diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
index 4a69e9010a..a64263aec2 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ void AvatarManager::updateOtherAvatars(float deltaTime) {
     
     AvatarHash::iterator avatarIterator = hashCopy.begin();
     while (avatarIterator != hashCopy.end()) {
-        auto avatar = std::dynamic_pointer_cast<Avatar>(avatarIterator.value());
+        auto avatar = std::static_pointer_cast<Avatar>(avatarIterator.value());
 
         if (avatar == _myAvatar || !avatar->isInitialized()) {
             // DO NOT update _myAvatar!  Its update has already been done earlier in the main loop.
@@ -169,19 +169,21 @@ void AvatarManager::simulateAvatarFades(float deltaTime) {
 }
 
 AvatarSharedPointer AvatarManager::newSharedAvatar() {
-    return AvatarSharedPointer(std::make_shared<Avatar>(std::make_shared<AvatarRig>()));
+    return std::make_shared<Avatar>(std::make_shared<AvatarRig>());
 }
 
-// virtual
-AvatarSharedPointer AvatarManager::newOrExistingAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID, const QWeakPointer<Node>& mixerWeakPointer) {
-    auto avatar = std::dynamic_pointer_cast<Avatar>(AvatarHashMap::newOrExistingAvatar(sessionUUID, mixerWeakPointer));
+AvatarSharedPointer AvatarManager::addAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID, const QWeakPointer<Node>& mixerWeakPointer) {
+    auto newAvatar = AvatarHashMap::addAvatar(sessionUUID, mixerWeakPointer);
+    auto rawRenderableAvatar = std::static_pointer_cast<Avatar>(newAvatar);
+    
     render::ScenePointer scene = qApp->getMain3DScene();
     render::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
     if (DependencyManager::get<SceneScriptingInterface>()->shouldRenderAvatars()) {
-        avatar->addToScene(avatar, scene, pendingChanges);
+        rawRenderableAvatar->addToScene(rawRenderableAvatar, scene, pendingChanges);
     }
     scene->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
-    return avatar;
+    
+    return newAvatar;
 }
 
 // protected
@@ -209,9 +211,6 @@ void AvatarManager::removeAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID) {
 }
 
 void AvatarManager::handleRemovedAvatar(const AvatarSharedPointer& removedAvatar) {
-    qDebug() << "Removed avatar with UUID" << uuidStringWithoutCurlyBraces(removedAvatar->getSessionUUID())
-        << "from AvatarManager";
-    
     AvatarHashMap::handleRemovedAvatar(removedAvatar);
     
     removeAvatarMotionState(removedAvatar);
@@ -326,7 +325,6 @@ void AvatarManager::handleCollisionEvents(const CollisionEvents& collisionEvents
 }
 
 void AvatarManager::updateAvatarPhysicsShape(Avatar* avatar) {
-    qDebug() << "Update physics state called for" << avatar;
     AvatarMotionState* motionState = avatar->getMotionState();
     if (motionState) {
         motionState->addDirtyFlags(Simulation::DIRTY_SHAPE);
@@ -346,7 +344,7 @@ void AvatarManager::updateAvatarPhysicsShape(Avatar* avatar) {
 void AvatarManager::updateAvatarRenderStatus(bool shouldRenderAvatars) {
     if (DependencyManager::get<SceneScriptingInterface>()->shouldRenderAvatars()) {
         for (auto avatarData : _avatarHash) {
-            auto avatar = std::dynamic_pointer_cast<Avatar>(avatarData);
+            auto avatar = std::static_pointer_cast<Avatar>(avatarData);
             render::ScenePointer scene = qApp->getMain3DScene();
             render::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
             avatar->addToScene(avatar, scene, pendingChanges);
@@ -354,7 +352,7 @@ void AvatarManager::updateAvatarRenderStatus(bool shouldRenderAvatars) {
         }
     } else {
         for (auto avatarData : _avatarHash) {
-            auto avatar = std::dynamic_pointer_cast<Avatar>(avatarData);
+            auto avatar = std::static_pointer_cast<Avatar>(avatarData);
             render::ScenePointer scene = qApp->getMain3DScene();
             render::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
             avatar->removeFromScene(avatar, scene, pendingChanges);
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.h b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.h
index 35e37656d8..f911dacc4d 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.h
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.h
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ private:
     
     // virtual overrides
     virtual AvatarSharedPointer newSharedAvatar();
-    virtual AvatarSharedPointer newOrExistingAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID, const QWeakPointer<Node>& mixerWeakPointer);
+    virtual AvatarSharedPointer addAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID, const QWeakPointer<Node>& mixerWeakPointer);
     void removeAvatarMotionState(AvatarSharedPointer avatar);
     
     virtual void removeAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID);
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.cpp b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.cpp
index 1da9abacdd..8f2ea82373 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.cpp
@@ -38,20 +38,26 @@ AvatarSharedPointer AvatarHashMap::newSharedAvatar() {
     return std::make_shared<AvatarData>();
 }
 
+AvatarSharedPointer AvatarHashMap::addAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID, const QWeakPointer<Node>& mixerWeakPointer) {
+    qCDebug(avatars) << "Adding avatar with sessionUUID " << sessionUUID << "to AvatarHashMap.";
+    
+    auto avatar = newSharedAvatar();
+    avatar->setSessionUUID(sessionUUID);
+    avatar->setOwningAvatarMixer(mixerWeakPointer);
+    
+    _avatarHash.insert(sessionUUID, avatar);
+    emit avatarAddedEvent(sessionUUID);
+    
+    return avatar;
+}
+
 AvatarSharedPointer AvatarHashMap::newOrExistingAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID, const QWeakPointer<Node>& mixerWeakPointer) {
     QWriteLocker locker(&_hashLock);
     
     auto avatar = _avatarHash.value(sessionUUID);
     
     if (!avatar) {
-        qCDebug(avatars) << "Adding avatar with sessionUUID " << sessionUUID << "to AvatarHashMap.";
-        
-        avatar = newSharedAvatar();
-        avatar->setSessionUUID(sessionUUID);
-        avatar->setOwningAvatarMixer(mixerWeakPointer);
-        
-        _avatarHash.insert(sessionUUID, avatar);
-        emit avatarAddedEvent(sessionUUID);
+        avatar = addAvatar(sessionUUID, mixerWeakPointer);
     }
     
     return avatar;
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.h b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.h
index c3c9160f12..c2fecf5bd9 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.h
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.h
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ protected:
     AvatarHashMap();
 
     virtual AvatarSharedPointer newSharedAvatar();
-    virtual AvatarSharedPointer newOrExistingAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID, const QWeakPointer<Node>& mixerWeakPointer);
+    virtual AvatarSharedPointer addAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID, const QWeakPointer<Node>& mixerWeakPointer);
+    AvatarSharedPointer newOrExistingAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID, const QWeakPointer<Node>& mixerWeakPointer);
     virtual AvatarSharedPointer findAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID); // uses a QReadLocker on the hashLock
     virtual void removeAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID);