diff --git a/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp b/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp
index aaf58a7f42..c4c0dcda24 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ const unsigned int AVATAR_DATA_SEND_INTERVAL_MSECS = (1.0f / 60.0f) * 1000;
 
 AvatarMixer::AvatarMixer(const QByteArray& packet) :
     ThreadedAssignment(packet),
+    _broadcastThread(),
     _lastFrameTimestamp(QDateTime::currentMSecsSinceEpoch()),
     _trailingSleepRatio(1.0f),
     _performanceThrottlingRatio(0.0f),
@@ -44,6 +45,11 @@ AvatarMixer::AvatarMixer(const QByteArray& packet) :
     connect(NodeList::getInstance(), &NodeList::nodeKilled, this, &AvatarMixer::nodeKilled);
 }
 
+AvatarMixer::~AvatarMixer() {
+    _broadcastThread.quit();
+    _broadcastThread.wait();
+}
+
 void attachAvatarDataToNode(Node* newNode) {
     if (!newNode->getLinkedData()) {
         newNode->setLinkedData(new AvatarMixerClientData());
@@ -309,18 +315,15 @@ void AvatarMixer::run() {
     
     nodeList->linkedDataCreateCallback = attachAvatarDataToNode;
     
-    // create a thead for broadcast of avatar data
-    QThread* broadcastThread = new QThread(this);
-    
     // setup the timer that will be fired on the broadcast thread
     QTimer* broadcastTimer = new QTimer();
     broadcastTimer->setInterval(AVATAR_DATA_SEND_INTERVAL_MSECS);
-    broadcastTimer->moveToThread(broadcastThread);
+    broadcastTimer->moveToThread(&_broadcastThread);
     
     // connect appropriate signals and slots
     connect(broadcastTimer, &QTimer::timeout, this, &AvatarMixer::broadcastAvatarData, Qt::DirectConnection);
-    connect(broadcastThread, SIGNAL(started()), broadcastTimer, SLOT(start()));
+    connect(&_broadcastThread, SIGNAL(started()), broadcastTimer, SLOT(start()));
     
     // start the broadcastThread
-    broadcastThread->start();
+    _broadcastThread.start();
 }
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.h b/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.h
index 4171df49af..c9a145d2da 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.h
+++ b/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 class AvatarMixer : public ThreadedAssignment {
 public:
     AvatarMixer(const QByteArray& packet);
-    
+    ~AvatarMixer();
 public slots:
     /// runs the avatar mixer
     void run();
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ public slots:
 private:
     void broadcastAvatarData();
     
+    QThread _broadcastThread;
+    
     quint64 _lastFrameTimestamp;
     
     float _trailingSleepRatio;
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
index e150e42464..206cadf776 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
@@ -86,6 +86,29 @@ NodeList::NodeList(char newOwnerType, unsigned short int newSocketListenPort) :
     _packetStatTimer.start();
 }
 
+void NodeList::changeSendSocketBufferSize(int numSendBytes) {
+    // change the socket send buffer size to be 1MB
+    int oldBufferSize = 0;
+    
+#ifdef Q_OS_WIN
+    int sizeOfInt = sizeof(oldBufferSize);
+#else
+    unsigned int sizeOfInt = sizeof(oldBufferSize);
+#endif
+    
+    getsockopt(_nodeSocket.socketDescriptor(), SOL_SOCKET, SO_SNDBUF, reinterpret_cast<char*>(&oldBufferSize), &sizeOfInt);
+    
+    const int LARGER_SNDBUF_SIZE = 1048576;
+    
+    setsockopt(_nodeSocket.socketDescriptor(), SOL_SOCKET, SO_SNDBUF, reinterpret_cast<const char*>(&LARGER_SNDBUF_SIZE),
+               sizeof(LARGER_SNDBUF_SIZE));
+    
+    int newBufferSize = 0;
+    getsockopt(_nodeSocket.socketDescriptor(), SOL_SOCKET, SO_SNDBUF, reinterpret_cast<char*>(&newBufferSize), &sizeOfInt);
+    
+    qDebug() << "Changed socket send buffer size from" << oldBufferSize << "to" << newBufferSize << "bytes";
+}
+
 bool NodeList::packetVersionAndHashMatch(const QByteArray& packet) {
     PacketType checkType = packetTypeForPacket(packet);
     if (packet[1] != versionForPacketType(checkType)
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.h b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.h
index 2eccc32aa4..0a59537a46 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.h
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.h
@@ -160,6 +160,8 @@ private:
     void requestAuthForDomainServer();
     void activateSocketFromNodeCommunication(const QByteArray& packet, const SharedNodePointer& sendingNode);
     void timePingReply(const QByteArray& packet, const SharedNodePointer& sendingNode);
+    
+    void changeSendSocketBufferSize(int numSendBytes);
 
     NodeHash _nodeHash;
     QMutex _nodeHashMutex;