diff --git a/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClient.h b/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClient.h
index 1959c915bb..73eaa3dc9f 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClient.h
+++ b/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClient.h
@@ -15,13 +15,11 @@
 #include <QtCore/QCoreApplication>
 #include <QtCore/QPointer>
 
-#include <PacketListener.h>
-
 #include "ThreadedAssignment.h"
 
 class QSharedMemory;
 
-class AssignmentClient : public QObject, public PacketListener {
+class AssignmentClient : public QObject {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
     AssignmentClient(Assignment::Type requestAssignmentType, QString assignmentPool,
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClientMonitor.h b/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClientMonitor.h
index a75e876581..8463498d7d 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClientMonitor.h
+++ b/assignment-client/src/AssignmentClientMonitor.h
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@
 
 extern const char* NUM_FORKS_PARAMETER;
 
-
-class AssignmentClientMonitor : public QObject, public PacketListener {
+class AssignmentClientMonitor : public QObject {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
     AssignmentClientMonitor(const unsigned int numAssignmentClientForks, const unsigned int minAssignmentClientForks,
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp b/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp
index 9b0af75b07..3a3176b78d 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp
@@ -341,6 +341,9 @@ void AvatarMixer::broadcastAvatarData() {
                         ++_sumIdentityPackets;
                     }
             });
+            
+            // close the current packet so that we're always sending something
+            avatarPacketList.closeCurrentPacket(true);
 
             // send the avatar data PacketList
             nodeList->sendPacketList(avatarPacketList, *node);
diff --git a/domain-server/src/DomainServer.h b/domain-server/src/DomainServer.h
index c2d5db367f..7786fb34ac 100644
--- a/domain-server/src/DomainServer.h
+++ b/domain-server/src/DomainServer.h
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 #include <Assignment.h>
 #include <HTTPSConnection.h>
 #include <LimitedNodeList.h>
-#include <PacketListener.h>
 
 #include "DomainServerSettingsManager.h"
 #include "DomainServerWebSessionData.h"
@@ -35,7 +34,7 @@
 typedef QSharedPointer<Assignment> SharedAssignmentPointer;
 typedef QMultiHash<QUuid, WalletTransaction*> TransactionHash;
 
-class DomainServer : public QCoreApplication, public HTTPSRequestHandler, public PacketListener {
+class DomainServer : public QCoreApplication, public HTTPSRequestHandler {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
     DomainServer(int argc, char* argv[]);
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.h b/interface/src/Application.h
index e487fa5733..feb8063c29 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.h
+++ b/interface/src/Application.h
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 #include <OctreeQuery.h>
 #include <OffscreenUi.h>
 #include <udt/PacketHeaders.h>
-#include <PacketListener.h>
 #include <PhysicalEntitySimulation.h>
 #include <PhysicsEngine.h>
 #include <ScriptEngine.h>
@@ -126,11 +125,7 @@ class Application;
 
 typedef bool (Application::* AcceptURLMethod)(const QString &);
 
-class Application :
-    public QApplication,
-    public AbstractViewStateInterface,
-    public AbstractScriptingServicesInterface,
-    public PacketListener {
+class Application : public QApplication, public AbstractViewStateInterface, public AbstractScriptingServicesInterface {
     Q_OBJECT
 
     friend class OctreePacketProcessor;
diff --git a/interface/src/octree/OctreePacketProcessor.h b/interface/src/octree/OctreePacketProcessor.h
index a783256392..47ebdc73bc 100644
--- a/interface/src/octree/OctreePacketProcessor.h
+++ b/interface/src/octree/OctreePacketProcessor.h
@@ -13,11 +13,10 @@
 #define hifi_OctreePacketProcessor_h
 
 #include <ReceivedPacketProcessor.h>
-#include <PacketListener.h>
 
 /// Handles processing of incoming voxel packets for the interface application. As with other ReceivedPacketProcessor classes
 /// the user is responsible for reading inbound packets and adding them to the processing queue by calling queueReceivedPacket()
-class OctreePacketProcessor : public ReceivedPacketProcessor, public PacketListener {
+class OctreePacketProcessor : public ReceivedPacketProcessor {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
     OctreePacketProcessor();
diff --git a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h
index 5292e51d91..a1d08ec540 100644
--- a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h
+++ b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.h
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
 #include <NLPacket.h>
 #include <MixedProcessedAudioStream.h>
 #include <RingBufferHistory.h>
-#include <PacketListener.h>
 #include <SettingHandle.h>
 #include <Sound.h>
 #include <StDev.h>
@@ -81,7 +80,7 @@ typedef glm::quat (*AudioOrientationGetter)();
 
 class NLPacket;
 
