diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp
index 61dbbda698..21df5498ec 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp
@@ -1069,6 +1069,24 @@ void EntityTree::dumpTree() {
     recurseTreeWithOperator(&theOperator);
 }
 
+class PruneOperator : public RecurseOctreeOperator {
+public:
+    virtual bool preRecursion(OctreeElement* element) { return true; }
+    virtual bool postRecursion(OctreeElement* element);
+};
+
+bool PruneOperator::postRecursion(OctreeElement* element) {
+    EntityTreeElement* entityTreeElement = static_cast<EntityTreeElement*>(element);
+    entityTreeElement->pruneChildren();
+    return true;
+}
+
+void EntityTree::pruneTree() {
+    // First, look for the existing entity in the tree..
+    PruneOperator theOperator;
+    recurseTreeWithOperator(&theOperator);
+}
+
 void EntityTree::sendEntities(EntityEditPacketSender* packetSender, EntityTree* localTree, float x, float y, float z) {
     SendEntitiesOperationArgs args;
     args.packetSender = packetSender;
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.h b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.h
index 634a04a688..53b407c7f5 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.h
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.h
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ public:
     void resetContainingElement(const EntityItemID& entityItemID, EntityTreeElement* element);
     void debugDumpMap();
     virtual void dumpTree();
+    virtual void pruneTree();
 
     void sendEntities(EntityEditPacketSender* packetSender, EntityTree* localTree, float x, float y, float z);
 
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTreeElement.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTreeElement.cpp
index da7d5db226..59dce80ecc 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTreeElement.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTreeElement.cpp
@@ -812,11 +812,20 @@ bool EntityTreeElement::pruneChildren() {
 
 void EntityTreeElement::debugDump() {
     qDebug() << "EntityTreeElement...";
-    qDebug() << "entity count:" << _entityItems->size();
-    qDebug() << "cube:" << getAACube();
-    for (uint16_t i = 0; i < _entityItems->size(); i++) {
-        EntityItem* entity = (*_entityItems)[i];
-        entity->debugDump();
+    AACube temp = getAACube();
+    temp.scale((float)TREE_SCALE);
+    qDebug() << "    cube:" << temp;
+    qDebug() << "    has child elements:" << getChildCount();
+    if (_entityItems->size()) {
+        qDebug() << "    has entities:" << _entityItems->size();
+        qDebug() << "--------------------------------------------------";
+        for (uint16_t i = 0; i < _entityItems->size(); i++) {
+            EntityItem* entity = (*_entityItems)[i];
+            entity->debugDump();
+        }
+        qDebug() << "--------------------------------------------------";
+    } else {
+        qDebug() << "    NO entities!";
     }
 }
     
diff --git a/libraries/octree/src/Octree.h b/libraries/octree/src/Octree.h
index da0e483e1e..42cbb3c38d 100644
--- a/libraries/octree/src/Octree.h
+++ b/libraries/octree/src/Octree.h
@@ -352,6 +352,7 @@ public:
     void setIsClient(bool isClient) { _isServer = !isClient; }
     
     virtual void dumpTree() { };
+    virtual void pruneTree() { };
 
 signals:
     void importSize(float x, float y, float z);
diff --git a/libraries/octree/src/OctreePersistThread.cpp b/libraries/octree/src/OctreePersistThread.cpp
index 7613e2332b..406681c2c5 100644
--- a/libraries/octree/src/OctreePersistThread.cpp
+++ b/libraries/octree/src/OctreePersistThread.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ bool OctreePersistThread::process() {
         {
             PerformanceWarning warn(true, "Loading Octree File", true);
             persistantFileRead = _tree->readFromSVOFile(_filename.toLocal8Bit().constData());
+            _tree->pruneTree();
         }
         _tree->unlock();
 
@@ -80,10 +81,14 @@ bool OctreePersistThread::process() {
             // check the dirty bit and persist here...
             _lastCheck = usecTimestampNow();
             if (_tree->isDirty()) {
-                qDebug() << "saving Octrees to file " << _filename << "...";
+                qDebug() << "pruning Octree before saving...";
+                _tree->pruneTree();
+                qDebug() << "DONE pruning Octree before saving...";
+            
+                qDebug() << "saving Octree to file " << _filename << "...";
                 _tree->writeToSVOFile(_filename.toLocal8Bit().constData());
                 _tree->clearDirtyBit(); // tree is clean after saving
-                qDebug("DONE saving Octrees to file...");
+                qDebug("DONE saving Octree to file...");
             }
         }
     }