diff --git a/libraries/metavoxels/src/Bitstream.cpp b/libraries/metavoxels/src/Bitstream.cpp
index c3bd05d3c7..642562bfb5 100644
--- a/libraries/metavoxels/src/Bitstream.cpp
+++ b/libraries/metavoxels/src/Bitstream.cpp
@@ -2432,12 +2432,13 @@ void MappedObjectStreamer::writeRawDelta(Bitstream& out, const QObject* object,
 }
 
 QObject* MappedObjectStreamer::read(Bitstream& in, QObject* object) const {
+    bool reread = (object != NULL);
     if (!object && _metaObject) {
         object = _metaObject->newInstance();
     }
     foreach (const StreamerPropertyPair& property, _properties) {
         QVariant value = property.first->read(in);
-        if (property.second.isValid() && object) {
+        if (property.second.isValid() && object && !reread) {
             property.second.write(object, value);
         }
     }
@@ -2445,6 +2446,7 @@ QObject* MappedObjectStreamer::read(Bitstream& in, QObject* object) const {
 }
 
 QObject* MappedObjectStreamer::readRawDelta(Bitstream& in, const QObject* reference, QObject* object) const {
+    bool reread = (object != NULL);
     if (!object && _metaObject) {
         object = _metaObject->newInstance();
     }
@@ -2452,7 +2454,7 @@ QObject* MappedObjectStreamer::readRawDelta(Bitstream& in, const QObject* refere
         QVariant value;
         property.first->readDelta(in, value, (property.second.isValid() && reference &&
             reference->metaObject() == _metaObject) ? property.second.read(reference) : QVariant());
-        if (property.second.isValid() && object) {
+        if (property.second.isValid() && object && !reread) {
             property.second.write(object, value);
         }
     }
@@ -2475,13 +2477,13 @@ void SharedObjectStreamer::writeRawDelta(Bitstream& out, const QObject* object,
 
 QObject* SharedObjectStreamer::read(Bitstream& in, QObject* object) const {
     QObject* result = MappedObjectStreamer::read(in, object);
-    static_cast<SharedObject*>(result)->readExtra(in);
+    static_cast<SharedObject*>(result)->readExtra(in, object != NULL);
     return result;
 }
 
 QObject* SharedObjectStreamer::readRawDelta(Bitstream& in, const QObject* reference, QObject* object) const {
     QObject* result = MappedObjectStreamer::readRawDelta(in, reference, object);
-    static_cast<SharedObject*>(result)->readExtraDelta(in, static_cast<const SharedObject*>(reference));
+    static_cast<SharedObject*>(result)->readExtraDelta(in, static_cast<const SharedObject*>(reference), object != NULL);
     return result;
 }
 
@@ -2592,6 +2594,7 @@ void GenericObjectStreamer::writeRawDelta(Bitstream& out, const QObject* object,
 }
 
 QObject* GenericObjectStreamer::read(Bitstream& in, QObject* object) const {
+    bool reread = (object != NULL);
     if (!object) {
         object = new GenericSharedObject(_weakSelf);
     }
@@ -2599,11 +2602,14 @@ QObject* GenericObjectStreamer::read(Bitstream& in, QObject* object) const {
     foreach (const StreamerNamePair& property, _properties) {
         values.append(property.first->read(in));
     }
-    static_cast<GenericSharedObject*>(object)->setValues(values);
+    if (!reread) {
+        static_cast<GenericSharedObject*>(object)->setValues(values);
+    }
     return object;
 }
 
 QObject* GenericObjectStreamer::readRawDelta(Bitstream& in, const QObject* reference, QObject* object) const {
+    bool reread = (object != NULL);
     if (!object) {
         object = new GenericSharedObject(_weakSelf);
     }
@@ -2615,7 +2621,9 @@ QObject* GenericObjectStreamer::readRawDelta(Bitstream& in, const QObject* refer
             static_cast<const GenericSharedObject*>(reference)->getValues().at(i) : QVariant());
         values.append(value);
     }
-    static_cast<GenericSharedObject*>(object)->setValues(values);
+    if (!reread) {
+        static_cast<GenericSharedObject*>(object)->setValues(values);
+    }
     return object;
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/metavoxels/src/SharedObject.cpp b/libraries/metavoxels/src/SharedObject.cpp
index dcfa9732b3..6369037e2a 100644
--- a/libraries/metavoxels/src/SharedObject.cpp
+++ b/libraries/metavoxels/src/SharedObject.cpp
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ void SharedObject::writeExtra(Bitstream& out) const {
     // nothing by default
 }
 
-void SharedObject::readExtra(Bitstream& in) {
+void SharedObject::readExtra(Bitstream& in, bool reread) {
     // nothing by default
 }
 
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ void SharedObject::writeExtraDelta(Bitstream& out, const SharedObject* reference
     // nothing by default
 }
 
-void SharedObject::readExtraDelta(Bitstream& in, const SharedObject* reference) {
+void SharedObject::readExtraDelta(Bitstream& in, const SharedObject* reference, bool reread) {
     // nothing by default
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/metavoxels/src/SharedObject.h b/libraries/metavoxels/src/SharedObject.h
index ebea322bf1..cd46ae9658 100644
--- a/libraries/metavoxels/src/SharedObject.h
+++ b/libraries/metavoxels/src/SharedObject.h
@@ -84,13 +84,15 @@ public:
     virtual void writeExtra(Bitstream& out) const;
     