-class AudioClient : public AbstractAudioInterface, public Dependency, public PacketListener {
+class AudioClient : public AbstractAudioInterface, public Dependency {
     Q_OBJECT
     SINGLETON_DEPENDENCY
 public:
diff --git a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioIOStats.h b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioIOStats.h
index d0ec34e86b..11f1d74185 100644
--- a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioIOStats.h
+++ b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioIOStats.h
@@ -19,11 +19,10 @@
 #include <AudioStreamStats.h>
 #include <Node.h>
 #include <NLPacket.h>
-#include <PacketListener.h>
 
 class MixedProcessedAudioStream;
 
-class AudioIOStats : public QObject, public PacketListener {
+class AudioIOStats : public QObject {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
     AudioIOStats(MixedProcessedAudioStream* receivedAudioStream);
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.h b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.h
index c0e068001a..105282dde3 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.h
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarHashMap.h
@@ -21,12 +21,11 @@
 #include <DependencyManager.h>
 #include <NLPacket.h>
 #include <Node.h>
-#include <PacketListener.h>
 
 #include "AvatarData.h"
 #include <glm/glm.hpp>
 
-class AvatarHashMap : public QObject, public Dependency, public PacketListener {
+class AvatarHashMap : public QObject, public Dependency {
     Q_OBJECT
     SINGLETON_DEPENDENCY
 
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityEditPacketSender.h b/libraries/entities/src/EntityEditPacketSender.h
index 85f21a9954..3125b2132c 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityEditPacketSender.h
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityEditPacketSender.h
@@ -14,12 +14,10 @@
 
 #include <OctreeEditPacketSender.h>
 
-#include <PacketListener.h>
-
 #include "EntityItem.h"
 
 /// Utility for processing, packing, queueing and sending of outbound edit voxel messages.
-class EntityEditPacketSender :  public OctreeEditPacketSender, public PacketListener {
+class EntityEditPacketSender :  public OctreeEditPacketSender {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
     EntityEditPacketSender();
diff --git a/libraries/networking/src/DomainHandler.h b/libraries/networking/src/DomainHandler.h
index 43453e46c5..6079035f8b 100644
--- a/libraries/networking/src/DomainHandler.h
+++ b/libraries/networking/src/DomainHandler.h
@@ -22,14 +22,13 @@
 #include "HifiSockAddr.h"
 #include "NetworkPeer.h"
 #include "NLPacket.h"
-#include "PacketListener.h"
 
 const unsigned short DEFAULT_DOMAIN_SERVER_PORT = 40102;
 const unsigned short DEFAULT_DOMAIN_SERVER_DTLS_PORT = 40103;
 const quint16 DOMAIN_SERVER_HTTP_PORT = 40100;
 const quint16 DOMAIN_SERVER_HTTPS_PORT = 40101;
 
-class DomainHandler : public QObject, public PacketListener {
+class DomainHandler : public QObject {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
     DomainHandler(QObject* parent = 0);
diff --git a/libraries/networking/src/LimitedNodeList.h b/libraries/networking/src/LimitedNodeList.h
index a86db3629f..7528b973c4 100644
--- a/libraries/networking/src/LimitedNodeList.h
+++ b/libraries/networking/src/LimitedNodeList.h
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
 #include "NLPacket.h"
 #include "udt/PacketHeaders.h"
 #include "PacketReceiver.h"
-#include "PacketListener.h"
 #include "NLPacketList.h"
 #include "UUIDHasher.h"
 
