diff --git a/libraries/metavoxels/src/Bitstream.cpp b/libraries/metavoxels/src/Bitstream.cpp
index 40c87b98e8..c2688e7607 100644
--- a/libraries/metavoxels/src/Bitstream.cpp
+++ b/libraries/metavoxels/src/Bitstream.cpp
@@ -107,6 +107,14 @@ Bitstream::Bitstream(QDataStream& underlying, MetadataType metadataType, QObject
     _sharedObjectStreamer(*this) {
 }
 
+void Bitstream::addMetaObjectSubstitution(const QByteArray& className, const QMetaObject* metaObject) {
+    _metaObjectSubstitutions.insert(className, metaObject);
+}
+
+void Bitstream::addTypeSubstitution(const QByteArray& typeName, int type) {
+    _typeStreamerSubstitutions.insert(typeName, getTypeStreamers().value(type));
+}
+
 const int LAST_BIT_POSITION = BITS_IN_BYTE - 1;
 
 Bitstream& Bitstream::write(const void* data, int bits, int offset) {
@@ -496,7 +504,10 @@ Bitstream& Bitstream::operator>(ObjectReader& objectReader) {
         objectReader = ObjectReader();
         return *this;
     }
-    const QMetaObject* metaObject = getMetaObjects().value(className);
+    const QMetaObject* metaObject = _metaObjectSubstitutions.value(className);
+    if (!metaObject) {
+        metaObject = getMetaObjects().value(className);
+    }
     if (!metaObject) {
         qWarning() << "Unknown class name: " << className << "\n";
     }
@@ -523,6 +534,7 @@ Bitstream& Bitstream::operator>(ObjectReader& objectReader) {
     // for hash metadata, check the names/types of the properties as well as the name hash against our own class
     if (_metadataType == HASH_METADATA) {
         QCryptographicHash hash(QCryptographicHash::Md5);
+        bool matches = true;
         if (metaObject) {
             int propertyIndex = 0;
             for (int i = 0; i < metaObject->propertyCount(); i++) {
@@ -536,21 +548,20 @@ Bitstream& Bitstream::operator>(ObjectReader& objectReader) {
                 }
                 if (propertyIndex >= properties.size() ||
                         !properties.at(propertyIndex).getReader().matchesExactly(typeStreamer)) {
-                    objectReader = ObjectReader(className, metaObject, properties);
-                    return *this;
+                    matches = false;
+                    break;
                 }
                 hash.addData(property.name(), strlen(property.name()) + 1); 
                 propertyIndex++;
             }
             if (propertyIndex != properties.size()) {
-                objectReader = ObjectReader(className, metaObject, properties);
-                return *this;
+                matches = false;
             }
         }
         QByteArray localHashResult = hash.result();
         QByteArray remoteHashResult(localHashResult.size(), 0);
         read(remoteHashResult.data(), remoteHashResult.size() * BITS_IN_BYTE);
-        if (metaObject && localHashResult == remoteHashResult) {
+        if (metaObject && matches && localHashResult == remoteHashResult) {
             objectReader = ObjectReader(className, metaObject, getPropertyReaders(metaObject));
             return *this;
         }
@@ -589,7 +600,10 @@ Bitstream& Bitstream::operator<(const TypeStreamer* streamer) {
 Bitstream& Bitstream::operator>(TypeReader& reader) {
     QByteArray typeName;
     *this >> typeName;
-    const TypeStreamer* streamer = getTypeStreamers().value(QMetaType::type(typeName.constData()));
+    const TypeStreamer* streamer = _typeStreamerSubstitutions.value(typeName);
+    if (!streamer) {
+        streamer = getTypeStreamers().value(QMetaType::type(typeName.constData()));
+    }
     if (!streamer) {
         qWarning() << "Unknown type name: " << typeName << "\n";
     }
diff --git a/libraries/metavoxels/src/Bitstream.h b/libraries/metavoxels/src/Bitstream.h
index 78bc125841..b51bee3a25 100644
--- a/libraries/metavoxels/src/Bitstream.h
+++ b/libraries/metavoxels/src/Bitstream.h
@@ -222,6 +222,12 @@ public:
     /// Creates a new bitstream.  Note: the stream may be used for reading or writing, but not both.
     Bitstream(QDataStream& underlying, MetadataType metadataType = NO_METADATA, QObject* parent = NULL);
 
+    /// Substitutes the supplied metaobject for the given class name's default mapping.
+    void addMetaObjectSubstitution(const QByteArray& className, const QMetaObject* metaObject);
+    
+    /// Substitutes the supplied type for the given type name's default mapping.
+    void addTypeSubstitution(const QByteArray& typeName, int type);
+
     /// Writes a set of bits to the underlying stream.
     /// \param bits the number of bits to write
     /// \param offset the offset of the first bit
@@ -363,6 +369,9 @@ private:
 
     WeakSharedObjectHash _weakSharedObjectHash;
 
+    QHash<QByteArray, const QMetaObject*> _metaObjectSubstitutions;
+    QHash<QByteArray, const TypeStreamer*> _typeStreamerSubstitutions;
+
     static QHash<QByteArray, const QMetaObject*>& getMetaObjects();
     static QMultiHash<const QMetaObject*, const QMetaObject*>& getMetaObjectSubClasses();
     static QHash<int, const TypeStreamer*>& getTypeStreamers();
diff --git a/tests/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelTests.cpp b/tests/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelTests.cpp
index 9de48364b6..a178215fbc 100644
--- a/tests/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelTests.cpp
+++ b/tests/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelTests.cpp
@@ -34,23 +34,65 @@ static int streamedBytesReceived = 0;
 static int sharedObjectsCreated = 0;
 static int sharedObjectsDestroyed = 0;
 
