diff --git a/direct/src/level/DistributedLevel.py b/direct/src/level/DistributedLevel.py
index 2faf83cd66..58ffd736d1 100755
--- a/direct/src/level/DistributedLevel.py
+++ b/direct/src/level/DistributedLevel.py
@@ -383,19 +383,8 @@ class DistributedLevel(DistributedObject.DistributedObject,
     if __debug__:
         # level editing stuff
         def setAttribChange(self, entId, attribName, valueStr):
-            entity = self.getEntity(entId)
-            # the entity might be AI-only
-            if entity is None:
-                return
-            
-            try:
-                value = eval(valueStr)
-            except Exception, e:
-                print ('Exception in %s(%s, %s, %s):\n\t%s' %
-                       (lineInfo()[2], entId, attribName, valueStr, e))
-                raise e
-                
-            entity.handleAttribChange(attribName, value)
+            value = eval(valueStr)
+            self.levelSpec.setAttribChange(entId, attribName, value)
 
         """
     if __debug__:
diff --git a/direct/src/level/DistributedLevelAI.py b/direct/src/level/DistributedLevelAI.py
index e09a38db1a..7e1eee4abf 100755
--- a/direct/src/level/DistributedLevelAI.py
+++ b/direct/src/level/DistributedLevelAI.py
@@ -78,19 +78,11 @@ class DistributedLevelAI(DistributedObjectAI.DistributedObjectAI,
         # level editors should call this func to tweak attributes of level
         # entities
         def setAttribChange(self, entId, attribName, valueStr):
+            value = eval(valueStr)
+            self.levelSpec.setAttribChange(entId, attribName, value)
             # send a copy to the client-side level obj
             self.sendUpdate('setAttribChange',
                             [entId, attribName, valueStr])
-            
-            entity = self.getEntity(entId)
-            # the entity might be client-side-only
-            if entity is not None:
-                value = eval(valueStr)
-                entity.handleAttribChange(attribName, value)
-
-            # send a copy of the entire spec for any new users that
-            # might come in
-            ##self.sendUpdate('setSpecOverride', [repr(self.levelSpec)])
 
         def getCurrentLevelSpec(self):
             """returns the complete, current spec, including any edits"""
diff --git a/direct/src/level/Level.py b/direct/src/level/Level.py
index 7429071a5f..33bea55a44 100755
--- a/direct/src/level/Level.py
+++ b/direct/src/level/Level.py
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ class Level:
         # TODO: we should leave this to a subclass or the level user
         self.createAllEntities(priorityTypes=['levelMgr','zone'])
 
+        self.levelSpec.setAttribChangeEventName(self.getAttribChangeEvent())
+        self.accept(self.getAttribChangeEvent(), self.handleAttribChange)
+
     def destroyLevel(self):
         if hasattr(self, 'createdEntities'):
             # destroy the entities in reverse order
@@ -235,3 +238,15 @@ class Level:
         """Level is about to destroy this entity"""
         # send the entity-destroy event
         messenger.send(self.getEntityDestroyEvent(entId))
+
+    if __debug__:
+        def getAttribChangeEvent(self):
+            return 'attribChange-%s' % self.levelId
+
+        # This handler is called immediately after a new attribute value
+        # has been set in the level's spec.
+        def handleAttribChange(self, entId, attrib, value):
+            entity = self.getEntity(entId)
+            # the entity might be AI- or client-only
+            if entity is not None:
+                entity.handleAttribChange(attrib, value)
diff --git a/direct/src/level/LevelSpec.py b/direct/src/level/LevelSpec.py
index d7b6f98bd5..3182a69b92 100755
--- a/direct/src/level/LevelSpec.py
+++ b/direct/src/level/LevelSpec.py
@@ -79,12 +79,21 @@ class LevelSpec:
         def setAttribEditEventName(self, event):
             self.attribEditEventName = event
         def setAttribEdit(self, entId, attrib, value):
+            # This is a proposed change; it has not been approved yet.
             # broadcast the change to someone else that knows what to do
             # with it
             messenger.send(self.attribEditEventName, [entId, attrib, value])
-            
+
+        def setAttribChangeEventName(self, event):
+            self.attribChangeEventName = event
         def setAttribChange(self, entId, attrib, value):
-            pass
+            specDict = self.entId2specDict[entId]
+            specDict[entId][attrib] = value
+            # locally broadcast the fact that this attribute value has
+            # officially changed
+            if self.attribChangeEventName is not None:
+                messenger.send(self.attribChangeEventName,
+                               [entId, attrib, value])
 
         def getSpecImportsModuleName(self):
             # name of module that should be imported by spec py file