@@ -74,7 +73,7 @@ namespace PingType {
     const PingType_t Symmetric = 3;
 }
 
-class LimitedNodeList : public QObject, public Dependency, public PacketListener {
+class LimitedNodeList : public QObject, public Dependency {
     Q_OBJECT
     SINGLETON_DEPENDENCY
 public:
diff --git a/libraries/networking/src/PacketListener.cpp b/libraries/networking/src/PacketListener.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index f4a5c4a9cd..0000000000
--- a/libraries/networking/src/PacketListener.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-//
-//  PacketListener.cpp
-//  libraries/networking/src
-//
-//  Created by Stephen Birarda on 07/14/15.
-//  Copyright 2015 High Fidelity, Inc.
-//
-//  Distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
-//  See the accompanying file LICENSE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
-//
-
-#include "PacketListener.h"
-
-#include "NodeList.h"
-
-PacketListener::~PacketListener() {
-    auto limitedNodelist = DependencyManager::get<LimitedNodeList>();
-    if (limitedNodelist) {
-        limitedNodelist->getPacketReceiver().unregisterListener(this);
-    }
-}
diff --git a/libraries/networking/src/PacketListener.h b/libraries/networking/src/PacketListener.h
deleted file mode 100644
index ad0f1c6f7f..0000000000
--- a/libraries/networking/src/PacketListener.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-//
-//  PacketListener.h
-//  libraries/networking/src
-//
-//  Created by Stephen Birarda on 07/14/15.
-//  Copyright 2015 High Fidelity, Inc.
-//
-//  Distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
-//  See the accompanying file LICENSE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
-//
-
-#ifndef hifi_PacketListener_h
-#define hifi_PacketListener_h
-
-#pragma once
-
-class PacketListener {
-public:
-    virtual ~PacketListener();
-};
-
-#endif // hifi_PacketListener_h
diff --git a/libraries/networking/src/PacketReceiver.cpp b/libraries/networking/src/PacketReceiver.cpp
index 8b95954e41..446fb67736 100644
--- a/libraries/networking/src/PacketReceiver.cpp
+++ b/libraries/networking/src/PacketReceiver.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ PacketReceiver::PacketReceiver(QObject* parent) :
     qRegisterMetaType<QSharedPointer<NLPacket>>();
 }
 
-bool PacketReceiver::registerListenerForTypes(const QSet<PacketType::Value>& types, PacketListener* listener, const char* slot) {
+bool PacketReceiver::registerListenerForTypes(const QSet<PacketType::Value>& types, QObject* listener, const char* slot) {
     QSet<PacketType::Value> nonSourcedTypes;
     QSet<PacketType::Value> sourcedTypes;
 
@@ -36,14 +36,13 @@ bool PacketReceiver::registerListenerForTypes(const QSet<PacketType::Value>& typ
         }
     }
 
-    QObject* object = dynamic_cast<QObject*>(listener);
-    Q_ASSERT(object);
+    Q_ASSERT(listener);
 
     if (nonSourcedTypes.size() > 0) {
-        QMetaMethod nonSourcedMethod = matchingMethodForListener(*nonSourcedTypes.begin(), object, slot);
+        QMetaMethod nonSourcedMethod = matchingMethodForListener(*nonSourcedTypes.begin(), listener, slot);
         if (nonSourcedMethod.isValid()) {
             foreach(PacketType::Value type, nonSourcedTypes) {
-                registerVerifiedListener(type, object, nonSourcedMethod);
+                registerVerifiedListener(type, listener, nonSourcedMethod);
             }
         } else {
             return false;
@@ -51,10 +50,10 @@ bool PacketReceiver::registerListenerForTypes(const QSet<PacketType::Value>& typ
     }
 
     if (sourcedTypes.size() > 0) {
-        QMetaMethod sourcedMethod = matchingMethodForListener(*sourcedTypes.begin(), object, slot);
+        QMetaMethod sourcedMethod = matchingMethodForListener(*sourcedTypes.begin(), listener, slot);
         if (sourcedMethod.isValid()) {
             foreach(PacketType::Value type, sourcedTypes) {
-                registerVerifiedListener(type, object, sourcedMethod);
+                registerVerifiedListener(type, listener, sourcedMethod);
             }
         } else {
             return false;
@@ -66,7 +65,7 @@ bool PacketReceiver::registerListenerForTypes(const QSet<PacketType::Value>& typ
 
 
 void PacketReceiver::registerDirectListenerForTypes(const QSet<PacketType::Value>& types,
-                                                    PacketListener* listener, const char* slot) {
+                                                    QObject* listener, const char* slot) {
     // just call register listener for types to start
     bool success = registerListenerForTypes(types, listener, slot);
     if (success) {
@@ -79,14 +78,13 @@ void PacketReceiver::registerDirectListenerForTypes(const QSet<PacketType::Value
     }
 }
 
-bool PacketReceiver::registerListener(PacketType::Value type, PacketListener* listener, const char* slot) {
-    QObject* object = dynamic_cast<QObject*>(listener);
-    Q_ASSERT(object);
+bool PacketReceiver::registerListener(PacketType::Value type, QObject* listener, const char* slot) {
+    Q_ASSERT(listener);
 
-    QMetaMethod matchingMethod = matchingMethodForListener(type, object, slot);
+    QMetaMethod matchingMethod = matchingMethodForListener(type, listener, slot);
 
     if (matchingMethod.isValid()) {
-        registerVerifiedListener(type, object, matchingMethod);
+        registerVerifiedListener(type, listener, matchingMethod);
         return true;
     } else {
         return false;
@@ -156,21 +154,19 @@ void PacketReceiver::registerVerifiedListener(PacketType::Value type, QObject* o
     }
 
