diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/AnimationLoop.cpp b/libraries/animation/src/AnimationLoop.cpp
index e60df1eaf9..43e049f851 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/AnimationLoop.cpp
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/AnimationLoop.cpp
@@ -84,14 +84,14 @@ void AnimationLoop::setStartAutomatically(bool startAutomatically) {
 }
     
 void AnimationLoop::setRunning(bool running) {
-    if (_running == running) {
+    // don't do anything if the new value is the same as the value we already have
+    if (_running != running) {
+        _running = running;
+        
+        // If we just set running to true, then also reset the frame to the first frame
         if (running) {
             // move back to the beginning
             _frameIndex = _firstFrame;
         }
-        return;
-    }
-    if ((_running = running)) {
-        _frameIndex = _firstFrame;
     }
 }
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityItemProperties.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityItemProperties.cpp
index 9a1a5494b7..106e0a6b8b 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityItemProperties.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityItemProperties.cpp
@@ -128,6 +128,10 @@ void EntityItemProperties::setSittingPoints(const QVector<SittingPoint>& sitting
     }
 }
 
+bool EntityItemProperties::animationSettingsChanged() const { 
+    return _animationSettingsChanged; 
+}
+
 void EntityItemProperties::setAnimationSettings(const QString& value) {
     // the animations setting is a JSON string that may contain various animation settings.
     // if it includes fps, frameIndex, or running, those values will be parsed out and