diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 572f42bdee..19510693d9 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ const float MIRROR_FULLSCREEN_DISTANCE = 0.35f;
 const float MIRROR_REARVIEW_DISTANCE = 0.65f;
 const float MIRROR_REARVIEW_BODY_DISTANCE = 2.3f;
 
-const char* LOCAL_VOXEL_CACHE = "/Users/brad/local_voxel_cache.svo";
+//const char* LOCAL_VOXEL_CACHE = "/Users/brad/local_voxel_cache.svo";
 
 
 void messageHandler(QtMsgType type, const QMessageLogContext& context, const QString &message) {
@@ -181,7 +181,6 @@ Application::Application(int& argc, char** argv, timeval &startup_time) :
     nodeList->addHook(&_voxels);
     nodeList->addHook(this);
     nodeList->addDomainListener(this);
-    nodeList->addDomainListener(&_voxels);
 
     // network receive thread and voxel parsing thread are both controlled by the --nonblocking command line
     _enableProcessVoxelsThread = _enableNetworkThread = !cmdOptionExists(argc, constArgv, "--nonblocking");
@@ -254,13 +253,6 @@ Application::Application(int& argc, char** argv, timeval &startup_time) :
     // Set the sixense filtering
     _sixenseManager.setFilter(Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::FilterSixense));
 
-    _persistThread = new OctreePersistThread(_voxels.getTree(), LOCAL_VOXEL_CACHE);
-
-    if (_persistThread) {
-        _voxels.beginLoadingLocalVoxelCache(); // while local voxels are importing, don't do individual node VBO updates
-        connect(_persistThread, SIGNAL(loadCompleted()), &_voxels, SLOT(localVoxelCacheLoaded()));
-        _persistThread->initialize(true);
-    }
 }
 
 Application::~Application() {
@@ -1950,6 +1942,9 @@ void Application::init() {
     connect(_rearMirrorTools, SIGNAL(restoreView()), SLOT(restoreMirrorView()));
     connect(_rearMirrorTools, SIGNAL(shrinkView()), SLOT(shrinkMirrorView()));
     connect(_rearMirrorTools, SIGNAL(resetView()), SLOT(resetSensors()));
+
+
+    updateLocalOctreeCache(true);
 }
 
 void Application::closeMirrorView() {
@@ -4215,6 +4210,10 @@ void Application::domainChanged(QString domain) {
     _voxelServerJurisdictions.clear();
     _octreeServerSceneStats.clear();
     _particleServerJurisdictions.clear();
+
+    // reset our persist thread
+    qDebug() << "domainChanged()... domain=" << domain << " swapping persist cache\n";
+    updateLocalOctreeCache();
 }
 
 void Application::nodeAdded(Node* node) {
@@ -4554,4 +4553,43 @@ void Application::toggleLogDialog() {
 
 void Application::initAvatarAndViewFrustum() {
     updateAvatar(0.f);
+}
+
+QString Application::getLocalVoxelCacheFileName() {
+    QString fileName = QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::DataLocation);
+    QDir logDir(fileName);
+    if (!logDir.exists(fileName)) {
+        logDir.mkdir(fileName);
+    }
+
+    fileName.append(QString("/hifi.voxelscache."));
+    fileName.append(_profile.getLastDomain());
+    fileName.append(QString(".svo"));
+
+    return fileName;
+}
+
+
+void Application::updateLocalOctreeCache(bool firstTime) {
+    // only do this if we've already got a persistThread or we're told this is the first time
+    if (firstTime || _persistThread) {
+
+        if (_persistThread) {
+            _persistThread->terminate();
+            _persistThread = NULL;
+        }
+
+        QString localVoxelCacheFileName = getLocalVoxelCacheFileName();
+        const int LOCAL_CACHE_PERSIST_INTERVAL = 1000 * 10; // every 10 seconds
+        _persistThread = new OctreePersistThread(_voxels.getTree(),
+                                        localVoxelCacheFileName.toLocal8Bit().constData(),LOCAL_CACHE_PERSIST_INTERVAL);
+
+        qDebug() << "updateLocalOctreeCache()... localVoxelCacheFileName=" << localVoxelCacheFileName << "\n";
+
+        if (_persistThread) {
+            _voxels.beginLoadingLocalVoxelCache(); // while local voxels are importing, don't do individual node VBO updates
+            connect(_persistThread, SIGNAL(loadCompleted()), &_voxels, SLOT(localVoxelCacheLoaded()));
+            _persistThread->initialize(true);
+        }
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.h b/interface/src/Application.h
index f36ad28a5d..19f9a74a3b 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.h
+++ b/interface/src/Application.h
@@ -515,6 +515,9 @@ private:
     FileLogger* _logger;
 
