diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
index 6d5fab2ebc..b3cfc10bd3 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
@@ -383,6 +383,7 @@ void MyAvatar::simulate(float deltaTime) {
     EntityTreeRenderer* entityTreeRenderer = qApp->getEntities();
     EntityTreePointer entityTree = entityTreeRenderer ? entityTreeRenderer->getTree() : nullptr;
     if (entityTree) {
+        auto now = usecTimestampNow();
         EntityEditPacketSender* packetSender = qApp->getEntityEditPacketSender();
         MovingEntitiesOperator moveOperator(entityTree);
         forEachDescendant([&](SpatiallyNestablePointer object) {
@@ -397,7 +398,6 @@ void MyAvatar::simulate(float deltaTime) {
                 if (packetSender) {
                     EntityItemProperties properties = entity->getProperties();
                     properties.setQueryAACubeDirty();
-                    auto now = usecTimestampNow();
                     properties.setLastEdited(now);
                     packetSender->queueEditEntityMessage(PacketType::EntityEdit, entity->getID(), properties);
                     entity->setLastBroadcast(usecTimestampNow());
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityEditPacketSender.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityEditPacketSender.cpp
index 91f21659ec..e28dc1e4fa 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityEditPacketSender.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityEditPacketSender.cpp
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ void EntityEditPacketSender::queueEditEntityMessage(PacketType type, EntityItemI
         return; // bail early
     }
 
+    assert(properties.getLastEdited() > 0);
+
     QByteArray bufferOut(NLPacket::maxPayloadSize(type), 0);
 
     if (EntityItemProperties::encodeEntityEditPacket(type, modelID, properties, bufferOut)) {
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp
index 5279a205c4..802b21a23b 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityScriptingInterface.cpp
@@ -345,8 +345,7 @@ QUuid EntityScriptingInterface::editEntity(QUuid id, const EntityItemProperties&
                         EntityItemPointer entityDescendant = std::static_pointer_cast<EntityItem>(descendant);
                         EntityItemProperties newQueryCubeProperties;
                         newQueryCubeProperties.setQueryAACube(descendant->getQueryAACube());
-                        auto now = usecTimestampNow();
-                        newQueryCubeProperties.setLastEdited(now);
+                        newQueryCubeProperties.setLastEdited(properties.getLastEdited());
                         queueEntityMessage(PacketType::EntityEdit, descendant->getID(), newQueryCubeProperties);
                         entityDescendant->setLastBroadcast(usecTimestampNow());
                     }
diff --git a/libraries/physics/src/EntityMotionState.cpp b/libraries/physics/src/EntityMotionState.cpp
index acd9ccd0c9..c798e07d52 100644
--- a/libraries/physics/src/EntityMotionState.cpp
+++ b/libraries/physics/src/EntityMotionState.cpp
@@ -527,8 +527,7 @@ void EntityMotionState::sendUpdate(OctreeEditPacketSender* packetSender, const Q
             if (descendant->computePuffedQueryAACube()) {
                 EntityItemProperties newQueryCubeProperties;
                 newQueryCubeProperties.setQueryAACube(descendant->getQueryAACube());
-                auto now = usecTimestampNow();
-                newQueryCubeProperties.setLastEdited(now);
+                newQueryCubeProperties.setLastEdited(properties.getLastEdited());
                 entityPacketSender->queueEditEntityMessage(PacketType::EntityEdit, descendant->getID(), newQueryCubeProperties);
                 entityDescendant->setLastBroadcast(usecTimestampNow());
             }