diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/SpatiallyNestable.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/SpatiallyNestable.cpp
index f071bda71f..ddc3f416e0 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/SpatiallyNestable.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/SpatiallyNestable.cpp
@@ -1055,6 +1055,14 @@ bool SpatiallyNestable::hasAncestorOfType(NestableType nestableType) const {
 
 const QUuid SpatiallyNestable::findAncestorOfType(NestableType nestableType) const {
     bool success;
+
+    if (nestableType == NestableType::Avatar) {
+        QUuid parentID = getParentID();
+        if (parentID == AVATAR_SELF_ID) {
+            return AVATAR_SELF_ID; // TODO -- can we put nodeID here?
+        }
+    }
+
     SpatiallyNestablePointer parent = getParentPointer(success);
     if (!success || !parent) {
         return QUuid();