diff --git a/libraries/octree-server/src/OctreeServer.cpp b/libraries/octree-server/src/OctreeServer.cpp
index ffb5f9c976..7ab0705d40 100644
--- a/libraries/octree-server/src/OctreeServer.cpp
+++ b/libraries/octree-server/src/OctreeServer.cpp
@@ -656,6 +656,16 @@ void OctreeServer::run() {
             _persistThread->initialize(true);
         }
     }
+    
+    // Debug option to demonstrate that the server's local time does not 
+    // need to be in sync with any other network node. This forces clock 
+    // skew for the individual server node
+    const char* TIME_ADJUST = "--usecTimestampNowAdjust";
+    const char* timeAdjustOption = getCmdOption(_argc, _argv, TIME_ADJUST);
+    if (timeAdjustOption) {
+        ::usecTimestampNowAdjust = atoi(timeAdjustOption);
+        qDebug("timeAdjustOption=%s usecTimestampNowAdjust=%d\n", timeAdjustOption, ::usecTimestampNowAdjust);
+    }
 
     // Check to see if the user passed in a command line option for setting packet send rate
     const char* PACKETS_PER_SECOND = "--packetsPerSecond";
diff --git a/libraries/particles/src/Particle.cpp b/libraries/particles/src/Particle.cpp
index fb5d603d7d..beb8203b66 100644
--- a/libraries/particles/src/Particle.cpp
+++ b/libraries/particles/src/Particle.cpp
@@ -42,8 +42,9 @@ void Particle::init(glm::vec3 position, float radius, rgbColor color, glm::vec3
     } else {
         _id = id;
     }
-    _lastUpdated = usecTimestampNow();
-    _lastEdited = _lastUpdated;
+    uint64_t now = usecTimestampNow();
+    _lastEdited = now;
+    _lastSimulated = now;
 
     _position = position;
     _radius = radius;
@@ -65,9 +66,6 @@ bool Particle::appendParticleData(OctreePacketData* packetData) const {
     if (success) {
         success = packetData->appendValue(getCreated());
     }
-    if (success) {
-        success = packetData->appendValue(getLastUpdated());
-    }
     if (success) {
         success = packetData->appendValue(getLastEdited());
     }
@@ -124,11 +122,6 @@ int Particle::readParticleDataFromBuffer(const unsigned char* data, int bytesLef
         dataAt += sizeof(_created);
         bytesRead += sizeof(_created);
 
-        // lastupdated
-        memcpy(&_lastUpdated, dataAt, sizeof(_lastUpdated));
-        dataAt += sizeof(_lastUpdated);
-        bytesRead += sizeof(_lastUpdated);
-
         // _lastEdited
         memcpy(&_lastEdited, dataAt, sizeof(_lastEdited));
         dataAt += sizeof(_lastEdited);
@@ -186,7 +179,7 @@ int Particle::readParticleDataFromBuffer(const unsigned char* data, int bytesLef
 
 
 Particle Particle::fromEditPacket(unsigned char* data, int length, int& processedBytes) {
-    Particle newParticle; // id and lastUpdated will get set here...
+    Particle newParticle; // id and _lastSimulated will get set here...
     unsigned char* dataAt = data;
     processedBytes = 0;
 
@@ -224,11 +217,6 @@ Particle Particle::fromEditPacket(unsigned char* data, int length, int& processe
     dataAt += sizeof(newParticle._created);
     processedBytes += sizeof(newParticle._created);
 
-    // lastUpdated
-    memcpy(&newParticle._lastUpdated, dataAt, sizeof(newParticle._lastUpdated));
-    dataAt += sizeof(newParticle._lastUpdated);
-    processedBytes += sizeof(newParticle._lastUpdated);
-
     // lastEdited
     memcpy(&newParticle._lastEdited, dataAt, sizeof(newParticle._lastEdited));
     dataAt += sizeof(newParticle._lastEdited);
@@ -292,7 +280,6 @@ Particle Particle::fromEditPacket(unsigned char* data, int length, int& processe
 void Particle::debugDump() const {
     printf("Particle id  :%u\n", _id);
     printf(" created:%llu\n", _created);
-    printf(" last updated:%llu\n", _lastUpdated);
     printf(" last edited:%llu\n", _lastEdited);
     printf(" position:%f,%f,%f\n", _position.x, _position.y, _position.z);
     printf(" velocity:%f,%f,%f\n", _velocity.x, _velocity.y, _velocity.z);
@@ -347,11 +334,6 @@ bool Particle::encodeParticleEditMessageDetails(PACKET_TYPE command, int count,
             copyAt += sizeof(created);
             sizeOut += sizeof(created);
             
