diff --git a/libraries/octree/src/OctreeElementBag.cpp b/libraries/octree/src/OctreeElementBag.cpp
index 4634c05a06..10d80e5799 100644
--- a/libraries/octree/src/OctreeElementBag.cpp
+++ b/libraries/octree/src/OctreeElementBag.cpp
@@ -16,26 +16,25 @@ void OctreeElementBag::deleteAll() {
     _bagElements = Bag();
 }
 
+/// does the bag contain elements?
+/// if all of the contained elements are expired, they will not report as empty, and
+/// a single last item will be returned by extract as a null pointer
 bool OctreeElementBag::isEmpty() {
-    // Pop all expired front elements
-    while (!_bagElements.empty() && _bagElements.front().expired()) {
-        _bagElements.pop();
-    }
-    
     return _bagElements.empty();
 }
 
 void OctreeElementBag::insert(OctreeElementPointer element) {
-    _bagElements.push(element);
+    _bagElements[element.get()] = element;
 }
 
 OctreeElementPointer OctreeElementBag::extract() {
     OctreeElementPointer result;
 
     // Find the first element still alive
-    while (!result && !_bagElements.empty()) {
-        result = _bagElements.front().lock(); // Grab head's shared_ptr
-        _bagElements.pop();
+    Bag::iterator it = _bagElements.begin();
+    while (it != _bagElements.end() && !result) {
+        result = it->second.lock();
+        it = _bagElements.erase(it);
     }
     return result;
 }
diff --git a/libraries/octree/src/OctreeElementBag.h b/libraries/octree/src/OctreeElementBag.h
index 02423b640c..97ff019513 100644
--- a/libraries/octree/src/OctreeElementBag.h
+++ b/libraries/octree/src/OctreeElementBag.h
@@ -16,17 +16,22 @@
 #ifndef hifi_OctreeElementBag_h
 #define hifi_OctreeElementBag_h
 
-#include <queue>
+#include <unordered_map>
 
 #include "OctreeElement.h"
 
 class OctreeElementBag {
-    using Bag = std::queue<OctreeElementWeakPointer>;
+    using Bag = std::unordered_map<OctreeElement*, OctreeElementWeakPointer>;
     
 public:
     void insert(OctreeElementPointer element); // put a element into the bag
-    OctreeElementPointer extract(); // pull a element out of the bag (could come in any order)
-    bool isEmpty();
+
+    OctreeElementPointer extract(); /// pull a element out of the bag (could come in any order) and if all of the
+                                    /// elements have expired, a single null pointer will be returned
+
+    bool isEmpty(); /// does the bag contain elements, 
+                    /// if all of the contained elements are expired, they will not report as empty, and
+                    /// a single last item will be returned by extract as a null pointer
     
     void deleteAll();