diff --git a/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityPriorityQueue.h b/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityPriorityQueue.h
index 4068b4dc4b..730e08591e 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityPriorityQueue.h
+++ b/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityPriorityQueue.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #define hifi_EntityPriorityQueue_h
 
 #include <queue>
+#include <unordered_set>
 
 #include <AACube.h>
 #include <DiffTraversal.h>
@@ -71,6 +72,50 @@ private:
     bool _forceRemove;
 };
 
-using EntityPriorityQueue = std::priority_queue< PrioritizedEntity, std::vector<PrioritizedEntity>, PrioritizedEntity::Compare >;
+class EntityPriorityQueue {
+public:
+    inline bool empty() const {
+        assert(_queue.empty() == _entities.empty());
+        return _queue.empty();
+    }
+
+    inline const PrioritizedEntity& top() const {
+        assert(!_queue.empty());
+        return _queue.top();
+    }
+
+    inline bool contains(const EntityItem* entity) const {
+        return _entities.find(entity) != std::end(_entities);
+    }
+
+    inline void emplace(const EntityItemPointer& entity, float priority, bool forceRemove = false) {
+        assert(entity && !contains(entity.get()));
+        _queue.emplace(entity, priority, forceRemove);
+        _entities.insert(entity.get());
+        assert(_queue.size() == _entities.size());
+    }
+
+    inline void pop() {
+        assert(!empty());
+        _entities.erase(_queue.top().getRawEntityPointer());
+        _queue.pop();
+        assert(_queue.size() == _entities.size());
+    }
+
+    inline void swap(EntityPriorityQueue& other) {
+        std::swap(_queue, other._queue);
+        std::swap(_entities, other._entities);
+    }
+
+private:
+    using PriorityQueue = std::priority_queue<PrioritizedEntity,
+                                              std::vector<PrioritizedEntity>,
+                                              PrioritizedEntity::Compare>;
+
+    PriorityQueue _queue;
+    // Keep dictionary of al the entities in the queue for fast contain checks.
+    std::unordered_set<const EntityItem*> _entities;
+
+};
 
 #endif // hifi_EntityPriorityQueue_h
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityTreeSendThread.cpp b/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityTreeSendThread.cpp
index a282c4ad4c..ae7de01c3e 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityTreeSendThread.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityTreeSendThread.cpp
@@ -127,8 +127,9 @@ void EntityTreeSendThread::traverseTreeAndSendContents(SharedNodePointer node, O
         // and also use the opportunity to cull anything no longer in view
         if (viewFrustumChanged && !_sendQueue.empty()) {
             EntityPriorityQueue prevSendQueue;
-            _sendQueue.swap(prevSendQueue);
-            _entitiesInQueue.clear();
+            std::swap(_sendQueue, prevSendQueue);
+            assert(_sendQueue.empty());
+
             // Re-add elements from previous traversal if they still need to be sent
             while (!prevSendQueue.empty()) {
                 EntityItemPointer entity = prevSendQueue.top().getEntity();
@@ -156,7 +157,6 @@ void EntityTreeSendThread::traverseTreeAndSendContents(SharedNodePointer node, O
 
                     if (priority != PrioritizedEntity::DO_NOT_SEND) {
                         _sendQueue.emplace(entity, priority, forceRemove);
-                        _entitiesInQueue.insert(entity.get());
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ void EntityTreeSendThread::startNewTraversal(const DiffTraversal::View& view, En
             _traversal.setScanCallback([this](DiffTraversal::VisibleElement& next) {
                 next.element->forEachEntity([&](EntityItemPointer entity) {
                     // Bail early if we've already checked this entity this frame
-                    if (_entitiesInQueue.find(entity.get()) != _entitiesInQueue.end()) {
+                    if (_sendQueue.contains(entity.get())) {
                         return;
                     }
                     float priority = PrioritizedEntity::DO_NOT_SEND;
@@ -275,7 +275,6 @@ void EntityTreeSendThread::startNewTraversal(const DiffTraversal::View& view, En
 
