diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityEditPacketSender.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityEditPacketSender.cpp
index 43de66f4b2..c8a14c40be 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityEditPacketSender.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityEditPacketSender.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,18 @@ void EntityEditPacketSender::queueEditEntityMessage(PacketType type,
 
     QByteArray bufferOut(NLPacket::maxPayloadSize(type), 0);
 
-    if (EntityItemProperties::encodeEntityEditPacket(type, entityItemID, properties, bufferOut)) {
+    bool success;
+    if (properties.parentIDChanged() && properties.getParentID() == AVATAR_SELF_ID) {
+        EntityItemProperties propertiesCopy = properties;
+        auto nodeList = DependencyManager::get<NodeList>();
+        const QUuid myNodeID = nodeList->getSessionUUID();
+        propertiesCopy.setParentID(myNodeID);
+        success = EntityItemProperties::encodeEntityEditPacket(type, entityItemID, propertiesCopy, bufferOut);
+    } else {
+        success = EntityItemProperties::encodeEntityEditPacket(type, entityItemID, properties, bufferOut);
+    }
+
+    if (success) {
         #ifdef WANT_DEBUG
             qCDebug(entities) << "calling queueOctreeEditMessage()...";
             qCDebug(entities) << "    id:" << entityItemID;
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.cpp
index 233ce7d88e..6543af5355 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.cpp
@@ -828,7 +828,7 @@ int EntityItem::readEntityDataFromBuffer(const unsigned char* data, int bytesLef
     {   // parentID and parentJointIndex are also protected by simulation ownership
         bool oldOverwrite = overwriteLocalData;
         overwriteLocalData = overwriteLocalData && !weOwnSimulation;
-        READ_ENTITY_PROPERTY(PROP_PARENT_ID, QUuid, setParentID);
+        READ_ENTITY_PROPERTY(PROP_PARENT_ID, QUuid, updateParentID);
         READ_ENTITY_PROPERTY(PROP_PARENT_JOINT_INDEX, quint16, setParentJointIndex);
         overwriteLocalData = oldOverwrite;
     }
@@ -1823,28 +1823,6 @@ void EntityItem::computeCollisionGroupAndFinalMask(int16_t& group, int16_t& mask
         }
 
         uint8_t userMask = getCollisionMask();
-        if (userMask & USER_COLLISION_GROUP_MY_AVATAR) {
-            // if this entity is a descendant of MyAvatar, don't collide with MyAvatar.  This avoids the
-            // "bootstrapping" problem where you can shoot yourself across the room by grabbing something
-            // and holding it against your own avatar.
-            QUuid ancestorID = findAncestorOfType(NestableType::Avatar);
-            if (!ancestorID.isNull() && ancestorID == Physics::getSessionUUID()) {
-                userMask &= ~USER_COLLISION_GROUP_MY_AVATAR;
-            }
-        }
-        if (userMask & USER_COLLISION_GROUP_MY_AVATAR) {
-            // also, don't bootstrap our own avatar with a hold action
-            QList<EntityActionPointer> holdActions = getActionsOfType(ACTION_TYPE_HOLD);
-            QList<EntityActionPointer>::const_iterator i = holdActions.begin();
-            while (i != holdActions.end()) {
-                EntityActionPointer action = *i;
-                if (action->isMine()) {
-                    userMask &= ~USER_COLLISION_GROUP_MY_AVATAR;
-                    break;
-                }
-                i++;
-            }
-        }
 
