diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
index 53c16c8a61..a79a86658f 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
@@ -391,8 +391,15 @@ void AvatarManager::simulateAvatarFades(float deltaTime) {
     scene->enqueueTransaction(transaction);
 }
 
-AvatarSharedPointer AvatarManager::newSharedAvatar() {
-    return AvatarSharedPointer(new OtherAvatar(qApp->thread()), [](OtherAvatar* ptr) { ptr->deleteLater(); });
+AvatarSharedPointer AvatarManager::newSharedAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID) {
+    return AvatarSharedPointer(new OtherAvatar(qApp->thread()), [sessionUUID](OtherAvatar* ptr) {
+        ptr->deleteLater(); 
+        ptr->setSessionUUID(sessionUUID);
+        auto nodeList = DependencyManager::get<NodeList>();
+        if (!nodeList || !nodeList->isIgnoringNode(sessionUUID)) {
+            ptr->createOrb();
+        }
+    });
 }
 
 void AvatarManager::queuePhysicsChange(const OtherAvatarPointer& avatar) {
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.h b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.h
index 359af8e361..3052307101 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.h
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.h
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ private:
 
     void simulateAvatarFades(float deltaTime);
 
-    AvatarSharedPointer newSharedAvatar() override;
+    AvatarSharedPointer newSharedAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID) override;
 
     // called only from the AvatarHashMap thread - cannot be called while this thread holds the
     // hash lock, since handleRemovedAvatar needs a write lock on the entity tree and the entity tree
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/OtherAvatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/OtherAvatar.cpp
index 0dfc349e18..1f4fdc5e52 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/OtherAvatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/OtherAvatar.cpp
@@ -46,9 +46,6 @@ OtherAvatar::OtherAvatar(QThread* thread) : Avatar(thread) {
     connect(_skeletonModel.get(), &Model::setURLFinished, this, &Avatar::setModelURLFinished);
     connect(_skeletonModel.get(), &Model::rigReady, this, &Avatar::rigReady);
     connect(_skeletonModel.get(), &Model::rigReset, this, &Avatar::rigReset);
-
-    // add the purple orb
-    createOrb();
 }
 
 OtherAvatar::~OtherAvatar() {
diff --git a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp
index a6185d7e79..9426776983 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp
@@ -1375,7 +1375,7 @@ void Avatar::setSkeletonModelURL(const QUrl& skeletonModelURL) {
     AvatarData::setSkeletonModelURL(skeletonModelURL);
     if (QThread::currentThread() == thread()) {
 
-        if (!isMyAvatar()) {
+        if (!isMyAvatar() && !DependencyManager::get<NodeList>()->isIgnoringNode(getSessionUUID())) {
             createOrb();
         }
 
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.cpp b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.cpp
index 6a67ef6638..5f30d98ed6 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.cpp
@@ -195,21 +195,22 @@ int AvatarHashMap::numberOfAvatarsInRange(const glm::vec3& position, float range
     return count;
 }
 
-AvatarSharedPointer AvatarHashMap::newSharedAvatar() {
-    return std::make_shared<AvatarData>();
+AvatarSharedPointer AvatarHashMap::newSharedAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID) {
+    auto avatarData = std::make_shared<AvatarData>();
+    avatarData->setSessionUUID(sessionUUID);
+    return avatarData;
 }
 
 AvatarSharedPointer AvatarHashMap::addAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID, const QWeakPointer<Node>& mixerWeakPointer) {
     qCDebug(avatars) << "Adding avatar with sessionUUID " << sessionUUID << "to AvatarHashMap.";
 
-    auto avatar = newSharedAvatar();
+    auto avatar = newSharedAvatar(sessionUUID);
     avatar->setSessionUUID(sessionUUID);
     avatar->setOwningAvatarMixer(mixerWeakPointer);
 
     // addAvatar is only called from newOrExistingAvatar, which already locks _hashLock
     _avatarHash.insert(sessionUUID, avatar);
     emit avatarAddedEvent(sessionUUID);
-
     return avatar;
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.h b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.h
index 3bb38dd081..7f0db4bb5d 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.h
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.h
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ protected:
     AvatarHashMap();
 
     virtual AvatarSharedPointer parseAvatarData(QSharedPointer<ReceivedMessage> message, SharedNodePointer sendingNode);
-    virtual AvatarSharedPointer newSharedAvatar();
+    virtual AvatarSharedPointer newSharedAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID);
     virtual AvatarSharedPointer addAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID, const QWeakPointer<Node>& mixerWeakPointer);
     AvatarSharedPointer newOrExistingAvatar(const QUuid& sessionUUID, const QWeakPointer<Node>& mixerWeakPointer,
         bool& isNew);