diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTreeElement.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTreeElement.cpp
index 4056bbd0b7..bf5780e7cb 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTreeElement.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTreeElement.cpp
@@ -893,6 +893,7 @@ void EntityTreeElement::cleanupEntities() {
         }
         _entityItems.clear();
     });
+    _lastChangedContent = usecTimestampNow();
 }
 
 bool EntityTreeElement::removeEntityWithEntityItemID(const EntityItemID& id) {
@@ -906,6 +907,7 @@ bool EntityTreeElement::removeEntityWithEntityItemID(const EntityItemID& id) {
                 // NOTE: only EntityTreeElement should ever be changing the value of entity->_element
                 entity->_element = NULL;
                 _entityItems.removeAt(i);
+                _lastChangedContent = usecTimestampNow();
                 break;
             }
         }
@@ -922,6 +924,7 @@ bool EntityTreeElement::removeEntityItem(EntityItemPointer entity) {
         // NOTE: only EntityTreeElement should ever be changing the value of entity->_element
         assert(entity->_element.get() == this);
         entity->_element = NULL;
+        _lastChangedContent = usecTimestampNow();
         return true;
     }
     return false;
@@ -939,6 +942,7 @@ void EntityTreeElement::addEntityItem(EntityItemPointer entity) {
     withWriteLock([&] {
         _entityItems.push_back(entity);
     });
+    _lastChangedContent = usecTimestampNow();
     entity->_element = getThisPointer();
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTreeElement.h b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTreeElement.h
index 3460a893fb..c7fb80c330 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTreeElement.h
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTreeElement.h
@@ -238,10 +238,14 @@ public:
         return std::static_pointer_cast<const OctreeElement>(shared_from_this());
     }
 
+    void bumpChangedContent() { _lastChangedContent = usecTimestampNow(); }
+    uint64_t getLastChangedContent() const { return _lastChangedContent; }
+
 protected:
     virtual void init(unsigned char * octalCode) override;
     EntityTreePointer _myTree;
     EntityItems _entityItems;
+    uint64_t _lastChangedContent { 0 };
 };
 
 #endif // hifi_EntityTreeElement_h
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/MovingEntitiesOperator.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/MovingEntitiesOperator.cpp
index ea30ce85f2..cf043dd93e 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/MovingEntitiesOperator.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/MovingEntitiesOperator.cpp
@@ -192,6 +192,8 @@ bool MovingEntitiesOperator::preRecursion(const OctreeElementPointer& element) {
                         oldElement->removeEntityItem(details.entity);
                     }
                     entityTreeElement->addEntityItem(details.entity);
+                } else {
+                    entityTreeElement->bumpChangedContent();
                 }
                 _foundNewCount++;
                 //details.newFound = true; // TODO: would be nice to add this optimization
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/UpdateEntityOperator.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/UpdateEntityOperator.cpp
index 7a5c87187a..ea284e6d5b 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/UpdateEntityOperator.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/UpdateEntityOperator.cpp
@@ -173,6 +173,8 @@ bool UpdateEntityOperator::preRecursion(const OctreeElementPointer& element) {
                 if (oldElement != _containingElement) {
                     qCDebug(entities) << "WARNING entity moved during UpdateEntityOperator recursion";
                     _containingElement->removeEntityItem(_existingEntity);
+                } else {
+                    _containingElement->bumpChangedContent();
                 }
 
                 if (_wantDebug) {