diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp
index ffb65a2dba..b184d648da 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp
@@ -662,6 +662,25 @@ QVector<QUuid> EntityScriptingInterface::findEntitiesInFrustum(QVariantMap frust
     return result;
 }
 
+QVector<QUuid> EntityScriptingInterface::findEntitiesByType(const QString entityType, const glm::vec3& center, float radius) const {
+	EntityTypes::EntityType type = EntityTypes::getEntityTypeFromName(entityType);
+
+	QVector<QUuid> result;
+	if (_entityTree) {
+		QVector<EntityItemPointer> entities;
+		_entityTree->withReadLock([&] {
+			_entityTree->findEntities(center, radius, entities);
+		});
+
+		foreach(EntityItemPointer entity, entities) {
+			if (entity->getType() == type) {
+				result << entity->getEntityItemID();
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return result;
+}
+
 RayToEntityIntersectionResult EntityScriptingInterface::findRayIntersection(const PickRay& ray, bool precisionPicking, 
                 const QScriptValue& entityIdsToInclude, const QScriptValue& entityIdsToDiscard, bool visibleOnly, bool collidableOnly) {
     PROFILE_RANGE(script_entities, __FUNCTION__);
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.h b/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.h
index f5656860e3..575528fa78 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.h
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.h
@@ -212,9 +212,16 @@ public slots:
     /// - orientation
     /// - projection
     /// - centerRadius
-    /// this function will not find any models in script engine contexts which don't have access to models
+    /// this function will not find any models in script engine contexts which don't have access to entities
     Q_INVOKABLE QVector<QUuid> findEntitiesInFrustum(QVariantMap frustum) const;
 
+	/// finds entities of the indicated type within a sphere given by the center point and radius
+	/// @param {QString} string representation of entity type
+	/// @param {vec3} center point
+	/// @param {float} radius to search
+	/// this function will not find any entities in script engine contexts which don't have access to entities
+	Q_INVOKABLE QVector<QUuid> findEntitiesByType(const QString entityType, const glm::vec3& center, float radius) const;
+
     /// If the scripting context has visible entities, this will determine a ray intersection, the results
     /// may be inaccurate if the engine is unable to access the visible entities, in which case result.accurate
     /// will be false.