diff --git a/libraries/particles/src/Particle.cpp b/libraries/particles/src/Particle.cpp
index a35d9fc8af..ecda364e85 100644
--- a/libraries/particles/src/Particle.cpp
+++ b/libraries/particles/src/Particle.cpp
@@ -292,10 +292,7 @@ int Particle::readParticleDataFromBuffer(const unsigned char* data, int bytesLef
 }
 
 
-Particle Particle::fromEditPacket(unsigned char* data, int length, int& processedBytes, ParticleTree* tree) {
-
-    //qDebug() << "Particle::fromEditPacket() length=" << length;
-
+Particle Particle::fromEditPacket(unsigned char* data, int length, int& processedBytes, ParticleTree* tree, bool& valid) {
     Particle newParticle; // id and _lastUpdated will get set here...
     unsigned char* dataAt = data;
     processedBytes = 0;
@@ -304,9 +301,6 @@ Particle Particle::fromEditPacket(unsigned char* data, int length, int& processe
     int octets = numberOfThreeBitSectionsInCode(data);
     int lengthOfOctcode = bytesRequiredForCodeLength(octets);
 
-    //qDebug() << "Particle::fromEditPacket() lengthOfOctcode=" << lengthOfOctcode;
-    //printOctalCode(data);
-
     // we don't actually do anything with this octcode...
     dataAt += lengthOfOctcode;
     processedBytes += lengthOfOctcode;
@@ -323,8 +317,6 @@ Particle Particle::fromEditPacket(unsigned char* data, int length, int& processe
 
     // special case for handling "new" particles
     if (isNewParticle) {
-        //qDebug() << "editID == NEW_PARTICLE";
-        
         // If this is a NEW_PARTICLE, then we assume that there's an additional uint32_t creatorToken, that
         // we want to send back to the creator as an map to the actual id
         uint32_t creatorTokenID;
@@ -332,11 +324,8 @@ Particle Particle::fromEditPacket(unsigned char* data, int length, int& processe
         dataAt += sizeof(creatorTokenID);
         processedBytes += sizeof(creatorTokenID);
 
-        //qDebug() << "creatorTokenID:" << creatorTokenID;
-
         newParticle.setCreatorTokenID(creatorTokenID);
         newParticle._newlyCreated = true;
-
         newParticle.setAge(0); // this guy is new!
 
     } else {
@@ -346,15 +335,19 @@ Particle Particle::fromEditPacket(unsigned char* data, int length, int& processe
         // copy existing properties before over-writing with new properties
         if (existingParticle) {
             newParticle = *existingParticle;
-            //qDebug() << "newParticle = *existingParticle... calling debugDump()...";
-            //existingParticle->debugDump();
+        } else {
+            // the user attempted to edit a particle that doesn't exist
+            qDebug() << "user attempted to edit a particle that doesn't exist...";
+            valid = false;
+            return newParticle;
         }
-
         newParticle._id = editID;
         newParticle._newlyCreated = false;
-
-
     }
+    
+    // if we got this far, then our result will be valid
+    valid = true;
+    
 
     // lastEdited
     memcpy(&newParticle._lastEdited, dataAt, sizeof(newParticle._lastEdited));
diff --git a/libraries/particles/src/Particle.h b/libraries/particles/src/Particle.h
index 32b9ebedcc..ebd21a6b52 100644
--- a/libraries/particles/src/Particle.h
+++ b/libraries/particles/src/Particle.h
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ public:
             bool inHand = NOT_IN_HAND, QString updateScript = DEFAULT_SCRIPT, uint32_t id = NEW_PARTICLE);
 
     /// creates an NEW particle from an PACKET_TYPE_PARTICLE_ADD_OR_EDIT edit data buffer
-    static Particle fromEditPacket(unsigned char* data, int length, int& processedBytes, ParticleTree* tree);
+    static Particle fromEditPacket(unsigned char* data, int length, int& processedBytes, ParticleTree* tree, bool& valid);
 
     virtual ~Particle();
     virtual void init(glm::vec3 position, float radius, rgbColor color, glm::vec3 velocity,
diff --git a/libraries/particles/src/ParticleTree.cpp b/libraries/particles/src/ParticleTree.cpp
index 015c34ce12..223adbac6d 100644
--- a/libraries/particles/src/ParticleTree.cpp
+++ b/libraries/particles/src/ParticleTree.cpp
@@ -250,13 +250,14 @@ int ParticleTree::processEditPacketData(PACKET_TYPE packetType, unsigned char* p
     // we handle these types of "edit" packets
     switch (packetType) {
         case PACKET_TYPE_PARTICLE_ADD_OR_EDIT: {
-            //qDebug() << " got PACKET_TYPE_PARTICLE_ADD_OR_EDIT... ";
-            Particle newParticle = Particle::fromEditPacket(editData, maxLength, processedBytes, this);
-            storeParticle(newParticle, senderNode);
-            if (newParticle.isNewlyCreated()) {
-                notifyNewlyCreatedParticle(newParticle, senderNode);
+            bool isValid;
+            Particle newParticle = Particle::fromEditPacket(editData, maxLength, processedBytes, this, isValid);
+            if (isValid) {
+                storeParticle(newParticle, senderNode);
+                if (newParticle.isNewlyCreated()) {
+                    notifyNewlyCreatedParticle(newParticle, senderNode);
+                }
             }
-            //qDebug() << " DONE... PACKET_TYPE_PARTICLE_ADD_OR_EDIT... ";
         } break;
 
         // TODO: wire in support here for server to get PACKET_TYPE_PARTICLE_ERASE messages