diff --git a/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp b/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp
index 11cbd73970..8ac2f3922b 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixer.cpp
@@ -262,8 +262,13 @@ void AvatarMixer::broadcastAvatarData() {
             // setup a PacketList for the avatarPackets
             auto avatarPacketList = NLPacketList::create(PacketType::BulkAvatarData);
 
-            if (avatar.getSessionDisplayName().isEmpty() &&  // We haven't set it yet...
-                nodeData->getReceivedIdentity()) { // ... but we have processed identity (with possible displayName).
+            if (nodeData->getAvatarSessionDisplayNameMustChange()) { // ... but we have processed identity (with possible displayName).
+                const QString& existingBaseDisplayName = nodeData->getBaseDisplayName();
+                // No sense guarding against very rare case of a node with no entry, as this will work without the guard and do one less lookup in the common case.
+                if (--_sessionDisplayNames[existingBaseDisplayName].second <= 0) {
+                    _sessionDisplayNames.remove(existingBaseDisplayName);
+                }
+
                 QString baseName = avatar.getDisplayName().trimmed();
                 const QRegularExpression curses{ "fuck|shit|damn|cock|cunt" }; // POC. We may eventually want something much more elaborate (subscription?).
                 baseName = baseName.replace(curses, "*"); // Replace rather than remove, so that people have a clue that the person's a jerk.
@@ -280,6 +285,7 @@ void AvatarMixer::broadcastAvatarData() {
                 highWater++;
                 soFar.second++; // refcount
                 nodeData->flagIdentityChange();
+                nodeData->setAvatarSessionDisplayNameMustChange(false);
                 sendIdentityPacket(nodeData, node); // Tell new node about its sessionUUID. Others will find out below.
             }
 
@@ -584,7 +590,7 @@ void AvatarMixer::handleAvatarIdentityPacket(QSharedPointer<ReceivedMessage> mes
             if (avatar.processAvatarIdentity(identity)) {
                 QMutexLocker nodeDataLocker(&nodeData->getMutex());
                 nodeData->flagIdentityChange();
-                nodeData->setReceivedIdentity();
+                nodeData->setAvatarSessionDisplayNameMustChange();
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixerClientData.h b/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixerClientData.h
index f18cfdde1b..38db2e74d2 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixerClientData.h
+++ b/assignment-client/src/avatars/AvatarMixerClientData.h
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ public:
 
     HRCTime getIdentityChangeTimestamp() const { return _identityChangeTimestamp; }
     void flagIdentityChange() { _identityChangeTimestamp = p_high_resolution_clock::now(); }
-    bool getReceivedIdentity() const { return _gotIdentity; }
-    void setReceivedIdentity() { _gotIdentity = true;  }
+    bool getAvatarSessionDisplayNameMustChange() const { return _avatarSessionDisplayNameMustChange; }
+    void setAvatarSessionDisplayNameMustChange(bool set = true) { _avatarSessionDisplayNameMustChange = set; }
 
     void setFullRateDistance(float fullRateDistance) { _fullRateDistance = fullRateDistance; }
     float getFullRateDistance() const { return _fullRateDistance; }
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ private:
     std::unordered_set<QUuid> _hasReceivedFirstPacketsFrom;
 
     HRCTime _identityChangeTimestamp;
-    bool _gotIdentity { false };
+    bool _avatarSessionDisplayNameMustChange{ false };
 
     float _fullRateDistance = FLT_MAX;
     float _maxAvatarDistance = FLT_MAX;
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
index 3d09be0679..1fb68fce14 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
@@ -1094,8 +1094,9 @@ void AvatarData::setSkeletonModelURL(const QUrl& skeletonModelURL) {
 
 void AvatarData::setDisplayName(const QString& displayName) {
     _displayName = displayName;
+    _sessionDisplayName = "";
 
-    DependencyManager::get<NodeList>()->getDomainHandler().softReset();
+    sendIdentityPacket();
 
     qCDebug(avatars) << "Changing display name for avatar to" << displayName;
 }