+static QByteArray createRandomBytes(int minimumSize, int maximumSize) {
+    QByteArray bytes(randIntInRange(minimumSize, maximumSize), 0);
+    for (int i = 0; i < bytes.size(); i++) {
+        bytes[i] = rand();
+    }
+    return bytes;
+}
+
+static QByteArray createRandomBytes() {
+    const int MIN_BYTES = 4;
+    const int MAX_BYTES = 16;
+    return createRandomBytes(MIN_BYTES, MAX_BYTES);
+}
+
 static bool testSerialization(Bitstream::MetadataType metadataType) {
     QByteArray array;
     QDataStream outStream(&array, QIODevice::WriteOnly);
     Bitstream out(outStream, metadataType);
-    SharedObjectPointer testObjectWritten = new TestSharedObjectA(randFloat());
-    out << testObjectWritten;
+    SharedObjectPointer testObjectWrittenA = new TestSharedObjectA(randFloat());
+    out << testObjectWrittenA;
+    SharedObjectPointer testObjectWrittenB = new TestSharedObjectB(randFloat(), createRandomBytes());
+    out << testObjectWrittenB;
+    QByteArray endWritten = "end";
+    out << endWritten;
     out.flush();
     
     QDataStream inStream(array);
     Bitstream in(inStream, metadataType);
-    SharedObjectPointer testObjectRead;
-    in >> testObjectRead;
+    in.addMetaObjectSubstitution("TestSharedObjectA", &TestSharedObjectB::staticMetaObject);
+    in.addMetaObjectSubstitution("TestSharedObjectB", &TestSharedObjectA::staticMetaObject);
+    SharedObjectPointer testObjectReadA, testObjectReadB;
+    in >> testObjectReadA >> testObjectReadB;
     
-    if (!testObjectWritten->equals(testObjectRead)) {
-        QDebug debug = qDebug() << "Read/write mismatch";
-        testObjectWritten->dump(debug);
-        testObjectRead->dump(debug);
+    if (!testObjectReadA || testObjectReadA->metaObject() != &TestSharedObjectB::staticMetaObject) {
+        qDebug() << "Wrong class for A" << testObjectReadA << metadataType;
+        return true;
+    }
+    if (metadataType == Bitstream::FULL_METADATA && static_cast<TestSharedObjectA*>(testObjectWrittenA.data())->getFoo() !=
+            static_cast<TestSharedObjectB*>(testObjectReadA.data())->getFoo()) {
+        QDebug debug = qDebug() << "Failed to transfer shared field from A to B";
+        testObjectWrittenA->dump(debug);
+        testObjectReadA->dump(debug); 
+    }
+    
+    if (!testObjectReadB || testObjectReadB->metaObject() != &TestSharedObjectA::staticMetaObject) {
+        qDebug() << "Wrong class for B" << testObjectReadB << metadataType;
+        return true;
+    }
+    if (metadataType == Bitstream::FULL_METADATA && static_cast<TestSharedObjectB*>(testObjectWrittenB.data())->getFoo() !=
+            static_cast<TestSharedObjectA*>(testObjectReadB.data())->getFoo()) {
+        QDebug debug = qDebug() << "Failed to transfer shared field from B to A";
+        testObjectWrittenB->dump(debug);
+        testObjectReadB->dump(debug); 
+    }
+    
+    QByteArray endRead;
+    in >> endRead;
+    if (endWritten != endRead) {
+        qDebug() << "End tag mismatch." << endRead;
         return true;
     }
     
@@ -100,20 +142,6 @@ bool MetavoxelTests::run() {
     return false;
 }
 
-static QByteArray createRandomBytes(int minimumSize, int maximumSize) {
-    QByteArray bytes(randIntInRange(minimumSize, maximumSize), 0);
-    for (int i = 0; i < bytes.size(); i++) {
-        bytes[i] = rand();
-    }
-    return bytes;
-}
-
-static QByteArray createRandomBytes() {
-    const int MIN_BYTES = 4;
-    const int MAX_BYTES = 16;
-    return createRandomBytes(MIN_BYTES, MAX_BYTES);
-}
-
 static SharedObjectPointer createRandomSharedObject() {
     switch (randIntInRange(0, 2)) {
         case 0: return new TestSharedObjectA(randFloat());
@@ -354,7 +382,9 @@ void TestSharedObjectA::setFoo(float foo) {
     }
 }
 
-TestSharedObjectB::TestSharedObjectB() {
+TestSharedObjectB::TestSharedObjectB(float foo, const QByteArray& bar) :
+        _foo(foo),
+        _bar(bar) {
     sharedObjectsCreated++;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelTests.h b/tests/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelTests.h
index 3b69c28f79..22a680acbb 100644
--- a/tests/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelTests.h
+++ b/tests/metavoxels/src/MetavoxelTests.h
@@ -89,11 +89,24 @@ private:
 /// Another simple shared object.
 class TestSharedObjectB : public SharedObject {
     Q_OBJECT
+    Q_PROPERTY(float foo READ getFoo WRITE setFoo)
+    Q_PROPERTY(QByteArray bar READ getBar WRITE setBar)
 
 public:
     
-    Q_INVOKABLE TestSharedObjectB();
+    Q_INVOKABLE TestSharedObjectB(float foo = 0.0f, const QByteArray& bar = QByteArray());
     virtual ~TestSharedObjectB();
+
+    void setFoo(float foo) { _foo = foo; }
+    float getFoo() const { return _foo; }
+    
+    void setBar(const QByteArray& bar) { _bar = bar; }
+    const QByteArray& getBar() const { return _bar; }
+
+private:
+    
+    float _foo;
+    QByteArray _bar;
 };
 
 /// A simple test message.