diff --git a/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp b/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp
index f1e30f4442..28ede7a77d 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp
@@ -331,7 +331,13 @@ void AvatarMixer::manageIdentityData(const SharedNodePointer& node) {
         }
     }
     if (sendIdentity) {
-        sendIdentityPacket(nodeData, node); // Tell node whose name changed about its new session display name or avatar.
+
+        // since this packet includes a change to either the skeleton model URL or the display name
+        // it needs a new sequence number
+        nodeData->getAvatar().pushIdentitySequenceNumber();
+
+        // tell node whose name changed about its new session display name or avatar.
+        sendIdentityPacket(nodeData, node);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
index eb4a02cb62..3bcd401e38 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
@@ -1496,13 +1496,13 @@ void AvatarData::processAvatarIdentity(const QByteArray& identityData, bool& ide
     udt::SequenceNumber incomingSequenceNumber(incomingSequenceNumberType);
 
     if (!_hasProcessedFirstIdentity) {
-        _lastSequenceNumber = incomingSequenceNumber - 1;
+        _sequenceNumber = incomingSequenceNumber - 1;
         _hasProcessedFirstIdentity = true;
         qCDebug(avatars) << "Processing first identity packet for" << avatarSessionID << "-"
             << (udt::SequenceNumber::Type) incomingSequenceNumber;
     }
 
-    if (incomingSequenceNumber > _lastSequenceNumber) {
+    if (incomingSequenceNumber > _sequenceNumber) {
         Identity identity;
 
         packetStream >> identity.skeletonModelURL
@@ -1512,7 +1512,7 @@ void AvatarData::processAvatarIdentity(const QByteArray& identityData, bool& ide
             >> identity.avatarEntityData;
 
         // set the store identity sequence number to match the incoming identity
-        _lastSequenceNumber = incomingSequenceNumber;
+        _sequenceNumber = incomingSequenceNumber;
 
         if (_firstSkeletonCheck || (identity.skeletonModelURL != cannonicalSkeletonModelURL(emptyURL))) {
             setSkeletonModelURL(identity.skeletonModelURL);
@@ -1555,7 +1555,7 @@ void AvatarData::processAvatarIdentity(const QByteArray& identityData, bool& ide
     } else {
 
         qCDebug(avatars) << "Refusing to process identity for" << uuidStringWithoutCurlyBraces(avatarSessionID) << "since"
-            << (udt::SequenceNumber::Type) _lastSequenceNumber
+            << (udt::SequenceNumber::Type) _sequenceNumber
             << "is >=" << (udt::SequenceNumber::Type) incomingSequenceNumber;
 #endif
     }
@@ -1571,7 +1571,7 @@ QByteArray AvatarData::identityByteArray() const {
 
     _avatarEntitiesLock.withReadLock([&] {
         identityStream << getSessionUUID()
-            << (udt::SequenceNumber::Type) _lastSequenceNumber
+            << (udt::SequenceNumber::Type) _sequenceNumber
             << urlToSend
             << _attachmentData
             << _displayName
@@ -1755,7 +1755,7 @@ void AvatarData::sendIdentityPacket() {
 
     if (_identityDataChanged) {
         // if the identity data has changed, push the sequence number forwards
-        ++_lastSequenceNumber;
+        ++_sequenceNumber;
     }
 
     QByteArray identityData = identityByteArray();
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
index 8d09f936b5..204ca5d5af 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
@@ -625,6 +625,8 @@ public:
     bool getIdentityDataChanged() const { return _identityDataChanged; } // has the identity data changed since the last time sendIdentityPacket() was called
     void markIdentityDataChanged() { _identityDataChanged = true; }
 
+    void pushIdentitySequenceNumber() { ++_sequenceNumber; };
+
     float getDensity() const { return _density; }
 
 signals:
@@ -781,7 +783,7 @@ protected:
     float _audioAverageLoudness { 0.0f };
 
     bool _identityDataChanged { false };
-    udt::SequenceNumber _lastSequenceNumber { 0 };
+    udt::SequenceNumber _sequenceNumber { 0 };
     bool _hasProcessedFirstIdentity { false };
     float _density;