     /// Reads the non-property contents of this object from the specified stream.
-    virtual void readExtra(Bitstream& in);
+    /// \param reread if true, reread the contents from the stream but don't reapply them
+    virtual void readExtra(Bitstream& in, bool reread = false);
 
     /// Writes the delta-encoded non-property contents of this object to the specified stream.
     virtual void writeExtraDelta(Bitstream& out, const SharedObject* reference) const;
 
     /// Reads the delta-encoded non-property contents of this object from the specified stream.
-    virtual void readExtraDelta(Bitstream& in, const SharedObject* reference);
+    /// \param reread if true, reread the contents from the stream but don't reapply them
+    virtual void readExtraDelta(Bitstream& in, const SharedObject* reference, bool reread = false);
 
     /// Writes the subdivision of the contents of this object (preceeded by a
     /// reference to the object itself) to the specified stream if necessary.
diff --git a/libraries/metavoxels/src/Spanner.cpp b/libraries/metavoxels/src/Spanner.cpp
index b550207ec0..c771b8fb4a 100644
--- a/libraries/metavoxels/src/Spanner.cpp
+++ b/libraries/metavoxels/src/Spanner.cpp
@@ -3678,9 +3678,18 @@ void Heightfield::writeExtra(Bitstream& out) const {
     _root->write(state);
 }
 
-void Heightfield::readExtra(Bitstream& in) {
+void Heightfield::readExtra(Bitstream& in, bool reread) {
     if (getWillBeVoxelized()) {
-        in >> _height >> _color >> _material >> _stack;
+        if (reread) {
+            HeightfieldHeightPointer height;
+            HeightfieldColorPointer color;
+            HeightfieldMaterialPointer material;
+            HeightfieldStackPointer stack;
+            in >> height >> color >> material >> stack;
+            
+        } else {
+            in >> _height >> _color >> _material >> _stack;
+        }
         return;
     }
     MetavoxelLOD lod;
@@ -3692,7 +3701,9 @@ void Heightfield::readExtra(Bitstream& in) {
     
     HeightfieldNodePointer root(new HeightfieldNode());
     root->read(state);
-    setRoot(root);
+    if (!reread) {
+        setRoot(root);
+    }
 }
 
 void Heightfield::writeExtraDelta(Bitstream& out, const SharedObject* reference) const {
@@ -3716,7 +3727,7 @@ void Heightfield::writeExtraDelta(Bitstream& out, const SharedObject* reference)
     }    
 }
 
-void Heightfield::readExtraDelta(Bitstream& in, const SharedObject* reference) {
+void Heightfield::readExtraDelta(Bitstream& in, const SharedObject* reference, bool reread) {
     MetavoxelLOD lod, referenceLOD;
     if (in.getContext()) {
         MetavoxelStreamBase* base = static_cast<MetavoxelStreamBase*>(in.getContext());
@@ -3726,16 +3737,21 @@ void Heightfield::readExtraDelta(Bitstream& in, const SharedObject* reference) {
     HeightfieldStreamBase base = { in, lod, referenceLOD };
     HeightfieldStreamState state = { base, glm::vec2(), 1.0f };
     
-    setRoot(static_cast<const Heightfield*>(reference)->getRoot());
     bool changed;
     in >> changed;
     if (changed) {
         HeightfieldNodePointer root(new HeightfieldNode());
         root->readDelta(static_cast<const Heightfield*>(reference)->getRoot(), state);
-        setRoot(root);
-    
+        if (!reread) {
+            setRoot(root);
+        }
     } else if (state.becameSubdividedOrCollapsed()) {
-        setRoot(HeightfieldNodePointer(_root->readSubdivision(state)));
+        HeightfieldNodePointer root(_root->readSubdivision(state));
+        if (!reread) {
+            setRoot(root);
+        }
+    } else if (!reread) {
+        setRoot(static_cast<const Heightfield*>(reference)->getRoot());
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/metavoxels/src/Spanner.h b/libraries/metavoxels/src/Spanner.h
index 12d04edd14..653893c84d 100644
--- a/libraries/metavoxels/src/Spanner.h
+++ b/libraries/metavoxels/src/Spanner.h
@@ -820,9 +820,9 @@ public:
     virtual bool intersects(const glm::vec3& start, const glm::vec3& end, float& distance, glm::vec3& normal);
     
     virtual void writeExtra(Bitstream& out) const;
-    virtual void readExtra(Bitstream& in);
+    virtual void readExtra(Bitstream& in, bool reread);
     virtual void writeExtraDelta(Bitstream& out, const SharedObject* reference) const;
-    virtual void readExtraDelta(Bitstream& in, const SharedObject* reference);
+    virtual void readExtraDelta(Bitstream& in, const SharedObject* reference, bool reread);
     virtual void maybeWriteSubdivision(Bitstream& out);
     virtual SharedObject* readSubdivision(Bitstream& in);