                     if (priority != PrioritizedEntity::DO_NOT_SEND) {
                         _sendQueue.emplace(entity, priority);
-                        _entitiesInQueue.insert(entity.get());
                     }
                 });
             });
@@ -286,7 +285,7 @@ void EntityTreeSendThread::startNewTraversal(const DiffTraversal::View& view, En
                 if (next.element->getLastChangedContent() > startOfCompletedTraversal) {
                     next.element->forEachEntity([&](EntityItemPointer entity) {
                         // Bail early if we've already checked this entity this frame
-                        if (_entitiesInQueue.find(entity.get()) != _entitiesInQueue.end()) {
+                        if (_sendQueue.contains(entity.get())) {
                             return;
                         }
                         float priority = PrioritizedEntity::DO_NOT_SEND;
@@ -315,7 +314,6 @@ void EntityTreeSendThread::startNewTraversal(const DiffTraversal::View& view, En
 
                         if (priority != PrioritizedEntity::DO_NOT_SEND) {
                             _sendQueue.emplace(entity, priority);
-                            _entitiesInQueue.insert(entity.get());
                         }
                     });
                 }
@@ -326,7 +324,7 @@ void EntityTreeSendThread::startNewTraversal(const DiffTraversal::View& view, En
             _traversal.setScanCallback([this] (DiffTraversal::VisibleElement& next) {
                 next.element->forEachEntity([&](EntityItemPointer entity) {
                     // Bail early if we've already checked this entity this frame
-                    if (_entitiesInQueue.find(entity.get()) != _entitiesInQueue.end()) {
+                    if (_sendQueue.contains(entity.get())) {
                         return;
                     }
                     float priority = PrioritizedEntity::DO_NOT_SEND;
@@ -358,7 +356,6 @@ void EntityTreeSendThread::startNewTraversal(const DiffTraversal::View& view, En
 
                     if (priority != PrioritizedEntity::DO_NOT_SEND) {
                         _sendQueue.emplace(entity, priority);
-                        _entitiesInQueue.insert(entity.get());
                     }
                 });
             });
@@ -447,11 +444,10 @@ bool EntityTreeSendThread::traverseTreeAndBuildNextPacketPayload(EncodeBitstream
             }
         }
         _sendQueue.pop();
-        _entitiesInQueue.erase(entity.get());
     }
     nodeData->stats.encodeStopped();
     if (_sendQueue.empty()) {
-        assert(_entitiesInQueue.empty());
+        assert(_sendQueue.empty());
         params.stopReason = EncodeBitstreamParams::FINISHED;
         _extraEncodeData->entities.clear();
     }
@@ -469,18 +465,16 @@ bool EntityTreeSendThread::traverseTreeAndBuildNextPacketPayload(EncodeBitstream
 
 void EntityTreeSendThread::editingEntityPointer(const EntityItemPointer& entity) {
     if (entity) {
-        if (_entitiesInQueue.find(entity.get()) == _entitiesInQueue.end() && _knownState.find(entity.get()) != _knownState.end()) {
+        if (!_sendQueue.contains(entity.get()) && _knownState.find(entity.get()) != _knownState.end()) {
             bool success = false;
             AACube cube = entity->getQueryAACube(success);
             if (success) {
                 // We can force a removal from _knownState if the current view is used and entity is out of view
                 if (_traversal.doesCurrentUseViewFrustum() && !_traversal.getCurrentView().intersects(cube)) {
                     _sendQueue.emplace(entity, PrioritizedEntity::FORCE_REMOVE, true);
-                    _entitiesInQueue.insert(entity.get());
                 }
             } else {
                 _sendQueue.emplace(entity, PrioritizedEntity::WHEN_IN_DOUBT_PRIORITY, true);
-                _entitiesInQueue.insert(entity.get());
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityTreeSendThread.h b/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityTreeSendThread.h
index 5ea723c8b2..9eea98b7fd 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityTreeSendThread.h
+++ b/assignment-client/src/entities/EntityTreeSendThread.h
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ private:
 
     DiffTraversal _traversal;
     EntityPriorityQueue _sendQueue;
-    std::unordered_set<EntityItem*> _entitiesInQueue;
     std::unordered_map<EntityItem*, uint64_t> _knownState;
     ConicalView _conicalView; // cached optimized view for fast priority calculations