-            // lastUpdated
-            memcpy(copyAt, &details[i].lastUpdated, sizeof(details[i].lastUpdated));
-            copyAt += sizeof(details[i].lastUpdated);
-            sizeOut += sizeof(details[i].lastUpdated);
-            
             // lastEdited
             memcpy(copyAt, &details[i].lastEdited, sizeof(details[i].lastEdited));
             copyAt += sizeof(details[i].lastEdited);
@@ -405,7 +387,6 @@ bool Particle::encodeParticleEditMessageDetails(PACKET_TYPE command, int count,
             if (wantDebugging) {            
                 printf("encodeParticleEditMessageDetails()....\n");
                 printf("Particle id  :%u\n", details[i].id);
-                printf(" last updated:%llu\n", details[i].lastUpdated);
                 printf(" nextID:%u\n", _nextID);
             }
         }
@@ -419,7 +400,7 @@ bool Particle::encodeParticleEditMessageDetails(PACKET_TYPE command, int count,
 
 void Particle::update() {
     uint64_t now = usecTimestampNow();
-    uint64_t elapsed = now - _lastUpdated;
+    uint64_t elapsed = now - _lastSimulated;
     uint64_t USECS_PER_SECOND = 1000 * 1000;
     float timeElapsed = (float)((float)elapsed/(float)USECS_PER_SECOND);
     
@@ -454,7 +435,7 @@ void Particle::update() {
         //printf("applying damping to Particle timeElapsed=%f\n",timeElapsed);
     }
     
-    _lastUpdated = now;
+    _lastSimulated = now;
 }
 
 void Particle::runScript() {
diff --git a/libraries/particles/src/Particle.h b/libraries/particles/src/Particle.h
index 33e8960670..68e2b10174 100644
--- a/libraries/particles/src/Particle.h
+++ b/libraries/particles/src/Particle.h
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ const uint32_t UNKNOWN_TOKEN = 0xFFFFFFFF;
 class ParticleDetail {
 public:
     uint32_t id;
-    uint64_t lastUpdated;
     uint64_t lastEdited;
     glm::vec3 position;
     float radius;
@@ -70,7 +69,6 @@ public:
     float getDamping() const { return _damping; }
     uint64_t getCreated() const { return _created; }
     uint64_t getLifetime() const { return usecTimestampNow() - _created; }
-    uint64_t getLastUpdated() const { return _lastUpdated; }
     uint64_t getLastEdited() const { return _lastEdited; }
     uint32_t getID() const { return _id; }
     bool getShouldDie() const { return _shouldDie; }
@@ -116,7 +114,6 @@ protected:
     rgbColor _color;
     float _radius;
     glm::vec3 _velocity;
-    uint64_t _lastUpdated;
     uint64_t _created;
     uint64_t _lastEdited;
     uint32_t _id;
@@ -129,6 +126,9 @@ protected:
 
     uint32_t _creatorTokenID;
     bool _newlyCreated;
+    
+    uint64_t _lastSimulated;
+    
 };
 
 class ParticleScriptObject  : public QObject {
diff --git a/libraries/particles/src/ParticleEditHandle.cpp b/libraries/particles/src/ParticleEditHandle.cpp
index 28356ce63e..88d3143a0f 100644
--- a/libraries/particles/src/ParticleEditHandle.cpp
+++ b/libraries/particles/src/ParticleEditHandle.cpp
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ void ParticleEditHandle::createParticle(glm::vec3 position, float radius, xColor
 
     // setup a ParticleDetail struct with the data
     uint64_t now = usecTimestampNow();
-    ParticleDetail addParticleDetail = { NEW_PARTICLE, now, now,
+    ParticleDetail addParticleDetail = { NEW_PARTICLE, now,
             position, radius, {color.red, color.green, color.blue }, 
             velocity, gravity, damping, inHand, updateScript, _creatorTokenID };
     
