diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 285a395c07..258ce6037d 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -1796,7 +1796,7 @@ void Application::init() {
 
     _metavoxels.init();
 
-    _particleCollisionSystem.init(&_particleEditSender, _particles.getTree(), _voxels.getTree(), &_audio, &_myAvatar);
+    _particleCollisionSystem.init(&_particleEditSender, _particles.getTree(), _voxels.getTree(), &_audio);
 
     _palette.init(_glWidget->width(), _glWidget->height());
     _palette.addAction(Menu::getInstance()->getActionForOption(MenuOption::VoxelAddMode), 0, 0);
@@ -2310,7 +2310,12 @@ void Application::update(float deltaTime) {
     updateCursor(deltaTime); // Handle cursor updates
 
     _particles.update(); // update the particles...
-    _particleCollisionSystem.update(); // handle collisions for the particles...
+
+    // collide the particles...
+    QVector<AvatarData*> avatars;
+    avatars.push_back(&_myAvatar);
+    _avatarManager.getAvatarBasePointers(avatars);
+    _particleCollisionSystem.update(avatars);
 }
 
 void Application::updateAvatar(float deltaTime) {
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
index dd1686a0d2..5ac521d838 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
@@ -230,4 +230,11 @@ void AvatarManager::clearHash() {
     while (removeAvatar != _avatarHash.end()) {
         removeAvatar = removeAvatarAtHashIterator(removeAvatar);
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+void AvatarManager::getAvatarBasePointers(QVector<AvatarData*>& avatars) {
+    AvatarHash::iterator avatarItr =  _avatarHash.begin();
+    while (avatarItr != _avatarHash.end()) {
+        avatars.push_back( static_cast<AvatarData*>(avatarItr.value().data()) );
+    }
+}
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.h b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.h
index 7d0f11646d..82fe279254 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.h
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.h
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ public:
     void renderAvatars(bool forceRenderHead, bool selfAvatarOnly = false);
     
     void clearHash();
+
+    void getAvatarBasePointers(QVector<AvatarData*>& avatars);
     
 public slots:
     void processDataServerResponse(const QString& userString, const QStringList& keyList, const QStringList& valueList);
diff --git a/libraries/particles/src/ParticleCollisionSystem.cpp b/libraries/particles/src/ParticleCollisionSystem.cpp
index d2eb291a9d..d53898ac05 100644
--- a/libraries/particles/src/ParticleCollisionSystem.cpp
+++ b/libraries/particles/src/ParticleCollisionSystem.cpp
@@ -20,17 +20,16 @@
 #include "ParticleTree.h"
 
 ParticleCollisionSystem::ParticleCollisionSystem(ParticleEditPacketSender* packetSender,
-    ParticleTree* particles, VoxelTree* voxels, AbstractAudioInterface* audio, AvatarData* selfAvatar) {
-    init(packetSender, particles, voxels, audio, selfAvatar);
+    ParticleTree* particles, VoxelTree* voxels, AbstractAudioInterface* audio) {
+    init(packetSender, particles, voxels, audio);
 }
 
 void ParticleCollisionSystem::init(ParticleEditPacketSender* packetSender,
-    ParticleTree* particles, VoxelTree* voxels, AbstractAudioInterface* audio, AvatarData* selfAvatar) {
+    ParticleTree* particles, VoxelTree* voxels, AbstractAudioInterface* audio) {
     _packetSender = packetSender;
     _particles = particles;
     _voxels = voxels;
     _audio = audio;
-    _selfAvatar = selfAvatar;
 }
 
 ParticleCollisionSystem::~ParticleCollisionSystem() {
@@ -52,8 +51,9 @@ bool ParticleCollisionSystem::updateOperation(OctreeElement* element, void* extr
 }
 
 
-void ParticleCollisionSystem::update() {
+void ParticleCollisionSystem::update(QVector<AvatarData*>& avatars) {
     // update all particles
+    _avatars.swap(avatars);
     _particles->lockForWrite();
     _particles->recurseTreeWithOperation(updateOperation, this);
     _particles->unlock();
@@ -161,8 +161,8 @@ void ParticleCollisionSystem::updateCollisionWithAvatars(Particle* particle) {
     glm::vec3 penetration;
 
