diff --git a/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClientMonitor.cpp b/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClientMonitor.cpp
index 4d892923e4..5498322f58 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClientMonitor.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClientMonitor.cpp
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ AssignmentClientMonitor::AssignmentClientMonitor(const unsigned int numAssignmen
     auto nodeList = DependencyManager::set<LimitedNodeList>();
 
     auto& packetReceiver = DependencyManager::get<NodeList>()->getPacketReceiver();
-    packetReceiver->registerPacketListener(PacketType::NodeJsonStats, this, "handleNodeJsonStatsPacket");
-    packetReceiver->registerPacketListener(PacketType::NodeJsonStats, this, "handleNodeJsonStatsUnknownNodePacket");
+    packetReceiver.registerPacketListener(PacketType::NodeJsonStats, this, "handleNodeJsonStatsPacket");
+    packetReceiver.registerPacketListener(PacketType::NodeJsonStats, this, "handleNodeJsonStatsUnknownNodePacket");
 
     // use QProcess to fork off a process for each of the child assignment clients
     for (unsigned int i = 0; i < _numAssignmentClientForks; i++) {
@@ -204,6 +204,8 @@ void AssignmentClientMonitor::checkSpares() {
 }
 
 void AssignmentClientMonitor::handleNodeJsonStatsPacket(QSharedPointer<NLPacket> packet, SharedNodePointer senderNode) {
+    auto senderSockAddr = packet->getSenderSockAddr();
+
     // update our records about how to reach this child
     senderNode->setLocalSocket(senderSockAddr);
 
@@ -213,26 +215,30 @@ void AssignmentClientMonitor::handleNodeJsonStatsPacket(QSharedPointer<NLPacket>
     // get child's assignment type out of the decoded json
     QString childType = unpackedStatsJSON["assignment_type"].toString();
     AssignmentClientChildData *childData =
-        static_cast<AssignmentClientChildData*>(matchingNode->getLinkedData());
+        static_cast<AssignmentClientChildData*>(senderNode->getLinkedData());
     childData->setChildType(childType);
     // note when this child talked
-    matchingNode->setLastHeardMicrostamp(usecTimestampNow());
+    senderNode->setLastHeardMicrostamp(usecTimestampNow());
 }
 
 void AssignmentClientMonitor::handleNodeJsonStatsUnknownNodePacket(QSharedPointer<NLPacket> packet, SharedNodePointer senderNode) {
+    auto senderSockAddr = packet->getSenderSockAddr();
+
     // The parent only expects to be talking with prorams running on this same machine.
     if (senderSockAddr.getAddress() == QHostAddress::LocalHost ||
             senderSockAddr.getAddress() == QHostAddress::LocalHostIPv6) {
+        QUuid packetUUID = uuidFromPacketHeader(QByteArray::fromRawData(packet->getData(), packet->getSizeWithHeader()));
         if (!packetUUID.isNull()) {
-            matchingNode = DependencyManager::get<LimitedNodeList>()->addOrUpdateNode
+            senderNode = DependencyManager::get<LimitedNodeList>()->addOrUpdateNode
                 (packetUUID, NodeType::Unassigned, senderSockAddr, senderSockAddr, false, false);
             AssignmentClientChildData *childData = new AssignmentClientChildData("unknown");
-            matchingNode->setLinkedData(childData);
+            senderNode->setLinkedData(childData);
         } else {
             // tell unknown assignment-client child to exit.
             qDebug() << "asking unknown child to exit.";
 
             auto diePacket = NLPacket::create(PacketType::StopNode, 0);
+            auto nodeList = DependencyManager::get<NodeList>();
             nodeList->sendPacket(std::move(diePacket), senderSockAddr);
         }
     }