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ bool ParticleEditHandle::updateParticle(glm::vec3 position, float radius, xColor
     
     // setup a ParticleDetail struct with the data
     uint64_t now = usecTimestampNow();
-    ParticleDetail newParticleDetail = { _id, now, now,
+    ParticleDetail newParticleDetail = { _id, now,
             position, radius, {color.red, color.green, color.blue }, 
             velocity, gravity, damping, inHand, updateScript, _creatorTokenID };
 
diff --git a/libraries/particles/src/ParticleScriptingInterface.cpp b/libraries/particles/src/ParticleScriptingInterface.cpp
index ec8209208c..8edfae3b88 100644
--- a/libraries/particles/src/ParticleScriptingInterface.cpp
+++ b/libraries/particles/src/ParticleScriptingInterface.cpp
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ unsigned int ParticleScriptingInterface::queueParticleAdd(glm::vec3 position, fl
                                                     
     // setup a ParticleDetail struct with the data
     uint64_t now = usecTimestampNow();
-    ParticleDetail addParticleDetail = { NEW_PARTICLE, now, now,
+    ParticleDetail addParticleDetail = { NEW_PARTICLE, now,
                                         position, radius, {color.red, color.green, color.blue }, velocity, 
                                         gravity, damping, inHand, updateScript, creatorTokenID };
     
diff --git a/libraries/particles/src/ParticleTreeElement.cpp b/libraries/particles/src/ParticleTreeElement.cpp
index a631eae926..9ab0a2b4e9 100644
--- a/libraries/particles/src/ParticleTreeElement.cpp
+++ b/libraries/particles/src/ParticleTreeElement.cpp
@@ -119,18 +119,20 @@ bool ParticleTreeElement::updateParticle(const Particle& particle) {
     uint16_t numberOfParticles = _particles.size();
     for (uint16_t i = 0; i < numberOfParticles; i++) {
         if (_particles[i].getID() == particle.getID()) {
-            int difference = _particles[i].getLastUpdated() - particle.getLastUpdated();
+            //int difference = _particles[i].getLastUpdated() - particle.getLastUpdated();
+            //bool localOlder = _particles[i].getLastUpdated() < particle.getLastUpdated();
             
             bool changedOnServer = _particles[i].getLastEdited() < particle.getLastEdited();
-            bool localOlder = _particles[i].getLastUpdated() < particle.getLastUpdated();
             
-            if (changedOnServer || localOlder) {
+            if (changedOnServer /*|| localOlder*/) {
 
                 if (wantDebug) {
+                    /**
                     printf("local particle [id:%d] %s and %s than server particle by %d, particle.isNewlyCreated()=%s\n", 
                                 particle.getID(), (changedOnServer ? "CHANGED" : "same"),
                                 (localOlder ? "OLDER" : "NEWER"),               
                                 difference, debug::valueOf(particle.isNewlyCreated()) );
+                    **/
                 }
 
                 uint64_t actuallyCreated = particle.getCreated();
@@ -141,11 +143,13 @@ bool ParticleTreeElement::updateParticle(const Particle& particle) {
                 _particles[i].setCreated(actuallyCreated);
             } else {
                 if (wantDebug) {
+                    /**
                     printf(">>> NO CHANGE <<< -- local particle [id:%d] %s and %s than server particle by %d, "
                                 "particle.isNewlyCreated()=%s\n", 
                                 particle.getID(), (changedOnServer ? "CHANGED" : "same"),
                                 (localOlder ? "OLDER" : "NEWER"),               
                                 difference, debug::valueOf(particle.isNewlyCreated()) );
+                    **/
                 }
             }
             return true;
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/PacketHeaders.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/PacketHeaders.cpp
index e7c16367aa..24865fff5c 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/PacketHeaders.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/PacketHeaders.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ PACKET_VERSION versionForPacketType(PACKET_TYPE type) {
             return 2;
 
         case PACKET_TYPE_PARTICLE_DATA:
-            return 3;
+            return 4;
         
         default:
             return 0;