     OctreePersistThread* _persistThread;
+
+    QString getLocalVoxelCacheFileName();
+    void updateLocalOctreeCache(bool firstTime = false);
 };
 
 #endif /* defined(__interface__Application__) */
diff --git a/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp b/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp
index e0b2decfaf..ede9a8e15d 100644
--- a/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/VoxelSystem.cpp
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ void VoxelSystem::elementDeleted(OctreeElement* element) {
     VoxelTreeElement* voxel = (VoxelTreeElement*)element;
     if (voxel->getVoxelSystem() == this) {
         if (_voxelsInWriteArrays != 0) {
-qDebug() << "elementDeleted()... about to call forceRemoveNodeFromArrays()\n";
             forceRemoveNodeFromArrays(voxel);
         } else {
             if (Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::PipelineWarnings)) {
@@ -706,6 +705,7 @@ void VoxelSystem::setupNewVoxelsForDrawing() {
     bool extraDebugging = Application::getInstance()->getLogger()->extraDebugging();
     if (extraDebugging) {
         qDebug("setupNewVoxelsForDrawing()... _voxelsUpdated=%lu...\n",_voxelsUpdated);
+        _viewFrustum->printDebugDetails();
     }
 }
 
@@ -2712,11 +2712,6 @@ void VoxelSystem::nodeKilled(Node* node) {
     }
 }
 
-void VoxelSystem::domainChanged(QString domain) {
-    killLocalVoxels();
-}
-
-
 unsigned long VoxelSystem::getFreeMemoryGPU() {
     // We can't ask all GPUs how much memory they have in use, but we can ask them about how much is free.
     // So, we can record the free memory before we create our VBOs and the free memory after, and get a basic
@@ -2787,7 +2782,9 @@ void VoxelSystem::localVoxelCacheLoaded() {
     // Make sure that the application has properly set up the view frustum for our loaded state
     Application::getInstance()->initAvatarAndViewFrustum();
 
-    _tree->setDirtyBit();
+    _tree->setDirtyBit(); // make sure the tree thinks it's dirty
+    _setupNewVoxelsForDrawingLastFinished = 0; // don't allow the setupNewVoxelsForDrawing() shortcuts
+    _writeRenderFullVBO = true; // this will disable individual node updates, was reset by killLocalVoxels()
     setupNewVoxelsForDrawing();
     _inhideOutOfView = false; // reenable hideOutOfView behavior
 }
@@ -2796,6 +2793,8 @@ void VoxelSystem::beginLoadingLocalVoxelCache() {
     qDebug() << "beginLoadingLocalVoxelCache()\n";
     _writeRenderFullVBO = true; // this will disable individual node updates
     _inhideOutOfView = true; // this will disable hidOutOfView which we want to do until local cache is loaded
+    killLocalVoxels();
+    qDebug() << "DONE beginLoadingLocalVoxelCache()\n";
 }
 
 
diff --git a/interface/src/VoxelSystem.h b/interface/src/VoxelSystem.h
index 8173652e55..e9f0cc47ab 100644
--- a/interface/src/VoxelSystem.h
+++ b/interface/src/VoxelSystem.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ struct VoxelShaderVBOData
 
