diff --git a/domain-server/src/DomainMetadata.cpp b/domain-server/src/DomainMetadata.cpp
index 8fdbc2bbd1..26d2bb87ce 100644
--- a/domain-server/src/DomainMetadata.cpp
+++ b/domain-server/src/DomainMetadata.cpp
@@ -79,11 +79,11 @@ void DomainMetadata::setDescriptors(QVariantMap& settings) {
     _metadata[DESCRIPTORS] = descriptors;
 
 #if DEV_BUILD || PR_BUILD
-    qDebug() << "Regenerated domain metadata - descriptors:" << descriptors;
+    qDebug() << "Domain metadata descriptors set:" << descriptors;
 #endif
 }
 
-void DomainMetadata::usersChanged() {
+void DomainMetadata::updateUsers() {
     static const QString DEFAULT_HOSTNAME = "*";
 
     auto nodeList = DependencyManager::get<LimitedNodeList>();
@@ -119,6 +119,14 @@ void DomainMetadata::usersChanged() {
     _metadata[USERS] = users;
 
 #if DEV_BUILD || PR_BUILD
-    qDebug() << "Regenerated domain metadata - users:" << users;
+    qDebug() << "Domain metadata users updated:" << users;
+#endif
+}
+
+void DomainMetadata::usersChanged() {
+    ++_tic;
+
+#if DEV_BUILD || PR_BUILD
+    qDebug() << "Domain metadata users change detected";
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/domain-server/src/DomainMetadata.h b/domain-server/src/DomainMetadata.h
index e2f4674afc..7d58d43182 100644
--- a/domain-server/src/DomainMetadata.h
+++ b/domain-server/src/DomainMetadata.h
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 #ifndef hifi_DomainMetadata_h
 #define hifi_DomainMetadata_h
 
+#include <stdint.h>
+
 #include <QVariantMap>
 #include <QJsonObject>
 
@@ -39,17 +41,25 @@ Q_OBJECT
 public:
     DomainMetadata();
 
+    // Returns the last set metadata
+    // If connected users have changed, metadata may need to be updated
+    // this should be checked by storing tic = getTic() between calls
+    // and testing it for equality before the next get (tic == getTic())
     QJsonObject get() { return QJsonObject::fromVariantMap(_metadata); }
     QJsonObject getUsers() { return QJsonObject::fromVariantMap(_metadata[USERS].toMap()); }
     QJsonObject getDescriptors() { return QJsonObject::fromVariantMap(_metadata[DESCRIPTORS].toMap()); }
 
+    uint32_t getTic() { return _tic; }
+
     void setDescriptors(QVariantMap& settings);
+    void updateUsers();
 
 public slots:
     void usersChanged();
 
 protected:
     QVariantMap _metadata;
+    uint32_t _tic{ 0 };
 };
 
 #endif // hifi_DomainMetadata_h
diff --git a/domain-server/src/DomainServer.cpp b/domain-server/src/DomainServer.cpp
index 88c4e215b2..0f5498a575 100644
--- a/domain-server/src/DomainServer.cpp
+++ b/domain-server/src/DomainServer.cpp
@@ -1101,6 +1101,11 @@ void DomainServer::sendHeartbeatToMetaverse(const QString& networkAddress) {
 
     // Add the metadata to the heartbeat
     static const QString DOMAIN_HEARTBEAT_KEY = "heartbeat";
+    auto tic = _metadata.getTic();
+    if (_metadataTic != tic) {
+        _metadataTic = tic;
+        _metadata.updateUsers();
+    }
     domainObject[DOMAIN_HEARTBEAT_KEY] = _metadata.getUsers();
 
     QString domainUpdateJSON = QString("{\"domain\":%1}").arg(QString(QJsonDocument(domainObject).toJson(QJsonDocument::Compact)));
diff --git a/domain-server/src/DomainServer.h b/domain-server/src/DomainServer.h
index acda550ce5..8b8409ff0a 100644
--- a/domain-server/src/DomainServer.h
+++ b/domain-server/src/DomainServer.h
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ private:
     DomainServerSettingsManager _settingsManager;
 
     DomainMetadata _metadata;
+    uint32_t _metadataTic{ 0 };
 
     HifiSockAddr _iceServerSocket;
     std::unique_ptr<NLPacket> _iceServerHeartbeatPacket;