     // add the mapping
-    _packetListenerMap[type] = ObjectMethodPair(object, slot);
+    _packetListenerMap[type] = ObjectMethodPair(QPointer<QObject>(object), slot);
 
     _packetListenerLock.unlock();
 
 }
 
-void PacketReceiver::unregisterListener(PacketListener* listener) {
-    QObject* listenerObject = dynamic_cast<QObject*>(listener);
-    
+void PacketReceiver::unregisterListener(QObject* listener) {
     _packetListenerLock.lock();
 
     auto it = _packetListenerMap.begin();
 
     while (it != _packetListenerMap.end()) {
-        if (it.value().first == listenerObject) {
+        if (it.value().first == listener) {
             // this listener matches - erase it
             it = _packetListenerMap.erase(it);
         } else {
@@ -181,7 +177,7 @@ void PacketReceiver::unregisterListener(PacketListener* listener) {
     _packetListenerLock.unlock();
     
     _directConnectSetMutex.lock();
-    _directlyConnectedObjects.remove(listenerObject);
+    _directlyConnectedObjects.remove(listener);
     _directConnectSetMutex.unlock();
 }
 
@@ -335,6 +331,11 @@ void PacketReceiver::processDatagrams() {
                                 << listener.first << "::" << qPrintable(listener.second.methodSignature());
                         }
 
+                    } else {
+                        qDebug().nospace() << "Listener for packet" << packet->getType()
+                            << " (" << qPrintable(nameForPacketType(packet->getType())) << ")"
+                            << " has been destroyed. Removing from listener map.";
+                        it = _packetListenerMap.erase(it);
                     }
                 } else {
                     qWarning() << "No listener found for packet type " << nameForPacketType(packet->getType());
diff --git a/libraries/networking/src/PacketReceiver.h b/libraries/networking/src/PacketReceiver.h
index 1bf31b30b1..27dc1ce55e 100644
--- a/libraries/networking/src/PacketReceiver.h
+++ b/libraries/networking/src/PacketReceiver.h
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@
 #include <QtCore/QMetaMethod>
 #include <QtCore/QMutex>
 #include <QtCore/QObject>
+#include <QtCore/QPointer>
 #include <QtCore/QSet>
 
 #include "NLPacket.h"
 #include "udt/PacketHeaders.h"
 
 class OctreePacketProcessor;
-class PacketListener;
 
 class PacketReceiver : public QObject {
     Q_OBJECT
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ public:
     
     void resetCounters() { _inPacketCount = 0; _inByteCount = 0; }
 
-    bool registerListenerForTypes(const QSet<PacketType::Value>& types, PacketListener* listener, const char* slot);
-    bool registerListener(PacketType::Value type, PacketListener* listener, const char* slot);
-    void unregisterListener(PacketListener* listener);
+    bool registerListenerForTypes(const QSet<PacketType::Value>& types, QObject* listener, const char* slot);
+    bool registerListener(PacketType::Value type, QObject* listener, const char* slot);
+    void unregisterListener(QObject* listener);
 
 public slots:
     void processDatagrams();
@@ -55,14 +55,14 @@ signals:
 private:
     // this is a brutal hack for now - ideally GenericThread / ReceivedPacketProcessor
     // should be changed to have a true event loop and be able to handle our QMetaMethod::invoke
-    void registerDirectListenerForTypes(const QSet<PacketType::Value>& types, PacketListener* listener, const char* slot);
+    void registerDirectListenerForTypes(const QSet<PacketType::Value>& types, QObject* listener, const char* slot);
     
     bool packetVersionMatch(const NLPacket& packet);
 
     QMetaMethod matchingMethodForListener(PacketType::Value type, QObject* object, const char* slot) const;
     void registerVerifiedListener(PacketType::Value type, QObject* listener, const QMetaMethod& slot);
     
-    using ObjectMethodPair = std::pair<QObject*, QMetaMethod>;
+    using ObjectMethodPair = std::pair<QPointer<QObject>, QMetaMethod>;
 
     QMutex _packetListenerLock;
     QHash<PacketType::Value, ObjectMethodPair> _packetListenerMap;
diff --git a/libraries/networking/src/ThreadedAssignment.h b/libraries/networking/src/ThreadedAssignment.h
index cfe2363c98..51917cd74d 100644
--- a/libraries/networking/src/ThreadedAssignment.h
+++ b/libraries/networking/src/ThreadedAssignment.h
@@ -14,11 +14,9 @@
 
 #include <QtCore/QSharedPointer>
 
-#include "PacketListener.h"
-
 #include "Assignment.h"
 
-class ThreadedAssignment : public Assignment, public PacketListener {
+class ThreadedAssignment : public Assignment {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
     ThreadedAssignment(NLPacket& packet);