diff --git a/libs/ecs/ecs.c b/libs/ecs/ecs.c
index 291271bd1..3466e4423 100644
--- a/libs/ecs/ecs.c
+++ b/libs/ecs/ecs.c
@@ -205,6 +205,9 @@ ECS_NewEntity (ecs_registry_t *registry)
 VISIBLE void
 ECS_DelEntity (ecs_registry_t *registry, uint32_t ent)
 {
+	if (!ECS_EntValid (ent, registry)) {
+		return;
+	}
 	if (registry->locked) {
 		// the registry is being deleted and mass entity and component
 		// deletions are going on
diff --git a/libs/ecs/hierarchy.c b/libs/ecs/hierarchy.c
index 58caca7ff..58328978a 100644
--- a/libs/ecs/hierarchy.c
+++ b/libs/ecs/hierarchy.c
@@ -482,6 +482,7 @@ Hierref_DestroyComponent (void *href)
 {
 	hierref_t   ref = *(hierref_t *) href;
 	if (ref.hierarchy) {
+		ref.hierarchy->ent[ref.index] = -1;
 		Hierarchy_RemoveHierarchy (ref.hierarchy, ref.index, 1);
 		if (!ref.hierarchy->num_objects) {
 			Hierarchy_Delete (ref.hierarchy);