diff --git a/js/id/core/graph.js b/js/id/core/graph.js
index eae11cc15..f9966be7a 100644
--- a/js/id/core/graph.js
+++ b/js/id/core/graph.js
@@ -225,21 +225,10 @@ iD.Graph.prototype = {
         return this;
     },
 
-    // get all objects that intersect an extent.
-    intersects: function(extent) {
-        var items = [];
-        for (var i in this.entities) {
-            var entity = this.entities[i];
-            if (entity && this.hasAllChildren(entity) && entity.intersects(extent, this)) {
-                items.push(entity);
-            }
-        }
-        return items;
-    },
-
     hasAllChildren: function(entity) {
         // we're only checking changed entities, since we assume fetched data
         // must have all children present
+        var i;
         if (this.entities.hasOwnProperty(entity.id)) {
             if (entity.type === 'way') {
                 for (i = 0; i < entity.nodes.length; i++) {
diff --git a/js/id/core/history.js b/js/id/core/history.js
index 9e5daa88e..a8d49cbde 100644
--- a/js/id/core/history.js
+++ b/js/id/core/history.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 iD.History = function(context) {
-    var stack, index, tree;
+    var stack, index, tree,
         imagery_used = 'Bing',
         dispatch = d3.dispatch('change', 'undone', 'redone'),
         lock = false;
diff --git a/js/id/core/tree.js b/js/id/core/tree.js
index 7570ba8ed..8c3635c32 100644
--- a/js/id/core/tree.js
+++ b/js/id/core/tree.js
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ iD.Tree = function(graph) {
 
     var rtree = new RTree(),
         m = 1000 * 1000 * 100,
-        head = graph;
+        head = graph,
+        queuedCreated = [],
+        queuedModified = [],
+        x, y, dx, dy;
 
     function extentRectangle(extent) {
             x = m * extent[0][0],
@@ -29,7 +32,7 @@ iD.Tree = function(graph) {
 
         rebase: function(entities) {
             for (var i = 0; i < entities.length; i++) {
-                insert(graph.entities[entities[i]]);
+                insert(graph.entity(entities[i]), true);
             }
             return tree;
         },
@@ -49,8 +52,21 @@ iD.Tree = function(graph) {
                     }
                 });
 
-                d3.values(diff.addParents(modified)).map(reinsert);
-                diff.created().forEach(insert);
+                var created = diff.created().concat(queuedCreated);
+                modified = d3.values(diff.addParents(modified)).concat(queuedModified);
+                queuedCreated = [];
+                queuedModified = [];
+
+                modified.forEach(function(d) {
+                    if (head.hasAllChildren(d)) reinsert(d);
+                    else queuedModified.push(d);
+                });
+
+                created.forEach(function(d) {
+                    if (head.hasAllChildren(d)) insert(d);
+                    else queuedCreated.push(d);
+                });
+
                 diff.deleted().forEach(remove);
 
                 graph = head;
diff --git a/test/index.html b/test/index.html
index fe81a4ec5..7862c53a5 100644
--- a/test/index.html
+++ b/test/index.html
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@
     <script src='../js/id/core/node.js'></script>
     <script src='../js/id/core/relation.js'></script>
     <script src='../js/id/core/way.js'></script>
+    <script src='../js/id/core/tree.js'></script>
 
     <script src='../js/id/connection.js'></script>
 
@@ -172,6 +173,7 @@
     <script src="spec/core/relation.js"></script>
     <script src="spec/core/history.js"></script>
     <script src="spec/core/difference.js"></script>
+    <script src="spec/core/tree.js"></script>
 
     <script src="spec/renderer/background.js"></script>
     <script src="spec/renderer/map.js"></script>
diff --git a/test/spec/core/tree.js b/test/spec/core/tree.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d279bc0f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/spec/core/tree.js
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+describe("iD.Tree", function() {
+    var tree;
+
+    beforeEach(function() {
+        tree = iD.Tree(iD.Graph());
+    });
+
+    describe("intersects", function() {
+        it("excludes entities with missing children, adds them when all are present", function() {
+            var way = iD.Way({id: 'w1', nodes: ['n']});
+            var g = tree.base().replace(way);
+            expect(tree.intersects(iD.geo.Extent([0, 0], [1, 1]), g)).to.eql([]);
+            var node = iD.Node({id: 'n', loc: [0.5, 0.5]});
+            g = tree.base().replace(node);
+            expect(tree.intersects(iD.geo.Extent([0, 0], [1, 1]), g)).to.eql([way, node]);
+        });
+    });
+});