 
 class VoxelSystem : public NodeData, public OctreeElementDeleteHook, public OctreeElementUpdateHook,
-                    public NodeListHook, public DomainChangeListener {
+                    public NodeListHook {
     Q_OBJECT
 
     friend class VoxelHideShowThread;
@@ -114,7 +114,6 @@ public:
     virtual void elementUpdated(OctreeElement* element);
     virtual void nodeAdded(Node* node);
     virtual void nodeKilled(Node* node);
-    virtual void domainChanged(QString domain);
 
     bool treeIsBusy() const { return _treeIsBusy; }
 
diff --git a/libraries/octree/src/OctreePersistThread.cpp b/libraries/octree/src/OctreePersistThread.cpp
index 08a7cffbb8..b986f457bc 100644
--- a/libraries/octree/src/OctreePersistThread.cpp
+++ b/libraries/octree/src/OctreePersistThread.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 #include "OctreePersistThread.h"
 
-OctreePersistThread::OctreePersistThread(Octree* tree, const char* filename, int persistInterval) :
+OctreePersistThread::OctreePersistThread(Octree* tree, const QString& filename, int persistInterval) :
     _tree(tree),
     _filename(filename),
     _persistInterval(persistInterval),
@@ -26,14 +26,14 @@ bool OctreePersistThread::process() {
 
     if (!_initialLoadComplete) {
         uint64_t loadStarted = usecTimestampNow();
-        qDebug("loading Octrees from file: %s...\n", _filename);
+        qDebug() << "loading Octrees from file: " << _filename << "...\n";
 
         bool persistantFileRead;
 
         _tree->lockForWrite();
         {
             PerformanceWarning warn(true, "Loading Octree File", true);
-            persistantFileRead = _tree->readFromSVOFile(_filename);
+            persistantFileRead = _tree->readFromSVOFile(_filename.toLocal8Bit().constData());
         }
         _tree->unlock();
 
@@ -60,9 +60,7 @@ bool OctreePersistThread::process() {
         _initialLoadComplete = true;
         _lastCheck = usecTimestampNow(); // we just loaded, no need to save again
 
-qDebug() << "about to emit loadCompleted();\n";
         emit loadCompleted();
-qDebug() << "after emit loadCompleted();\n";
     }
 
     if (isStillRunning()) {
@@ -83,8 +81,8 @@ qDebug() << "after emit loadCompleted();\n";
             // check the dirty bit and persist here...
             _lastCheck = usecTimestampNow();
             if (_tree->isDirty()) {
-                qDebug("saving Octrees to file %s...\n",_filename);
-                _tree->writeToSVOFile(_filename);
+                qDebug() << "saving Octrees to file " << _filename << "...\n";
+                _tree->writeToSVOFile(_filename.toLocal8Bit().constData());
                 _tree->clearDirtyBit(); // tree is clean after saving
                 qDebug("DONE saving Octrees to file...\n");
             }
diff --git a/libraries/octree/src/OctreePersistThread.h b/libraries/octree/src/OctreePersistThread.h
index 5032bcbf02..297387c2fa 100644
--- a/libraries/octree/src/OctreePersistThread.h
+++ b/libraries/octree/src/OctreePersistThread.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #ifndef __Octree_server__OctreePersistThread__
 #define __Octree_server__OctreePersistThread__
 
+#include <QString>
 #include <GenericThread.h>
 #include "Octree.h"
 
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ class OctreePersistThread : public GenericThread {
 public:
     static const int DEFAULT_PERSIST_INTERVAL = 1000 * 30; // every 30 seconds
 
-    OctreePersistThread(Octree* tree, const char* filename, int persistInterval = DEFAULT_PERSIST_INTERVAL);
+    OctreePersistThread(Octree* tree, const QString& filename, int persistInterval = DEFAULT_PERSIST_INTERVAL);
 
     bool isInitialLoadComplete() const { return _initialLoadComplete; }
 
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ protected:
     virtual bool process();
 private:
     Octree* _tree;
-    const char* _filename;
+    QString _filename;
     int _persistInterval;
     bool _initialLoadComplete;