diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.cpp
index bb085796d3..ecf05d694e 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.cpp
@@ -3037,6 +3037,11 @@ void EntityItem::retrieveMarketplacePublicKey() {
     });
 }
 
+void EntityItem::setSpaceIndex(int32_t index) {
+    assert(_spaceIndex == -1);
+    _spaceIndex = index;
+}
+
 void EntityItem::preDelete() {
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.h b/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.h
index 43a69b1761..d38366c2a0 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.h
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityItem.h
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ public:
     bool getCauterized() const { return _cauterized; }
 
     float getBoundingRadius() const { return _boundingRadius; }
-    void setSpaceIndex(int32_t index) { assert(_spaceIndex == -1); _spaceIndex = index; }
+    void setSpaceIndex(int32_t index);
     int32_t getSpaceIndex() const { return _spaceIndex; }
 
     virtual void preDelete();