diff --git a/assignment-client/src/avatars/ScriptableAvatar.cpp b/assignment-client/src/avatars/ScriptableAvatar.cpp
index 25cf702b22..8e88d6c236 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/avatars/ScriptableAvatar.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/avatars/ScriptableAvatar.cpp
@@ -252,7 +252,8 @@ void ScriptableAvatar::setHasAudioEnabledFaceMovement(bool hasAudioEnabledFaceMo
     _headData->setHasAudioEnabledFaceMovement(hasAudioEnabledFaceMovement);
 }
 
-void ScriptableAvatar::updateAvatarEntity(const QUuid& id, const QScriptValue& data) {
+void ScriptableAvatar::updateAvatarEntity(const QUuid& id, const QByteArray& data) {
+    /* TODO: fix this
     if (data.isNull()) {
         // interpret this as a DELETE
         std::map<QUuid, EntityItemPointer>::iterator itr = _entities.find(id);
@@ -299,4 +300,5 @@ void ScriptableAvatar::updateAvatarEntity(const QUuid& id, const QScriptValue& d
             }
         }
     }
+    */
 }
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/avatars/ScriptableAvatar.h b/assignment-client/src/avatars/ScriptableAvatar.h
index f56d7c66b0..b0e41d28eb 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/avatars/ScriptableAvatar.h
+++ b/assignment-client/src/avatars/ScriptableAvatar.h
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ public:
     bool getHasProceduralEyeFaceMovement() const override { return _headData->getHasProceduralEyeFaceMovement(); }
     void setHasAudioEnabledFaceMovement(bool hasAudioEnabledFaceMovement);
     bool getHasAudioEnabledFaceMovement() const override { return _headData->getHasAudioEnabledFaceMovement(); }
-    void updateAvatarEntity(const QUuid& id, const QScriptValue& data) override;
+    void updateAvatarEntity(const QUuid& id, const QByteArray& data) override;
 
 public slots:
     void update(float deltatime);
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
index 051aab4cdf..a59560860d 100755
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
@@ -1772,16 +1772,23 @@ void MyAvatar::setAvatarEntityData(const AvatarEntityMap& avatarEntityData) {
         return;
     }
 
+    if (!avatarEntityData.empty() && !_cachedAvatarEntityBlobs.empty()) {
+        _needToSaveAvatarEntitySettings = true;
+    }
     _avatarEntitiesLock.withWriteLock([&] {
         // find new and updated IDs
         AvatarEntityMap::const_iterator constItr = avatarEntityData.begin();
+        std::vector<QUuid> blobsToCache;
+        blobsToCache.reserve(avatarEntityData.size());
         while (constItr != avatarEntityData.end()) {
             QUuid id = constItr.key();
             if (_cachedAvatarEntityBlobs.find(id) == _cachedAvatarEntityBlobs.end()) {
                 _entitiesToAdd.push_back(id);
+                blobsToCache.push_back(id);
             } else {
                 _entitiesToUpdate.push_back(id);
             }
+            ++constItr;
         }
         // find and erase deleted IDs from _cachedAvatarEntityBlobs
         std::vector<QUuid> deletedIDs;
@@ -1795,6 +1802,12 @@ void MyAvatar::setAvatarEntityData(const AvatarEntityMap& avatarEntityData) {
                 ++itr;
             }
         }
+        // now that we've 'deleted' unknown ids, copy over the new ones
+        constItr = avatarEntityData.begin();
+        while (constItr != avatarEntityData.end()) {
+            _cachedAvatarEntityBlobs.insert(constItr.key(), constItr.value());
+            ++constItr;
+        }
         // erase deleted IDs from _packedAvatarEntityData
         for (const auto& id : deletedIDs) {
             itr = _packedAvatarEntityData.find(id);
@@ -2296,10 +2309,6 @@ void MyAvatar::clearJointsData() {
     _skeletonModel->getRig().clearJointStates();
 }
 
-void MyAvatar::updateAvatarEntity(const QUuid& id, const QScriptValue& data) {
-    // TODO: implement this
-}
-
 void MyAvatar::setSkeletonModelURL(const QUrl& skeletonModelURL) {
     _skeletonModelChangeCount++;
     int skeletonModelChangeCount = _skeletonModelChangeCount;
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
index a20908e7cb..3804df977e 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
@@ -851,8 +851,6 @@ public:
     virtual void clearJointData(const QString& name) override;
     virtual void clearJointsData() override;
 
-    void updateAvatarEntity(const QUuid& id, const QScriptValue& data) override;
-
     /**jsdoc
      * @function MyAvatar.pinJoint
      * @param {number} index
diff --git a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.h b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.h
index 2b356675be..97218ac3c1 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.h
+++ b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.h
@@ -235,8 +235,6 @@ public:
     void updateDisplayNameAlpha(bool showDisplayName);
     virtual void setSessionDisplayName(const QString& sessionDisplayName) override { }; // no-op
 
-    virtual void updateAvatarEntity(const QUuid& entityID, const QScriptValue& entityData) override { }; // no-op
-
     virtual int parseDataFromBuffer(const QByteArray& buffer) override;
 
     static void renderJointConnectingCone(gpu::Batch& batch, glm::vec3 position1, glm::vec3 position2,
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
index 3d22c50e1a..e0f2b02d51 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
@@ -2561,7 +2561,7 @@ void AvatarData::fromJson(const QJsonObject& json, bool useFrameSkeleton) {
                 QVariantMap entityData = attachmentJson.toObject().toVariantMap();
                 QUuid id = entityData.value("id").toUuid();
                 QByteArray data = QByteArray::fromBase64(entityData.value("properties").toByteArray());
-                updateAvatarEntityData(id, data);
+                updateAvatarEntity(id, data);
             }
         }
     }
@@ -2764,11 +2764,7 @@ void AvatarData::storeAvatarEntityDataPayload(const QUuid& entityID, const QByte
     }
 }
 
-void AvatarData::updateAvatarEntity(const QUuid& id, const QScriptValue& scriptValue) {
-    // overridden where needed
-}
-
-void AvatarData::updateAvatarEntityData(const QUuid& id, const QByteArray& data) {
+void AvatarData::updateAvatarEntity(const QUuid& entityID, const QByteArray& entityData) {
     // overridden where needed
     // NOTE: expects 'data' to be an unfortunately-formatted-binary-blob
 }
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
index 787f92f5db..0fea5a541e 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
@@ -960,10 +960,9 @@ public:
     /**jsdoc
      * @function MyAvatar.updateAvatarEntity
      * @param {Uuid} entityID
-     * @param {object} entityData
+     * @param {string} entityData
      */
-    Q_INVOKABLE virtual void updateAvatarEntity(const QUuid& id, const QScriptValue& scriptValue);
-    virtual void updateAvatarEntityData(const QUuid& id, const QByteArray& data);
+    Q_INVOKABLE virtual void updateAvatarEntity(const QUuid& entityID, const QByteArray& entityData);
 
     /**jsdoc
      * @function MyAvatar.clearAvatarEntity