diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d1c6389..442a41b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -17,3 +17,10 @@ Servers can also control how often to verify the wield item of each
 individual player by setting `wield3d_verify_time = 10` (seconds)
 
 The default wielditem scale can now be specified by including `wield3d_scale = 0.25`
+
+
+### Known Issues
+
+Items occasionally disappear when viewing in 3rd person. This is a minetest engine bug and not the fault of the mod, turning 3rd person off then back on restores the view.
+
+Wield item switches direction at certain animation key-frames. I have yet to identify the true cause of this issue but a specially adapted version of the player model can be found [here](https://github.com/stujones11/minetest-models/tree/master/character/sam_viewer) that attempts to work around the problem.
diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
index dd75ad2..ffa808f 100644
--- a/init.lua
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -60,9 +60,7 @@ local function add_wield_entity(player)
 				textures = {"wield3d:hand"},
 				visual_size = location[4],
 			})
-			player_wielding[name] = {}
-			player_wielding[name].item = ""
-			player_wielding[name].location = location
+			player_wielding[name] = {item="", location=location}
 		end
 	end
 end
@@ -158,13 +156,11 @@ local function verify_wielditems()
 				table.insert(names, name)
 			end
 		end
-		-- clean-up player_wielding table
-		for name, _ in pairs(player_wielding) do
-			if not tmp[name] then
-				player_wielding[name] = nil
-			end
-		end
 		player_iter = table_iter(names)
+		-- clean-up player_wielding table
+		for name, wield in pairs(player_wielding) do
+			player_wielding[name] = tmp[name] and wield
+		end
 	end
 	 -- only deal with one player per server step
 	local name = player_iter()
@@ -178,8 +174,11 @@ local function verify_wielditems()
 			for _, object in pairs(objects) do
 				local entity = object:get_luaentity()
 				if entity and entity.wielder == name then
+					if wielding then
+						-- remove duplicates
+						object:remove()
+					end
 					wielding = true
-					break
 				end
 			end
 			if not wielding then