diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp
index 61aa3b5d2d..e8ce812285 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp
@@ -1191,7 +1191,8 @@ bool EntityTreeRenderer::LayeredZones::clearDomainAndNonOwnedZones(const QUuid&
 
     auto it = c.begin();
     while (it != c.end()) {
-        if (!(it->zone->isLocalEntity() || (it->zone->isAvatarEntity() && it->zone->getOwningAvatarID() == sessionUUID))) {
+        auto zone = it->zone.lock();
+        if (!zone || !(zone->isLocalEntity() || (zone->isAvatarEntity() && zone->getOwningAvatarID() == sessionUUID))) {
             zonesChanged = true;
             it = c.erase(it);
         } else {
@@ -1208,8 +1209,9 @@ bool EntityTreeRenderer::LayeredZones::clearDomainAndNonOwnedZones(const QUuid&
 std::pair<bool, bool> EntityTreeRenderer::LayeredZones::getZoneInteractionProperties() const {
     auto it = c.cbegin();
     while (it != c.cend()) {
-        if (it->zone && it->zone->isDomainEntity()) {
-            return { it->zone->getFlyingAllowed(), it->zone->getGhostingAllowed() };
+        auto zone = it->zone.lock();
+        if (zone && zone->isDomainEntity()) {
+            return { zone->getFlyingAllowed(), zone->getGhostingAllowed() };
         }
         it++;
     }
@@ -1219,7 +1221,7 @@ std::pair<bool, bool> EntityTreeRenderer::LayeredZones::getZoneInteractionProper
 void EntityTreeRenderer::LayeredZones::remove(const std::shared_ptr<ZoneEntityItem>& zone) {
     auto it = c.begin();
     while (it != c.end()) {
-        if (it->zone == zone) {
+        if (it->zone.lock() == zone) {
             break;
         }
         it++;
@@ -1262,7 +1264,7 @@ bool EntityTreeRenderer::LayeredZones::equals(const LayeredZones& other) const {
 void EntityTreeRenderer::LayeredZones::appendRenderIDs(render::ItemIDs& list, EntityTreeRenderer* entityTreeRenderer) const {
     auto it = c.cbegin();
     while (it != c.cend()) {
-        if (it->zone) {
+        if (it->zone.lock()) {
             auto id = entityTreeRenderer->renderableIdForEntityId(it->id);
             if (id != render::Item::INVALID_ITEM_ID) {
                 list.push_back(id);
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.h b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.h
index f7f5ae9f22..f4284078a3 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.h
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.h
@@ -213,11 +213,11 @@ private:
         LayeredZone(std::shared_ptr<ZoneEntityItem> zone) : zone(zone), id(zone->getID()), volume(zone->getVolumeEstimate()) {}
 
         bool operator>(const LayeredZone& r) const { return volume > r.volume; }
-        bool operator==(const LayeredZone& r) const { return zone.get() == r.zone.get(); }
+        bool operator==(const LayeredZone& r) const { return zone.lock() == r.zone.lock(); }
         bool operator!=(const LayeredZone& r) const { return !(*this == r); }
         bool operator>=(const LayeredZone& r) const { return (*this > r) || (*this == r); }
 
-        std::shared_ptr<ZoneEntityItem> zone;
+        std::weak_ptr<ZoneEntityItem> zone;
         QUuid id;
         float volume;
     };
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/ZoneRenderer.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/ZoneRenderer.cpp
index 8403d87868..e1606ba9f8 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/ZoneRenderer.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/ZoneRenderer.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ const Selection::Name ZoneRendererTask::ZONES_SELECTION { "RankedZones" };
 
 void ZoneRendererTask::build(JobModel& task, const Varying& input, Varying& output) {
     // Filter out the sorted list of zones
+    // FIXME: the zones in the selection are already sorted, but we're doing another sort here to pick the selected items
+    // out of `input`, which means we're also looping over the inItems an extra time.
     const auto zoneItems = task.addJob<render::SelectSortItems>("FilterZones", input, ZONES_SELECTION);
 
     // just setup the current zone env
diff --git a/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.cpp b/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.cpp
index ff848aa464..3fd52d5fa2 100644
--- a/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.cpp
@@ -277,9 +277,6 @@ void Scene::processTransactionFrame(const Transaction& transaction) {
         // removes
         removeItems(transaction._removedItems);
 
-        // handle selections
-        resetSelections(transaction._resetSelections);
-
         // add transitions
         transitionItems(transaction._addedTransitions);
         reApplyTransitions(transaction._reAppliedTransitions);
@@ -290,6 +287,8 @@ void Scene::processTransactionFrame(const Transaction& transaction) {
         _numAllocatedItems.exchange(maxID);
     }
 
+    resetSelections(transaction._resetSelections);
+
     resetHighlights(transaction._highlightResets);
     removeHighlights(transaction._highlightRemoves);
     queryHighlights(transaction._highlightQueries);