     // first check the selfAvatar if set...
-    if (_selfAvatar) {
-        AvatarData* avatar = (AvatarData*)_selfAvatar;
+    for (int i = 0; i < _avatars.size(); ++i) {
+        AvatarData* avatar = _avatars[i];
         CollisionInfo collisionInfo;
         collisionInfo._damping = DAMPING;
         collisionInfo._elasticity = ELASTICITY;
@@ -195,39 +195,6 @@ void ParticleCollisionSystem::updateCollisionWithAvatars(Particle* particle) {
             }
         }
     }
-
-    // loop through all the other avatars for potential interactions...
-//    foreach (const SharedNodePointer& node, NodeList::getInstance()->getNodeHash()) {
-//        //qDebug() << "updateCollisionWithAvatars()... node:" << *node << "\n";
-//        if (node->getLinkedData() && node->getType() == NODE_TYPE_AGENT) {
-//            AvatarData* avatar = static_cast<AvatarData*>(node->getLinkedData());
-//            CollisionInfo collisionInfo;
-//            if (avatar->findSphereCollision(center, radius, collisionInfo)) {
-//                collisionInfo._addedVelocity /= (float)(TREE_SCALE);
-//                glm::vec3 relativeVelocity = collisionInfo._addedVelocity - particle->getVelocity();
-//                if (glm::dot(relativeVelocity, collisionInfo._penetration) < 0.f) {
-//                    // HACK BEGIN: to allow paddle hands to "hold" particles we attenuate soft collisions against the avatar.
-//                    // NOTE: the physics are wrong (particles cannot roll) but it IS possible to catch a slow moving particle.
-//                    // TODO: make this less hacky when we have more per-collision details
-//                    float elasticity = ELASTICITY;
-//                    float attenuationFactor = glm::length(collisionInfo._addedVelocity) / HALTING_SPEED;
-//                    float damping = DAMPING;
-//                    if (attenuationFactor < 1.f) {
-//                        collisionInfo._addedVelocity *= attenuationFactor;
-//                        elasticity *= attenuationFactor;
-//                        // NOTE: the math below keeps the damping piecewise continuous,
-//                        // while ramping it up to 1.0 when attenuationFactor = 0
-//                        damping = DAMPING + (1.f - attenuationFactor) * (1.f - DAMPING);
-//                    }
-//                    // HACK END
-//
-//                    updateCollisionSound(particle, collisionInfo._penetration, COLLISION_FREQUENCY);
-//                    collisionInfo._penetration /= (float)(TREE_SCALE);
-//                    applyHardCollision(particle, ELASTICITY, damping, collisionInfo);
-//                }
-//            }
-//        }
-//    }
 }
 
 void ParticleCollisionSystem::queueParticlePropertiesUpdate(Particle* particle) {
diff --git a/libraries/particles/src/ParticleCollisionSystem.h b/libraries/particles/src/ParticleCollisionSystem.h
index b96d3f07f3..b4293071bb 100644
--- a/libraries/particles/src/ParticleCollisionSystem.h
+++ b/libraries/particles/src/ParticleCollisionSystem.h
@@ -34,15 +34,17 @@ class ParticleCollisionSystem {
 public:
     ParticleCollisionSystem(ParticleEditPacketSender* packetSender = NULL, ParticleTree* particles = NULL, 
                                 VoxelTree* voxels = NULL, 
-                                AbstractAudioInterface* audio = NULL,
-                                AvatarData* selfAvatar = NULL);
+                                AbstractAudioInterface* audio = NULL);
 
     void init(ParticleEditPacketSender* packetSender, ParticleTree* particles, VoxelTree* voxels, 
-                                AbstractAudioInterface* audio = NULL, AvatarData* selfAvatar = NULL);
+                                AbstractAudioInterface* audio = NULL);
                                 
     ~ParticleCollisionSystem();
 
-    void update();
+    /// Compute collisions for particles against: other particles, voxels, and avatars
+    /// \param avatars the list of avatars to collide against during this frame
+    void update(QVector<AvatarData*>& avatars);
+
     void checkParticle(Particle* particle);
     void updateCollisionWithVoxels(Particle* particle);
     void updateCollisionWithParticles(Particle* particle);
@@ -58,7 +60,7 @@ private:
     ParticleTree* _particles;
     VoxelTree* _voxels;
     AbstractAudioInterface* _audio;
-    AvatarData* _selfAvatar;
+    QVector<AvatarData*> _avatars;  // only used during update() 
 };
 
 #endif /* defined(__hifi__ParticleCollisionSystem__) */