diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
index 97a24e97f1..32e725388c 100755
--- a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
@@ -549,28 +549,6 @@ void AvatarManager::removeDeadAvatarEntities(const SetOfEntities& deadEntities)
     }
 }
 
-/* ADEBUG: I don't think the code below is necessary because any dead entities will have already been removed from tree and simulation
-        if (entityTree && entity->isMyAvatarEntity()) {
-            entityTree->withWriteLock([&] {
-                // We only need to delete the direct children (rather than the descendants) because
-                // when the child is deleted, it will take care of its own children.  If the child
-                // is also an avatar-entity, we'll end up back here.  If it's not, the entity-server
-                // will take care of it in the usual way.
-                entity->forEachChild([&](SpatiallyNestablePointer child) {
-                    EntityItemPointer childEntity = std::dynamic_pointer_cast<EntityItem>(child);
-                    if (childEntity) {
-                        entityTree->deleteEntity(childEntity->getID(), true, true);
-                        if (avatar) {
-                            avatar->clearAvatarEntity(childEntity->getID(), REQUIRES_REMOVAL_FROM_TREE);
-                        }
-                    }
-                });
-            });
-        }
-    }
-}
-*/
-
 void AvatarManager::handleRemovedAvatar(const AvatarSharedPointer& removedAvatar, KillAvatarReason removalReason) {
     auto avatar = std::static_pointer_cast<OtherAvatar>(removedAvatar);
     AvatarHashMap::handleRemovedAvatar(avatar, removalReason);
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntitySimulation.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntitySimulation.cpp
index 48de811be5..5576f21cc5 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntitySimulation.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntitySimulation.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ void EntitySimulation::updateEntities() {
 }
 
 void EntitySimulation::removeEntityFromInternalLists(EntityItemPointer entity) {
-    // remove from all internal lists except _deadEntities
+    // remove from all internal lists except _deadEntitiesToRemoveFromTree
     _entitiesToSort.remove(entity);
     _simpleKinematicEntities.remove(entity);
     _allEntities.remove(entity);
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ void EntitySimulation::prepareEntityForDelete(EntityItemPointer entity) {
         QMutexLocker lock(&_mutex);
         removeEntityFromInternalLists(entity);
         if (entity->getElement()) {
-            _deadEntities.insert(entity);
+            _deadEntitiesToRemoveFromTree.insert(entity);
             _entityTree->cleanupCloneIDs(entity->getEntityItemID());
         }
     }
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ void EntitySimulation::clearEntities() {
     _simpleKinematicEntities.clear();
     _changedEntities.clear();
     _allEntities.clear();
-    _deadEntities.clear();
+    _deadEntitiesToRemoveFromTree.clear();
     _entitiesToUpdate.clear();
     _mortalEntities.clear();
     _nextExpiry = std::numeric_limits<uint64_t>::max();
@@ -257,18 +257,21 @@ void EntitySimulation::moveSimpleKinematics(uint64_t now) {
 }
 
 void EntitySimulation::processDeadEntities() {
-    if (_deadEntities.empty()) {
+    if (_deadEntitiesToRemoveFromTree.empty()) {
         return;
     }
     SetOfEntities entitiesToDeleteImmediately;
-    SetOfEntities dummyList; // ignore this list: it will be empty
-    foreach (auto entity, _deadEntities) {
-        QUuid nullSessionID;
+    // NOTE: dummyList will be empty because this base-class implementation is only used server-side
+    // for which ATM we only process domain-entities, and since we are passing nullSessionID for authorization
+    // EntityItem::collectChildrenForDelete() will not collect domain-entities into this side list.
+    SetOfEntities dummyList;
+    QUuid nullSessionID;
+    foreach (auto entity, _deadEntitiesToRemoveFromTree) {
         entitiesToDeleteImmediately.insert(entity);
         entity->collectChildrenForDelete(entitiesToDeleteImmediately, dummyList, nullSessionID);
     }
     if (_entityTree) {
         _entityTree->deleteEntitiesByPointer(entitiesToDeleteImmediately);
     }
-    _deadEntities.clear();
+    _deadEntitiesToRemoveFromTree.clear();
 }
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntitySimulation.h b/libraries/entities/src/EntitySimulation.h
index 6c32a7526f..646e5a0f67 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntitySimulation.h
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntitySimulation.h
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ protected:
 
     SetOfEntities _entitiesToSort; // entities moved by simulation (and might need resort in EntityTree)
     SetOfEntities _simpleKinematicEntities; // entities undergoing non-colliding kinematic motion
-    SetOfEntities _deadEntities; // dead entities that might still be in the _entityTree
+    SetOfEntities _deadEntitiesToRemoveFromTree;
 
 private:
     void moveSimpleKinematics();
diff --git a/libraries/physics/src/PhysicalEntitySimulation.cpp b/libraries/physics/src/PhysicalEntitySimulation.cpp
index a7f66929ed..0375e1dfd9 100644
--- a/libraries/physics/src/PhysicalEntitySimulation.cpp
+++ b/libraries/physics/src/PhysicalEntitySimulation.cpp
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ void PhysicalEntitySimulation::removeEntityFromInternalLists(EntityItemPointer e
         _entitiesToRemoveFromPhysics.insert(entity);
     }
     if (entity->isDead() && entity->getElement()) {
-        _deadEntities.insert(entity);
+        _deadEntitiesToRemoveFromTree.insert(entity);
     }
     if (entity->isAvatarEntity()) {
         _deadAvatarEntities.insert(entity);
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ void PhysicalEntitySimulation::processChangedEntity(const EntityItemPointer& ent
 }
 
 void PhysicalEntitySimulation::processDeadEntities() {
-    if (_deadEntities.empty()) {
+    if (_deadEntitiesToRemoveFromTree.empty()) {
         return;
     }
     PROFILE_RANGE(simulation_physics, "Deletes");
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ void PhysicalEntitySimulation::processDeadEntities() {
     SetOfEntities domainEntities;
     QUuid sessionID = Physics::getSessionUUID();
     QMutexLocker lock(&_mutex);
-    for (auto entity : _deadEntities) {
+    for (auto entity : _deadEntitiesToRemoveFromTree) {
         EntityMotionState* motionState = static_cast<EntityMotionState*>(entity->getPhysicsInfo());
         if (motionState) {
             _entitiesToRemoveFromPhysics.insert(entity);
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ void PhysicalEntitySimulation::processDeadEntities() {
             entity->collectChildrenForDelete(entitiesToDeleteImmediately, domainEntities, sessionID);
         }
     }
-    _deadEntities.clear();
+    _deadEntitiesToRemoveFromTree.clear();
 
     // interface-client can't delete domainEntities outright, they must roundtrip through the entity-server
     for (auto entity : domainEntities) {
diff --git a/libraries/physics/src/PhysicalEntitySimulation.h b/libraries/physics/src/PhysicalEntitySimulation.h
index 869ad1f108..a3bd60b96e 100644
--- a/libraries/physics/src/PhysicalEntitySimulation.h
+++ b/libraries/physics/src/PhysicalEntitySimulation.h
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ private:
 
     VectorOfEntityMotionStates _owned;
     VectorOfEntityMotionStates _bids;
-    SetOfEntities _deadAvatarEntities;
+    SetOfEntities _deadAvatarEntities; // to remove from Avatar's lists
     std::vector<EntityItemPointer> _entitiesToDeleteLater;
 
     QList<EntityDynamicPointer> _dynamicsToAdd;