diff --git a/interface/src/Environment.cpp b/interface/src/Environment.cpp
index bdea0771ce..f4529a4e3f 100644
--- a/interface/src/Environment.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Environment.cpp
@@ -114,19 +114,29 @@ bool Environment::findCapsulePenetration(const glm::vec3& start, const glm::vec3
 }
 
 int Environment::parseData(sockaddr *senderAddress, unsigned char* sourceBuffer, int numBytes) {
-    EnvironmentData newData;
-    int bytesRead = newData.parseData(sourceBuffer, numBytes);
+    // push past the packet header
+    unsigned char* start = sourceBuffer;
+    sourceBuffer++;
+    numBytes--;
     
     // get the lock for the duration of the call
     QMutexLocker locker(&_mutex);
     
-    // update the mapping by address/ID
-    _data[*senderAddress][newData.getID()] = newData;
+    EnvironmentData newData;
+    while (numBytes > 0) {
+        int dataLength = newData.parseData(sourceBuffer, numBytes);
+        
+        // update the mapping by address/ID
+        _data[*senderAddress][newData.getID()] = newData;    
+        
+        sourceBuffer += dataLength;
+        numBytes -= dataLength;    
+    }
     
     // remove the default mapping, if any
     _data.remove(getZeroAddress());
     
-    return bytesRead;
+    return sourceBuffer - start;
 }
 
 ProgramObject* Environment::createSkyProgram(const char* from, int* locations) {
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/SharedUtil.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/SharedUtil.cpp
index 6e23413ea7..5829bbe34a 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/SharedUtil.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/SharedUtil.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ bool randomBoolean() {
     return rand() % 2;
 }
 
+bool shouldDo(float desiredInterval, float deltaTime) {
+    return randFloat() < deltaTime / desiredInterval;
+}
+
 void outputBufferBits(unsigned char* buffer, int length, bool withNewLine) {
     for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
         outputBits(buffer[i], false);
@@ -417,4 +421,3 @@ int insertIntoSortedArrays(void* value, float key, int originalIndex,
     }
     return -1; // error case
 }
-
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/SharedUtil.h b/libraries/shared/src/SharedUtil.h
index 2458e1e5a2..8da9d7beca 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/SharedUtil.h
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/SharedUtil.h
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ float randFloatInRange (float min,float max);
 unsigned char randomColorValue(int minimum);
 bool randomBoolean();
 
+bool shouldDo(float desiredInterval, float deltaTime);
+
 void outputBufferBits(unsigned char* buffer, int length, bool withNewLine = true);
 void outputBits(unsigned char byte, bool withNewLine = true);
 void printVoxelCode(unsigned char* voxelCode);
diff --git a/libraries/voxels/src/EnvironmentData.cpp b/libraries/voxels/src/EnvironmentData.cpp
index 4142a00ae6..403ad791f1 100644
--- a/libraries/voxels/src/EnvironmentData.cpp
+++ b/libraries/voxels/src/EnvironmentData.cpp
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ EnvironmentData::EnvironmentData(int id) :
 int EnvironmentData::getBroadcastData(unsigned char* destinationBuffer) const {
     unsigned char* bufferStart = destinationBuffer;
     
-    *destinationBuffer++ = PACKET_HEADER_ENVIRONMENT_DATA;  
-    
     memcpy(destinationBuffer, &_id, sizeof(_id));
     destinationBuffer += sizeof(_id);
     
@@ -64,9 +62,6 @@ int EnvironmentData::getBroadcastData(unsigned char* destinationBuffer) const {
 }
 
 int EnvironmentData::parseData(unsigned char* sourceBuffer, int numBytes) {
-    // increment to push past the packet header
-    sourceBuffer++;
-    
     unsigned char* startPosition = sourceBuffer;
     
     memcpy(&_id, sourceBuffer, sizeof(_id));
diff --git a/voxel-server/src/main.cpp b/voxel-server/src/main.cpp
index 70eea1befd..c99c349fbb 100644
--- a/voxel-server/src/main.cpp
+++ b/voxel-server/src/main.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ int PACKETS_PER_CLIENT_PER_INTERVAL = 50;
 
 const int MAX_VOXEL_TREE_DEPTH_LEVELS = 4;
 