         if ((bool)(userMask & USER_COLLISION_GROUP_MY_AVATAR) !=
                 (bool)(userMask & USER_COLLISION_GROUP_OTHER_AVATAR)) {
@@ -1854,6 +1832,33 @@ void EntityItem::computeCollisionGroupAndFinalMask(int16_t& group, int16_t& mask
                 userMask ^= USER_COLLISION_MASK_AVATARS | ~userMask;
             }
         }
+
+        if (userMask & USER_COLLISION_GROUP_MY_AVATAR) {
+            bool iAmHoldingThis = false;
+            // if this entity is a descendant of MyAvatar, don't collide with MyAvatar.  This avoids the
+            // "bootstrapping" problem where you can shoot yourself across the room by grabbing something
+            // and holding it against your own avatar.
+            QUuid ancestorID = findAncestorOfType(NestableType::Avatar);
+            if (!ancestorID.isNull() &&
+                (ancestorID == Physics::getSessionUUID() || ancestorID == AVATAR_SELF_ID)) {
+                iAmHoldingThis = true;
+            }
+            // also, don't bootstrap our own avatar with a hold action
+            QList<EntityActionPointer> holdActions = getActionsOfType(ACTION_TYPE_HOLD);
+            QList<EntityActionPointer>::const_iterator i = holdActions.begin();
+            while (i != holdActions.end()) {
+                EntityActionPointer action = *i;
+                if (action->isMine()) {
+                    iAmHoldingThis = true;
+                    break;
+                }
+                i++;
+            }
+
+            if (iAmHoldingThis) {
+                userMask &= ~USER_COLLISION_GROUP_MY_AVATAR;
+            }
+        }
         mask = Physics::getDefaultCollisionMask(group) & (int16_t)(userMask);
     }
 }
diff --git a/libraries/physics/src/EntityMotionState.cpp b/libraries/physics/src/EntityMotionState.cpp
index eb75718d92..c175a836cc 100644
--- a/libraries/physics/src/EntityMotionState.cpp
+++ b/libraries/physics/src/EntityMotionState.cpp
@@ -199,15 +199,12 @@ void EntityMotionState::getWorldTransform(btTransform& worldTrans) const {
         return;
     }
     assert(entityTreeIsLocked());
-    if (_motionType == MOTION_TYPE_KINEMATIC) {
+    if (_motionType == MOTION_TYPE_KINEMATIC && !_entity->hasAncestorOfType(NestableType::Avatar)) {
         BT_PROFILE("kinematicIntegration");
         // This is physical kinematic motion which steps strictly by the subframe count
         // of the physics simulation and uses full gravity for acceleration.
-        if (_entity->hasAncestorOfType(NestableType::Avatar)) {
-            _entity->setAcceleration(glm::vec3(0.0f));
-        } else {
-            _entity->setAcceleration(_entity->getGravity());
-        }
+        _entity->setAcceleration(_entity->getGravity());
+
         uint32_t thisStep = ObjectMotionState::getWorldSimulationStep();
         float dt = (thisStep - _lastKinematicStep) * PHYSICS_ENGINE_FIXED_SUBSTEP;
         _entity->stepKinematicMotion(dt);
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/SpatiallyNestable.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/SpatiallyNestable.cpp
index 35e574bf06..ddc3f416e0 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/SpatiallyNestable.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/SpatiallyNestable.cpp
@@ -1034,6 +1034,13 @@ AACube SpatiallyNestable::getQueryAACube() const {
 
 bool SpatiallyNestable::hasAncestorOfType(NestableType nestableType) const {
     bool success;
+    if (nestableType == NestableType::Avatar) {
+        QUuid parentID = getParentID();
+        if (parentID == AVATAR_SELF_ID) {
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+
     SpatiallyNestablePointer parent = getParentPointer(success);
     if (!success || !parent) {
         return false;
@@ -1048,6 +1055,14 @@ bool SpatiallyNestable::hasAncestorOfType(NestableType nestableType) const {
 
 const QUuid SpatiallyNestable::findAncestorOfType(NestableType nestableType) const {
     bool success;
+
+    if (nestableType == NestableType::Avatar) {
+        QUuid parentID = getParentID();
+        if (parentID == AVATAR_SELF_ID) {
+            return AVATAR_SELF_ID; // TODO -- can we put nodeID here?
+        }
+    }
+
     SpatiallyNestablePointer parent = getParentPointer(success);
     if (!success || !parent) {
         return QUuid();