diff --git a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
index aeabd1548b..a2c56405ec 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
@@ -62,10 +62,9 @@ void attachNewBufferToNode(Node *newNode) {
 }
 
 AudioMixer::AudioMixer(const QByteArray& packet) :
-    ThreadedAssignment(packet),
-    _clientMixBuffer(NETWORK_BUFFER_LENGTH_BYTES_STEREO + numBytesForPacketHeaderGivenPacketType(PacketTypeMixedAudio), 0)
+    ThreadedAssignment(packet)
 {
-    connect(NodeList::getInstance(), &NodeList::uuidChanged, this, &AudioMixer::receivedSessionUUID);
+    
 }
 
 void AudioMixer::addBufferToMixForListeningNodeWithBuffer(PositionalAudioRingBuffer* bufferToAdd,
@@ -333,10 +332,6 @@ void AudioMixer::readPendingDatagrams() {
     }
 }
 
-void AudioMixer::receivedSessionUUID(const QUuid& sessionUUID) {
-    populatePacketHeader(_clientMixBuffer, PacketTypeMixedAudio);
-}
-
 void AudioMixer::run() {
 
     commonInit(AUDIO_MIXER_LOGGING_TARGET_NAME, NodeType::AudioMixer);
@@ -351,8 +346,9 @@ void AudioMixer::run() {
     timeval startTime;
 
     gettimeofday(&startTime, NULL);
-
-    int numBytesPacketHeader = numBytesForPacketHeaderGivenPacketType(PacketTypeMixedAudio);
+    
+    char* clientMixBuffer = new char[NETWORK_BUFFER_LENGTH_BYTES_STEREO
+                                     + numBytesForPacketHeaderGivenPacketType(PacketTypeMixedAudio)];
 
     while (!_isFinished) {
 
@@ -366,9 +362,11 @@ void AudioMixer::run() {
             if (node->getType() == NodeType::Agent && node->getActiveSocket() && node->getLinkedData()
                 && ((AudioMixerClientData*) node->getLinkedData())->getAvatarAudioRingBuffer()) {
                 prepareMixForListeningNode(node.data());
+                
+                int numBytesPacketHeader = populatePacketHeader(clientMixBuffer, PacketTypeMixedAudio);
 
-                memcpy(_clientMixBuffer.data() + numBytesPacketHeader, _clientSamples, NETWORK_BUFFER_LENGTH_BYTES_STEREO);
-                nodeList->writeDatagram(_clientMixBuffer, node);
+                memcpy(clientMixBuffer + numBytesPacketHeader, _clientSamples, NETWORK_BUFFER_LENGTH_BYTES_STEREO);
+                nodeList->writeDatagram(clientMixBuffer, NETWORK_BUFFER_LENGTH_BYTES_STEREO + numBytesPacketHeader, node);
             }
         }
 
@@ -394,4 +392,6 @@ void AudioMixer::run() {
         }
 
     }
+    
+    delete[] clientMixBuffer;
 }
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.h b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.h
index 8032649c17..5a68b0023f 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.h
+++ b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.h
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ public slots:
     void run();
     
     void readPendingDatagrams();
-private slots:
-    void receivedSessionUUID(const QUuid& sessionUUID);
 private:
     /// adds one buffer to the mix for a listening node
     void addBufferToMixForListeningNodeWithBuffer(PositionalAudioRingBuffer* bufferToAdd,
@@ -38,8 +36,6 @@ private:
     /// prepares and sends a mix to one Node
     void prepareMixForListeningNode(Node* node);
     
-    QByteArray _clientMixBuffer;
-    
     // client samples capacity is larger than what will be sent to optimize mixing
     int16_t _clientSamples[NETWORK_BUFFER_LENGTH_SAMPLES_STEREO + SAMPLE_PHASE_DELAY_AT_90];
 };
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/Head.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/Head.cpp
index a9b85ffce2..44001a2015 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/Head.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/Head.cpp
@@ -90,8 +90,7 @@ void Head::simulate(float deltaTime, bool isMine, bool billboard) {
         _saccade += (_saccadeTarget - _saccade) * 0.50f;
     
         const float AUDIO_AVERAGING_SECS = 0.05f;
-        _averageLoudness = (1.f - deltaTime / AUDIO_AVERAGING_SECS) * _averageLoudness +
-                                 (deltaTime / AUDIO_AVERAGING_SECS) * _audioLoudness;
+        _averageLoudness = glm::mix(_averageLoudness, _audioLoudness, glm::min(deltaTime / AUDIO_AVERAGING_SECS, 1.0f));
         
         //  Detect transition from talking to not; force blink after that and a delay
         bool forceBlink = false;
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
index 0cca9731b0..0354bd8bf9 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/NodeList.cpp
@@ -267,7 +267,9 @@ void NodeList::processNodeData(const HifiSockAddr& senderSockAddr, const QByteAr
             // the node decided not to do anything with this packet
             // if it comes from a known source we should keep that node alive
             SharedNodePointer matchingNode = sendingNodeForPacket(packet);
-            matchingNode->setLastHeardMicrostamp(usecTimestampNow());
+            if (matchingNode) {
+                matchingNode->setLastHeardMicrostamp(usecTimestampNow());
+            }
             
             break;
     }