diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp
index a03e4b8f08..e69adbce88 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp
@@ -438,6 +438,7 @@ void EntityTree::deleteEntity(const EntityItemID& entityID, bool force, bool ign
         return;
     }
 
+    unhookChildAvatar(entityID);
     emit deletingEntity(entityID);
 
     // NOTE: callers must lock the tree before using this method
@@ -447,6 +448,17 @@ void EntityTree::deleteEntity(const EntityItemID& entityID, bool force, bool ign
     _isDirty = true;
 }
 
+void EntityTree::unhookChildAvatar(const EntityItemID entityID) {
+
+    EntityItemPointer entity = findEntityByEntityItemID(entityID);
+
+    entity->forEachDescendant([&](SpatiallyNestablePointer child) {
+        if (child->getNestableType() == NestableType::Avatar) {
+            child->setParentID(nullptr);
+        }
+    });
+}
+
 void EntityTree::deleteEntities(QSet<EntityItemID> entityIDs, bool force, bool ignoreWarnings) {
     // NOTE: callers must lock the tree before using this method
     DeleteEntityOperator theOperator(getThisPointer());
@@ -476,6 +488,7 @@ void EntityTree::deleteEntities(QSet<EntityItemID> entityIDs, bool force, bool i
         }
 
         // tell our delete operator about this entityID
+        unhookChildAvatar(entityID);
         theOperator.addEntityIDToDeleteList(entityID);
         emit deletingEntity(entityID);
     }
diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.h b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.h
index 441b686e3b..98598b879b 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.h
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.h
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ public:
     // use this method if you have a pointer to the entity (avoid an extra entity lookup)
     bool updateEntity(EntityItemPointer entity, const EntityItemProperties& properties, const SharedNodePointer& senderNode = SharedNodePointer(nullptr));
 
+    // check if the avatar is a child of this entity, If so set the avatar parentID to null
+    void unhookChildAvatar(const EntityItemID entityID);
     void deleteEntity(const EntityItemID& entityID, bool force = false, bool ignoreWarnings = true);
     void deleteEntities(QSet<EntityItemID> entityIDs, bool force = false, bool ignoreWarnings = true);