diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/controllers/editor.js b/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/controllers/editor.js
index a53a5cb98..0b2d02b9a 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/controllers/editor.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/controllers/editor.js
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ angular.module('app.frontend')
       }
     }
   })
-  .controller('EditorCtrl', function ($scope, $sce, $timeout, authManager, $rootScope, extensionManager, syncManager, modelManager, editorManager, themeManager, componentManager) {
+  .controller('EditorCtrl', function ($sce, $timeout, authManager, $rootScope, extensionManager, syncManager, modelManager, editorManager, themeManager, componentManager) {
 
     this.componentManager = componentManager;
     this.componentStack = [];
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/api/item.js b/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/api/item.js
index d2658c3b5..2b333748b 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/api/item.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/api/item.js
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ class Item {
     this.setDirty(true);
   }
 
-  locallyClearAllReferences() {
+  removeReferencesNotPresentIn(references) {
 
   }
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/app/editor.js b/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/app/editor.js
index 0a38c20bc..39a152147 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/app/editor.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/app/editor.js
@@ -61,9 +61,15 @@ class Editor extends Item {
     this.notes = [];
   }
 
-  locallyClearAllReferences() {
-    super.locallyClearAllReferences();
-    this.notes = [];
+  removeReferencesNotPresentIn(references) {
+    super.removeReferencesNotPresentIn(references);
+
+    var uuids = references.map(function(ref){return ref.uuid});
+    this.notes.forEach(function(note){
+      if(!uuids.includes(note.uuid)) {
+        _.pull(this.notes, note);
+      }
+    }.bind(this))
   }
 
   potentialItemOfInterestHasChangedItsUUID(newItem, oldUUID, newUUID) {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/app/note.js b/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/app/note.js
index 4e0da8d2c..db8f69a9c 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/app/note.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/app/note.js
@@ -56,12 +56,16 @@ class Note extends Item {
     this.tags = [];
   }
 
-  locallyClearAllReferences() {
-    super.locallyClearAllReferences();
+  removeReferencesNotPresentIn(references) {
+    super.removeReferencesNotPresentIn(references);
+
+    var uuids = references.map(function(ref){return ref.uuid});
     this.tags.forEach(function(tag){
-     _.pull(tag.notes, this);
+      if(!uuids.includes(tag.uuid)) {
+        _.pull(tag.notes, this);
+        _.pull(this.tags, tag);
+      }
     }.bind(this))
-    this.tags = [];
   }
 
   isBeingRemovedLocally() {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/app/tag.js b/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/app/tag.js
index 85b84c739..11cdcf6a0 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/app/tag.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/frontend/models/app/tag.js
@@ -55,13 +55,14 @@ class Tag extends Item {
     this.notes = [];
   }
 
-  locallyClearAllReferences() {
-    super.locallyClearAllReferences();
+  removeReferencesNotPresentIn(references) {
+    var uuids = references.map(function(ref){return ref.uuid});
     this.notes.forEach(function(note){
-      _.pull(note.tags, this);
+      if(!uuids.includes(note.uuid)) {
+        _.pull(note.tags, this);
+        _.pull(this.notes, note);
+      }
     }.bind(this))
-
-    this.notes = [];
   }
 
   isBeingRemovedLocally() {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/services/modelManager.js b/app/assets/javascripts/app/services/modelManager.js
index 6ddc1ac4f..c13272d64 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/services/modelManager.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/services/modelManager.js
@@ -198,20 +198,24 @@ class ModelManager {
   }
 
   resolveReferencesForItem(item) {
-    item.locallyClearAllReferences();
+
     var contentObject = item.contentObject;
+
+    // If another client removes an item's references, this client won't pick up the removal unless
+    // we remove everything not present in the current list of references
+    item.removeReferencesNotPresentIn(contentObject.references);
+
     if(!contentObject.references) {
       return;
     }
 
-
     for(var reference of contentObject.references) {
       var referencedItem = this.findItem(reference.uuid);
       if(referencedItem) {
         item.addItemAsRelationship(referencedItem);
         referencedItem.addItemAsRelationship(item);
       } else {
-        // console.log("Unable to find item:", reference.uuid);
+        // console.log("Unable to find reference:", reference.uuid, "for item:", item);
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/services/syncManager.js b/app/assets/javascripts/app/services/syncManager.js
index 01636771a..396a06825 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/services/syncManager.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/services/syncManager.js
@@ -187,6 +187,13 @@ class SyncManager {
       this.syncStatus.current = 0;
     }
 
+    // when doing a sync request that returns items greater than the limit, and thus subsequent syncs are required,
+    // we want to keep track of all retreived items, then save to local storage only once all items have been retrieved,
+    // so that relationships remain intact
+    if(!this.allRetreivedItems) {
+      this.allRetreivedItems = [];
+    }
+
     var params = {};
     params.limit = 150;
     params.items = _.map(subItems, function(item){
@@ -209,6 +216,7 @@ class SyncManager {
       this.$rootScope.$broadcast("sync:updated_token", this.syncToken);
 
       var retrieved = this.handleItemsResponse(response.retrieved_items, null);
+      this.allRetreivedItems = this.allRetreivedItems.concat(retrieved);
 
       // merge only metadata for saved items
       // we write saved items to disk now because it clears their dirty status then saves
@@ -218,7 +226,6 @@ class SyncManager {
 
       this.handleUnsavedItemsResponse(response.unsaved)
       this.writeItemsToLocalStorage(saved, false, null);
-      this.writeItemsToLocalStorage(retrieved, false, null);
 
       this.syncStatus.syncOpInProgress = false;
       this.syncStatus.current += subItems.length;
@@ -239,6 +246,9 @@ class SyncManager {
           this.sync(callback, options);
         }.bind(this), 10); // wait 10ms to allow UI to update
       } else {
+        this.writeItemsToLocalStorage(this.allRetreivedItems, false, null);
+        this.allRetreivedItems = [];
+
         this.callQueuedCallbacksAndCurrent(callback, response);
         this.$rootScope.$broadcast("sync:completed");
       }