diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
index 84d6689e92..2ccc540105 100755
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
@@ -5310,7 +5310,7 @@ void MyAvatar::releaseGrab(const QUuid& grabID) {
 
     _avatarGrabsLock.withWriteLock([&] {
         if (_avatarGrabData.remove(grabID)) {
-            _deletedAvatarGrabs.insert(grabID);
+            _deletedAvatarGrabs.push_back(grabID);
             tellHandler = true;
         }
     });
diff --git a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp
index c5f5725594..d27a3026af 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp
@@ -331,19 +331,18 @@ bool Avatar::updateGrabs() {
     }
 
     bool grabAddedOrRemoved = false;
-    // update the Grabs according to any changes in _avatarGrabData
     _avatarGrabsLock.withWriteLock([&] {
         if (_avatarGrabDataChanged) {
+            // collect changes in _avatarGrabData
             foreach (auto grabID, _avatarGrabData.keys()) {
-                AvatarGrabMap::iterator grabItr = _avatarGrabs.find(grabID);
-                if (grabItr == _avatarGrabs.end()) {
+                MapOfGrabs::iterator itr = _avatarGrabs.find(grabID);
+                if (itr == _avatarGrabs.end()) {
                     GrabPointer grab = std::make_shared<Grab>();
                     grab->fromByteArray(_avatarGrabData.value(grabID));
                     _avatarGrabs[grabID] = grab;
                     _changedAvatarGrabs.insert(grabID);
                 } else {
-                    GrabPointer grab = grabItr.value();
-                    bool changed = grab->fromByteArray(_avatarGrabData.value(grabID));
+                    bool changed = itr->second->fromByteArray(_avatarGrabData.value(grabID));
                     if (changed) {
                         _changedAvatarGrabs.insert(grabID);
                     }
@@ -352,40 +351,38 @@ bool Avatar::updateGrabs() {
             _avatarGrabDataChanged = false;
         }
 
-        QMutableSetIterator<QUuid> delItr(_deletedAvatarGrabs);
-        while (delItr.hasNext()) {
-            QUuid grabID = delItr.next();
-            GrabPointer grab = _avatarGrabs[grabID];
-            if (!grab) {
-                delItr.remove();
+        // delete _avatarGrabs
+        VectorOfIDs undeleted;
+        for (const auto& id : _deletedAvatarGrabs) {
+            MapOfGrabs::iterator itr = _avatarGrabs.find(id);
+            if (itr == _avatarGrabs.end()) {
                 continue;
             }
 
             bool success;
+            const GrabPointer& grab = itr->second;
             SpatiallyNestablePointer target = SpatiallyNestable::findByID(grab->getTargetID(), success);
-
-            // only clear this entry from the _deletedAvatarGrabs if we found the entity.
             if (success && target) {
                 target->removeGrab(grab);
-                delItr.remove();
+                _avatarGrabs.erase(itr);
                 grabAddedOrRemoved = true;
+            } else {
+                undeleted.push_back(id);
             }
-            _avatarGrabs.remove(grabID);
-            _changedAvatarGrabs.remove(grabID);
         }
+        _deletedAvatarGrabs = std::move(undeleted);
 
-        QMutableSetIterator<QUuid> changeItr(_changedAvatarGrabs);
-        while (changeItr.hasNext()) {
-            QUuid grabID = changeItr.next();
-            GrabPointer& grab = _avatarGrabs[grabID];
-            if (!grab) {
-                changeItr.remove();
+        // change _avatarGrabs and add Actions to target
+        SetOfIDs unchanged;
+        for (const auto& id : _changedAvatarGrabs) {
+            MapOfGrabs::iterator itr = _avatarGrabs.find(id);
+            if (itr == _avatarGrabs.end()) {
                 continue;
             }
 
             bool success;
+            const GrabPointer& grab = itr->second;
             SpatiallyNestablePointer target = SpatiallyNestable::findByID(grab->getTargetID(), success);
-
             if (success && target) {
                 target->addGrab(grab);
                 if (isMyAvatar()) {
@@ -394,11 +391,12 @@ bool Avatar::updateGrabs() {
                         entity->upgradeScriptSimulationPriority(PERSONAL_SIMULATION_PRIORITY);
                     }
                 }
-                // only clear this entry from the _changedAvatarGrabs if we found the entity.
-                changeItr.remove();
                 grabAddedOrRemoved = true;
+            } else {
+                unchanged.insert(id);
             }
         }
+        _changedAvatarGrabs = std::move(unchanged);
     });
     return grabAddedOrRemoved;
 }
@@ -406,8 +404,8 @@ bool Avatar::updateGrabs() {
 void Avatar::accumulateGrabPositions(std::map<QUuid, GrabLocationAccumulator>& grabAccumulators) {
     // relay avatar's joint position to grabbed target in a way that allows for averaging
     _avatarGrabsLock.withReadLock([&] {
-        foreach (auto grabID, _avatarGrabs.keys()) {
-            const GrabPointer& grab = _avatarGrabs.value(grabID);
+        for (const auto& entry : _avatarGrabs) {
+            const GrabPointer& grab = entry.second;
 
