diff --git a/modules/core/context.js b/modules/core/context.js
index 8846a31d1..34769e3b2 100644
--- a/modules/core/context.js
+++ b/modules/core/context.js
@@ -459,10 +459,10 @@ export function coreContext() {
 
     issueManager = IssueManager(context);
 
-    var debouncedValidate = _debounce(issueManager.validate, 1000);
-    history.on('change', function(difference) {
+    // re-run validation upon a significant graph change
+    history.on('annotatedChange', function(difference) {
         if (difference) {
-            debouncedValidate();
+            issueManager.validate();
         }
     });
 
diff --git a/modules/core/history.js b/modules/core/history.js
index 1c7c66d28..84fb45415 100644
--- a/modules/core/history.js
+++ b/modules/core/history.js
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import {
 
 
 export function coreHistory(context) {
-    var dispatch = d3_dispatch('change', 'undone', 'redone');
+    var dispatch = d3_dispatch('change', 'annotatedChange', 'undone', 'redone');
     var lock = utilSessionMutex('lock');
     var duration = 150;
     var _imageryUsed = [];
@@ -71,9 +71,10 @@ export function coreHistory(context) {
     function _perform(args, t) {
         var previous = _stack[_index].graph;
         _stack = _stack.slice(0, _index + 1);
-        _stack.push(_act(args, t));
+        var actionResult = _act(args, t);
+        _stack.push(actionResult);
         _index++;
-        return change(previous);
+        return change(previous, actionResult.annotation);
     }
 
 
@@ -81,8 +82,9 @@ export function coreHistory(context) {
     function _replace(args, t) {
         var previous = _stack[_index].graph;
         // assert(_index == _stack.length - 1)
-        _stack[_index] = _act(args, t);
-        return change(previous);
+        var actionResult = _act(args, t);
+        _stack[_index] = actionResult;
+        return change(previous, actionResult.annotation);
     }
 
 
@@ -94,16 +96,22 @@ export function coreHistory(context) {
             _stack.pop();
         }
         _stack = _stack.slice(0, _index + 1);
-        _stack.push(_act(args, t));
+        var actionResult = _act(args, t);
+        _stack.push(actionResult);
         _index++;
-        return change(previous);
+        return change(previous, actionResult.annotation);
     }
 
 
     // determine diffrence and dispatch a change event
-    function change(previous) {
+    function change(previous, isAnnotated) {
         var difference = coreDifference(previous, history.graph());
         dispatch.call('change', this, difference);
+        if (isAnnotated) {
+            // actions like dragging a node can fire lots of changes,
+            // so use 'annotatedChange' to listen for grouped undo/redo changes
+            dispatch.call('annotatedChange', this, difference);
+        }
         return difference;
     }
 
@@ -214,7 +222,7 @@ export function coreHistory(context) {
             }
 
             dispatch.call('undone', this, _stack[_index]);
-            return change(previous);
+            return change(previous, true);
         },
 
 
@@ -233,7 +241,7 @@ export function coreHistory(context) {
                 }
             }
 
-            return change(previous);
+            return change(previous, true);
         },
 
 
diff --git a/modules/modes/drag_node.js b/modules/modes/drag_node.js
index 9753f8e1e..8b8ae2212 100644
--- a/modules/modes/drag_node.js
+++ b/modules/modes/drag_node.js
@@ -210,8 +210,7 @@ export function modeDragNode(context) {
         }
 
         context.replace(
-            actionMoveNode(entity.id, loc),
-            moveAnnotation(entity)
+            actionMoveNode(entity.id, loc)
         );
 
         // Below here: validations
diff --git a/modules/modes/move.js b/modules/modes/move.js
index d46e8fd5f..33d56464f 100644
--- a/modules/modes/move.js
+++ b/modules/modes/move.js
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ import {
 
 import { t } from '../util/locale';
 
-import { actionMove } from '../actions';
+import {
+    actionMove,
+    actionNoop
+} from '../actions';
 import { behaviorEdit } from '../behavior';
 import { geoViewportEdge, geoVecSubtract } from '../geo';
 import { modeBrowse, modeSelect } from './index';
@@ -63,7 +66,7 @@ export function modeMove(context, entityIDs, baseGraph) {
         var origMouse = context.projection(_origin);
         var delta = geoVecSubtract(geoVecSubtract(currMouse, origMouse), nudge);
 
-        fn(actionMove(entityIDs, delta, context.projection, _cache), annotation);
+        fn(actionMove(entityIDs, delta, context.projection, _cache));
         _prevGraph = context.graph();
     }
 
@@ -98,6 +101,7 @@ export function modeMove(context, entityIDs, baseGraph) {
 
     function finish() {
         d3_event.stopPropagation();
+        context.replace(actionNoop(), annotation);
         context.enter(modeSelect(context, entityIDs));
         stopNudge();
     }
diff --git a/modules/modes/rotate.js b/modules/modes/rotate.js
index d9d98d209..16f3eba90 100644
--- a/modules/modes/rotate.js
+++ b/modules/modes/rotate.js
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ import {
 } from 'd3-polygon';
 
 import { t } from '../util/locale';
-import { actionRotate } from '../actions';
+import {
+    actionRotate,
+    actionNoop
+} from '../actions';
 import { behaviorEdit } from '../behavior';
 import { geoVecInterp } from '../geo';
 import { modeBrowse, modeSelect } from './index';
@@ -88,7 +91,7 @@ export function modeRotate(context, entityIDs) {
         if (typeof _prevAngle === 'undefined') _prevAngle = currAngle;
         var delta = currAngle - _prevAngle;
 
-        fn(actionRotate(entityIDs, _pivot, delta, projection), annotation);
+        fn(actionRotate(entityIDs, _pivot, delta, projection));
 
         _prevTransform = currTransform;
         _prevAngle = currAngle;
@@ -98,6 +101,7 @@ export function modeRotate(context, entityIDs) {
 
     function finish() {
         d3_event.stopPropagation();
+        context.replace(actionNoop(), annotation);
         context.enter(modeSelect(context, entityIDs));
     }