diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp
index 4e8be972ea..fa9b6032b2 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityTree.cpp
@@ -959,6 +959,9 @@ void EntityTree::fixupMissingParents() {
                 iter.remove();
                 entity->markAncestorMissing(false);
             }
+        } else {
+            // entity was deleted before we found its parent.
+            iter.remove();
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/libraries/physics/src/ObjectAction.cpp b/libraries/physics/src/ObjectAction.cpp
index e8e1188dc9..17b565ba21 100644
--- a/libraries/physics/src/ObjectAction.cpp
+++ b/libraries/physics/src/ObjectAction.cpp
@@ -23,15 +23,15 @@ ObjectAction::~ObjectAction() {
 }
 
 void ObjectAction::updateAction(btCollisionWorld* collisionWorld, btScalar deltaTimeStep) {
+    bool ownerEntityExpired = false;
     quint64 expiresWhen = 0;
-    EntityItemPointer ownerEntity = nullptr;
 
     withReadLock([&]{
-        ownerEntity = _ownerEntity.lock();
+        ownerEntityExpired = _ownerEntity.expired();
         expiresWhen = _expires;
     });
 
-    if (!ownerEntity) {
+    if (ownerEntityExpired) {
         qDebug() << "warning -- action with no entity removing self from btCollisionWorld.";
         btDynamicsWorld* dynamicsWorld = static_cast<btDynamicsWorld*>(collisionWorld);
         if (dynamicsWorld) {
@@ -43,8 +43,10 @@ void ObjectAction::updateAction(btCollisionWorld* collisionWorld, btScalar delta
     if (expiresWhen > 0) {
         quint64 now = usecTimestampNow();
         if (now > expiresWhen) {
+            EntityItemPointer ownerEntity = nullptr;
             QUuid myID;
             withWriteLock([&]{
+                ownerEntity = _ownerEntity.lock();
                 _active = false;
                 myID = getID();
             });