             if (!grab || !grab->getActionID().isNull()) {
                 continue; // the accumulated value isn't used, in this case.
@@ -1922,3 +1920,12 @@ scriptable::ScriptableModelBase Avatar::getScriptableModel() {
     }
     return result;
 }
+
+void Avatar::clearAvatarGrabData(const QUuid& id) {
+    AvatarData::clearAvatarGrabData(id);
+    _avatarGrabsLock.withWriteLock([&] {
+        if (_avatarGrabs.find(id) == _avatarGrabs.end()) {
+            _deletedAvatarGrabs.push_back(id);
+        }
+    });
+}
diff --git a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.h b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.h
index d5431ad2d2..75ae697603 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.h
+++ b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.h
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
 #include <functional>
 #include <glm/glm.hpp>
 #include <glm/gtc/quaternion.hpp>
+#include <map>
+#include <set>
+#include <vector>
 
 #include <QtCore/QUuid>
 
@@ -23,10 +26,12 @@
 #include <graphics-scripting/Forward.h>
 #include <GLMHelpers.h>
 
+#include <Grab.h>
+#include <ThreadSafeValueCache.h>
+
 #include "Head.h"
 #include "SkeletonModel.h"
 #include "Rig.h"
-#include <ThreadSafeValueCache.h>
 
 #include "MetaModelPayload.h"
 
@@ -625,8 +630,15 @@ protected:
 
     static void metaBlendshapeOperator(render::ItemID renderItemID, int blendshapeNumber, const QVector<BlendshapeOffset>& blendshapeOffsets,
                                        const QVector<int>& blendedMeshSizes, const render::ItemIDs& subItemIDs);
+    void clearAvatarGrabData(const QUuid& grabID) override;
 
-    AvatarGrabMap _avatarGrabs;
+    using SetOfIDs = std::set<QUuid>;
+    using VectorOfIDs = std::vector<QUuid>;
+    using MapOfGrabs = std::map<QUuid, GrabPointer>;
+
+    MapOfGrabs _avatarGrabs;
+    SetOfIDs _changedAvatarGrabs; // updated grab IDs -- changes needed to entities or physics
+    VectorOfIDs _deletedAvatarGrabs; // deleted grab IDs -- changes needed to entities or physics
 };
 
 #endif // hifi_Avatar_h
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
index ba3845e8e7..f4981d7347 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
@@ -2997,7 +2997,6 @@ void AvatarData::clearAvatarGrabData(const QUuid& grabID) {
     _avatarGrabsLock.withWriteLock([&] {
         if (_avatarGrabData.remove(grabID)) {
             _avatarGrabDataChanged = true;
-            _deletedAvatarGrabs.insert(grabID);
         }
     });
 }
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
index 2889e5ffa3..9aabf9cb9d 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@
 #include "AvatarTraits.h"
 #include "HeadData.h"
 #include "PathUtils.h"
-#include "Grab.h"
 
 #include <graphics/Material.h>
 
@@ -67,8 +66,6 @@ using PackedAvatarEntityMap = QMap<QUuid, QByteArray>; // similar to AvatarEntit
 using AvatarEntityIDs = QSet<QUuid>;
 
 using AvatarGrabDataMap = QMap<QUuid, QByteArray>;
-using AvatarGrabIDs = QSet<QUuid>;
-using AvatarGrabMap = QMap<QUuid, GrabPointer>;
 
 using AvatarDataSequenceNumber = uint16_t;
 
@@ -1473,8 +1470,6 @@ protected:
     mutable ReadWriteLockable _avatarGrabsLock;
     AvatarGrabDataMap _avatarGrabData;
     bool _avatarGrabDataChanged { false }; // by network
-    AvatarGrabIDs _changedAvatarGrabs; // updated grab IDs -- changes needed to entities or physics
-    AvatarGrabIDs _deletedAvatarGrabs; // deleted grab IDs -- changes needed to entities or physics
 
     // used to transform any sensor into world space, including the _hmdSensorMat, or hand controllers.
     ThreadSafeValueCache<glm::mat4> _sensorToWorldMatrixCache { glm::mat4() };
@@ -1537,7 +1532,7 @@ protected:
     }
 
     bool updateAvatarGrabData(const QUuid& grabID, const QByteArray& grabData);
-    void clearAvatarGrabData(const QUuid& grabID);
+    virtual void clearAvatarGrabData(const QUuid& grabID);
 
 private:
     friend void avatarStateFromFrame(const QByteArray& frameData, AvatarData* _avatar);