diff --git a/examples/utilities/tools/developerMenuItems.js b/examples/utilities/tools/developerMenuItems.js
index a7e487222e..a691031131 100644
--- a/examples/utilities/tools/developerMenuItems.js
+++ b/examples/utilities/tools/developerMenuItems.js
@@ -70,10 +70,13 @@ Menu.menuItemEvent.connect(function (menuItem) {
     }
 });
 
-setupMenus();
+Scene.shouldRenderAvatarsChanged.connect(function(shouldRenderAvatars) {
+    Menu.setIsOptionChecked(AVATARS_ITEM, shouldRenderAvatars)
+});
 
-// register our scriptEnding callback
-Script.scriptEnding.connect(scriptEnding);
+Scene.shouldRenderEntitiesChanged.connect(function(shouldRenderEntities) {
+    Menu.setIsOptionChecked(ENTITIES_ITEM, shouldRenderEntities)
+});
 
 function scriptEnding() {
     Menu.removeMenu(ENTITIES_MENU);
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 5ed8f484b6..806fed7174 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -2997,7 +2997,7 @@ void Application::displaySide(Camera& theCamera, bool selfAvatarOnly, RenderArgs
     
     bool mirrorMode = (theCamera.getMode() == CAMERA_MODE_MIRROR);
     
-    if (DependencyManager::get<SceneScriptingInterface>()->shouldRenderAvatars()) {
+    {
         PerformanceTimer perfTimer("avatars");
         DependencyManager::get<AvatarManager>()->renderAvatars(mirrorMode ? Avatar::MIRROR_RENDER_MODE : Avatar::NORMAL_RENDER_MODE,
                                                                false, selfAvatarOnly);
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
index 0ffcf19bf9..b689c11800 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "AvatarManager.h"
 #include "Menu.h"
 #include "MyAvatar.h"
+#include "SceneScriptingInterface.h"
 
 // 70 times per second - target is 60hz, but this helps account for any small deviations
 // in the update loop
@@ -122,15 +123,17 @@ void AvatarManager::renderAvatars(Avatar::RenderMode renderMode, bool postLighti
     glm::vec3 cameraPosition = Application::getInstance()->getCamera()->getPosition();
 
     if (!selfAvatarOnly) {
-        foreach (const AvatarSharedPointer& avatarPointer, _avatarHash) {
-            Avatar* avatar = static_cast<Avatar*>(avatarPointer.data());
-            if (!avatar->isInitialized()) {
-                continue;
+        if (DependencyManager::get<SceneScriptingInterface>()->shouldRenderAvatars()) {
+            foreach (const AvatarSharedPointer& avatarPointer, _avatarHash) {
+                Avatar* avatar = static_cast<Avatar*>(avatarPointer.data());
+                if (!avatar->isInitialized()) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                avatar->render(cameraPosition, renderMode, postLighting);
+                avatar->setDisplayingLookatVectors(renderLookAtVectors);
             }
-            avatar->render(cameraPosition, renderMode, postLighting);
-            avatar->setDisplayingLookatVectors(renderLookAtVectors);
+            renderAvatarFades(cameraPosition, renderMode);
         }
-        renderAvatarFades(cameraPosition, renderMode);
     } else {
         // just render myAvatar
         _myAvatar->render(cameraPosition, renderMode, postLighting);
diff --git a/libraries/script-engine/src/SceneScriptingInterface.cpp b/libraries/script-engine/src/SceneScriptingInterface.cpp
index 3026c0c95d..5a8f591410 100644
--- a/libraries/script-engine/src/SceneScriptingInterface.cpp
+++ b/libraries/script-engine/src/SceneScriptingInterface.cpp
@@ -64,4 +64,18 @@ float SceneScriptingInterface::getSunIntensity() const {
 
 model::SunSkyStagePointer SceneScriptingInterface::getSkyStage() const {
     return _skyStage;
+}
+
+void SceneScriptingInterface::setShouldRenderAvatars(bool shouldRenderAvatars) {
+    if (shouldRenderAvatars != _shouldRenderAvatars) {
+        _shouldRenderAvatars = shouldRenderAvatars;
+        emit shouldRenderAvatarsChanged(_shouldRenderAvatars);
+    }
+}
+
+void SceneScriptingInterface::setShouldRenderEntities(bool shouldRenderEntities) {
+    if (shouldRenderEntities != _shouldRenderEntities) {
+        _shouldRenderEntities = shouldRenderEntities;
+        emit shouldRenderEntitiesChanged(_shouldRenderEntities);
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/libraries/script-engine/src/SceneScriptingInterface.h b/libraries/script-engine/src/SceneScriptingInterface.h
index c57a343e9d..352bc1e78f 100644
--- a/libraries/script-engine/src/SceneScriptingInterface.h
+++ b/libraries/script-engine/src/SceneScriptingInterface.h
@@ -45,12 +45,15 @@ public:
 
     model::SunSkyStagePointer getSkyStage() const;
     
-    Q_INVOKABLE void setShouldRenderAvatars(bool shouldRenderAvatars) { _shouldRenderAvatars = shouldRenderAvatars; }
+    Q_INVOKABLE void setShouldRenderAvatars(bool shouldRenderAvatars);
     Q_INVOKABLE bool shouldRenderAvatars() const { return _shouldRenderAvatars; }
     
-    Q_INVOKABLE void setShouldRenderEntities(bool shouldRenderEntities) { _shouldRenderEntities = shouldRenderEntities; }
+    Q_INVOKABLE void setShouldRenderEntities(bool shouldRenderEntities);
     Q_INVOKABLE bool shouldRenderEntities() const { return _shouldRenderEntities; }
-
+    
+signals:
+    void shouldRenderAvatarsChanged(bool shouldRenderAvatars);
+    void shouldRenderEntitiesChanged(bool shouldRenderEntities);
 protected:
     SceneScriptingInterface() {};
     ~SceneScriptingInterface() {};