diff --git a/direct/src/distributed/DoInterestManager.py b/direct/src/distributed/DoInterestManager.py
index e7b543df98..d8ea3d8d64 100755
--- a/direct/src/distributed/DoInterestManager.py
+++ b/direct/src/distributed/DoInterestManager.py
@@ -127,9 +127,14 @@ class DoInterestManager(DirectObject.DirectObject):
         DoInterestManager._interests.clear()
         self._outstandingScopes = set()
         self._completeEventCount = ScratchPad(num=0)
-        self._addDebugInterestHistory(
-            "STATE RESET", "", 0, 0,
-            0, [])
+        self._addDebugInterestHistory("RESET", "", 0, 0, 0, [])
+
+    def isValidInterestHandle(self, handle):
+        # pass in a handle (or anything else) and this will return true if it is
+        # still a valid interest handle
+        if not isinstance(handle, InterestHandle):
+            return False
+        return DoInterestManager._interests.has_key(handle.asInt())
 
     def addInterest(self, parentId, zoneIdList, description, event=None, auto=False):
         """