanged callback)
diff --git a/src/nested_artboard.cpp b/src/nested_artboard.cpp
index 681c863c..5e04e1ee 100644
--- a/src/nested_artboard.cpp
+++ b/src/nested_artboard.cpp
@@ -137,7 +137,13 @@ void NestedArtboard::updateArtboard(
                 nestedStateMachine)); // take ownership
         }
         nest(artboardInstance.release());
-        if (m_dataContext != nullptr && m_viewModelInstance == nullptr)
+        if (viewModelInstanceArtboard->viewModelInstance())
+        {
+            bindViewModelInstance(
+                viewModelInstanceArtboard->viewModelInstance(),
+                m_dataContext);
+        }
+        else if (m_dataContext != nullptr && m_viewModelInstance == nullptr)
         {
             internalDataContext(m_dataContext);
         }
diff --git a/src/viewmodel/runtime/viewmodel_instance_artboard_runtime.cpp b/src/viewmodel/runtime/viewmodel_instance_artboard_runtime.cpp
index 161b3b21..8220449a 100644
--- a/src/viewmodel/runtime/viewmodel_instance_artboard_runtime.cpp
+++ b/src/viewmodel/runtime/viewmodel_instance_artboard_runtime.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@ void ViewModelInstanceArtboardRuntime::value(
         bindableArtboard);
 }
 
+void ViewModelInstanceArtboardRuntime::viewModelInstance(
+    rcp<ViewModelInstance> viewModelInstance)
+{
+    m_viewModelInstanceValue->as<ViewModelInstanceArtboard>()
+        ->viewModelInstance(viewModelInstance);
+}
+
 #ifdef TESTING
 rcp<BindableArtboard> ViewModelInstanceArtboardRuntime::testing_value()
 {
diff --git a/src/viewmodel/viewmodel_instance_artboard.cpp b/src/viewmodel/viewmodel_instance_artboard.cpp
index 5d4465b6..2191c664 100644
--- a/src/viewmodel/viewmodel_instance_artboard.cpp
+++ b/src/viewmodel/viewmodel_instance_artboard.cpp
@@ -31,4 +31,9 @@ void ViewModelInstanceArtboard::asset(rcp<BindableArtboard> value)
 void ViewModelInstanceArtboard::applyValue(DataValueInteger* dataValue)
 {
     propertyValue(dataValue->value());
+}
+
+void ViewModelInstanceArtboard::viewModelInstance(rcp<ViewModelInstance> value)
+{
+    m_viewModelInstance = value;
 }
\ No newline at end of file