+const int ENVIRONMENT_SEND_INTERVAL_USECS = 1000000;
+
 VoxelTree randomTree(true); // this is a reaveraging tree
 bool wantVoxelPersist = true;
 bool wantLocalDomain = false;
@@ -161,8 +163,8 @@ void resInVoxelDistributor(AgentList* agentList,
         int trueBytesSent = 0;
         double start = usecTimestampNow();
 
-        int environmentPacketCount = sizeof(environmentData) / sizeof(environmentData[0]);
-        while (packetsSentThisInterval < PACKETS_PER_CLIENT_PER_INTERVAL - environmentPacketCount) {
+        bool shouldSendEnvironments = shouldDo(ENVIRONMENT_SEND_INTERVAL_USECS, VOXEL_SEND_INTERVAL_USECS);
+        while (packetsSentThisInterval < PACKETS_PER_CLIENT_PER_INTERVAL - (shouldSendEnvironments ? 1 : 0)) {
             if (!agentData->nodeBag.isEmpty()) {
                 VoxelNode* subTree = agentData->nodeBag.extract();
                 bytesWritten = randomTree.encodeTreeBitstream(agentData->getMaxSearchLevel(), subTree,
@@ -194,13 +196,16 @@ void resInVoxelDistributor(AgentList* agentList,
             }
         }
         // send the environment packets
-        for (int i = 0; i < environmentPacketCount; i++) {
-            int envPacketLength = environmentData[i].getBroadcastData(tempOutputBuffer);
+        if (shouldSendEnvironments) {
+            int envPacketLength = 1;
+            *tempOutputBuffer = PACKET_HEADER_ENVIRONMENT_DATA;
+            for (int i = 0; i < sizeof(environmentData) / sizeof(environmentData[0]); i++) {
+                envPacketLength += environmentData[i].getBroadcastData(tempOutputBuffer + envPacketLength);
+            }
             agentList->getAgentSocket()->send(agent->getActiveSocket(), tempOutputBuffer, envPacketLength);
             trueBytesSent += envPacketLength;
-            truePacketsSent++;    
+            truePacketsSent++;
         }
-        
         double end = usecTimestampNow();
         double elapsedmsec = (end - start)/1000.0;
         if (elapsedmsec > 100) {
@@ -301,8 +306,8 @@ void deepestLevelVoxelDistributor(AgentList* agentList,
         int trueBytesSent = 0;
         double start = usecTimestampNow();
 
-        int environmentPacketCount = sizeof(environmentData) / sizeof(environmentData[0]);
-        while (packetsSentThisInterval < PACKETS_PER_CLIENT_PER_INTERVAL - environmentPacketCount) {
+        bool shouldSendEnvironments = shouldDo(ENVIRONMENT_SEND_INTERVAL_USECS, VOXEL_SEND_INTERVAL_USECS);
+        while (packetsSentThisInterval < PACKETS_PER_CLIENT_PER_INTERVAL - (shouldSendEnvironments ? 1 : 0)) {
             if (!agentData->nodeBag.isEmpty()) {
                 VoxelNode* subTree = agentData->nodeBag.extract();
                 bytesWritten = randomTree.encodeTreeBitstream(INT_MAX, subTree,
@@ -334,9 +339,13 @@ void deepestLevelVoxelDistributor(AgentList* agentList,
                 packetsSentThisInterval = PACKETS_PER_CLIENT_PER_INTERVAL; // done for now, no nodes left
             }
         }
-        // send the environment packets
-        for (int i = 0; i < environmentPacketCount; i++) {
-            int envPacketLength = environmentData[i].getBroadcastData(tempOutputBuffer);
+        // send the environment packet
+        if (shouldSendEnvironments) {
+            int envPacketLength = 1;
+            *tempOutputBuffer = PACKET_HEADER_ENVIRONMENT_DATA;
+            for (int i = 0; i < sizeof(environmentData) / sizeof(environmentData[0]); i++) {
+                envPacketLength += environmentData[i].getBroadcastData(tempOutputBuffer + envPacketLength);
+            }
             agentList->getAgentSocket()->send(agent->getActiveSocket(), tempOutputBuffer, envPacketLength);
             trueBytesSent += envPacketLength;
             truePacketsSent++;