diff --git a/interface/resources/qml/hifi/Pal.qml b/interface/resources/qml/hifi/Pal.qml
index 989b560e4e..51ef6e17e3 100644
--- a/interface/resources/qml/hifi/Pal.qml
+++ b/interface/resources/qml/hifi/Pal.qml
@@ -218,10 +218,10 @@ Rectangle {
                 id: nameCard
                 // Properties
                 displayName: styleData.value
-                userName: model && model.userName
-                audioLevel: model && model.audioLevel
+                userName: model ? model.userName : ""
+                audioLevel: model ? model.audioLevel : 0.0
                 visible: !isCheckBox && !isButton
-                uuid: model && model.sessionId
+                uuid: model ? model.sessionId : ""
                 selected: styleData.selected
                 isAdmin: model && model.admin
                 // Size
@@ -241,9 +241,9 @@ Rectangle {
                 id: actionCheckBox
                 visible: isCheckBox
                 anchors.centerIn: parent
-                checked: model[styleData.role]
+                checked: model ? model[styleData.role] : false
                 // If this is a "Personal Mute" checkbox, disable the checkbox if the "Ignore" checkbox is checked.
-                enabled: !(styleData.role === "personalMute" && model["ignore"])
+                enabled: !(styleData.role === "personalMute" && (model ? model["ignore"] : true))
                 boxSize: 24
                 onClicked: {
                     var newValue = !model[styleData.role]
@@ -416,6 +416,22 @@ Rectangle {
         }
     }
     }
+    // Timer used when selecting table rows that aren't yet present in the model
+    // (i.e. when selecting avatars using edit.js or sphere overlays)
+    Timer {
+        property bool selected // Selected or deselected?
+        property int userIndex // The userIndex of the avatar we want to select
+        id: selectionTimer
+        onTriggered: {
+            if (selected) {
+                table.selection.clear(); // for now, no multi-select
+                table.selection.select(userIndex);
+                table.positionViewAtRow(userIndex, ListView.Visible);
+            } else {
+                table.selection.deselect(userIndex);
+            }
+        }
+    }
 
     function findSessionIndex(sessionId, optionalData) { // no findIndex in .qml
         var data = optionalData || userModelData, length = data.length;
@@ -453,19 +469,30 @@ Rectangle {
         case 'select':
             var sessionIds = message.params[0];
             var selected = message.params[1];
+            var alreadyRefreshed = message.params[2];
             var userIndex = findSessionIndex(sessionIds[0]);
             if (sessionIds.length > 1) {
                 letterbox("", "", 'Only one user can be selected at a time.');
             } else if (userIndex < 0) {
-                letterbox("", "", 'The last editor is not among this list of users.');
-            } else {
-                if (selected) {
-                    table.selection.clear(); // for now, no multi-select
-                    table.selection.select(userIndex);
-                    table.positionViewAtRow(userIndex, ListView.Visible);
+                // If we've already refreshed the PAL and the avatar still isn't present in the model...
+                if (alreadyRefreshed === true) {
+                    letterbox('', '', 'The last editor of this object is either you or not among this list of users.');
                 } else {
-                    table.selection.deselect(userIndex);
+                    pal.sendToScript({method: 'refresh', params: message.params});
                 }
+            } else {
+                // If we've already refreshed the PAL and found the avatar in the model
+                if (alreadyRefreshed === true) {
+                    // Wait a little bit before trying to actually select the avatar in the table
+                    selectionTimer.interval = 250;
+                } else {
+                    // If we've found the avatar in the model and didn't need to refresh,
+                    // select the avatar in the table immediately
+                    selectionTimer.interval = 0;
+                }
+                selectionTimer.selected = selected;
+                selectionTimer.userIndex = userIndex;
+                selectionTimer.start();
             }
             break;
         // Received an "updateUsername()" request from the JS
diff --git a/scripts/system/libraries/entityList.js b/scripts/system/libraries/entityList.js
index 085d4f5e27..6dc2486ffb 100644
--- a/scripts/system/libraries/entityList.js
+++ b/scripts/system/libraries/entityList.js
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ EntityListTool = function(opts) {
                 Window.alert('There were no recent users of the ' + selectionManager.selections.length + ' selected objects.');
             } else {
                 // No need to subscribe if we're just sending.
-                Messages.sendMessage('com.highfidelity.pal', JSON.stringify({method: 'select', params: [dedupped, true]}), 'local');
+                Messages.sendMessage('com.highfidelity.pal', JSON.stringify({method: 'select', params: [dedupped, true, false]}), 'local');
             }
         } else if (data.type == "delete") {
             deleteSelectedEntities();
diff --git a/scripts/system/pal.js b/scripts/system/pal.js
index 3b34eed268..f148ad5fdb 100644
--- a/scripts/system/pal.js
+++ b/scripts/system/pal.js
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ pal.fromQml.connect(function (message) { // messages are {method, params}, like
         break;
     case 'refresh':
         removeOverlays();
-        populateUserList();
+        populateUserList(message.params);
         UserActivityLogger.palAction("refresh", "");
         break;
     case 'updateGain':
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ function addAvatarNode(id) {
          color: color(selected, false, 0.0),
          ignoreRayIntersection: false}, selected, true);
 }
-function populateUserList() {
+function populateUserList(selectData) {
     var data = [];
     AvatarList.getAvatarIdentifiers().sort().forEach(function (id) { // sorting the identifiers is just an aid for debugging
         var avatar = AvatarList.getAvatar(id);
@@ -295,7 +295,11 @@ function populateUserList() {
         data.push(avatarPalDatum);
         print('PAL data:', JSON.stringify(avatarPalDatum));
     });
-    pal.sendToQml({method: 'users', params: data});
+    pal.sendToQml({ method: 'users', params: data });
+    if (selectData) {
+        selectData[2] = true;
+        pal.sendToQml({ method: 'select', params: selectData });
+    }
 }
 
 // The function that handles the reply from the server
@@ -388,7 +392,7 @@ function removeOverlays() {
 function handleClick(pickRay) {
     ExtendedOverlay.applyPickRay(pickRay, function (overlay) {
         // Don't select directly. Tell qml, who will give us back a list of ids.
-        var message = {method: 'select', params: [[overlay.key], !overlay.selected]};
+        var message = {method: 'select', params: [[overlay.key], !overlay.selected, false]};
         pal.sendToQml(message);
         return true;
     });