diff --git a/src/item/Item.js b/src/item/Item.js
index f9099fd7..3f17e2c9 100644
--- a/src/item/Item.js
+++ b/src/item/Item.js
@@ -665,7 +665,7 @@ var Item = this.Item = Base.extend({
 	 */
 	insertChild: function(index, item) {
 		if (this._children) {
-			item._removeFromParent();
+			item._removeFromParent(false, true);
 			Base.splice(this._children, [item], index, 0);
 			item._parent = this;
 			item._setProject(this._project);
@@ -773,11 +773,16 @@ var Item = this.Item = Base.extend({
 	/**
 	* Removes the item from its parent's children list.
 	*/
-	_removeFromParent: function() {
+	_removeFromParent: function(deselect, notify) {
 		if (this._parent) {
+			if (deselect)
+				this.setSelected(false);
 			if (this._name)
 				this._removeFromNamed();
 			Base.splice(this._parent._children, null, this._index, 1);
+			// Notify parent of changed hierarchy
+			if (notify)
+				this._parent._changed(ChangeFlags.HIERARCHY);
 			this._parent = null;
 			return true;
 		}
@@ -791,9 +796,7 @@ var Item = this.Item = Base.extend({
 	* @return {Boolean} {@true the item was removed}
 	*/
 	remove: function() {
-		if (this.isSelected())
-			this.setSelected(false);
-		return this._removeFromParent();
+		return this._removeFromParent(true, true);
 	},
 
 	/**
@@ -823,7 +826,9 @@ var Item = this.Item = Base.extend({
 	 	to = Base.pick(to, this._children.length);
 		var removed = this._children.splice(from, to - from);
 		for (var i = removed.length - 1; i >= 0; i--)
-			removed[i].remove();
+			removed[i]._removeFromParent(true, false);
+		if (removed.length > 0)
+			this._changed(ChangeFlags.HIERARCHY);
 		return removed;
 	},
 
diff --git a/src/item/Layer.js b/src/item/Layer.js
index 73d3c23f..6bb2086d 100644
--- a/src/item/Layer.js
+++ b/src/item/Layer.js
@@ -53,9 +53,17 @@ var Layer = this.Layer = Group.extend({
 	* Removes the layer from its project's layers list
 	* or its parent's children list.
 	*/
-	_removeFromParent: function() {
-		return this._parent ? this.base()
-			: !!Base.splice(this._project.layers, null, this._index, 1).length;
+	_removeFromParent: function(deselect, notify) {
+		if (this._parent)
+			return this.base(deselect, notify);
+		if (this._index != null) {
+			if (deselect)
+				this.setSelected(false);
+			Base.splice(this._project.layers, null, this._index, 1);
+			// TODO: If notify == true, notify project of hierarchy change
+			return true;
+		}
+		return false;
 	},
 
 	getNextSibling: function() {
@@ -83,9 +91,10 @@ var Layer = this.Layer = Group.extend({
 }, new function () {
 	function move(above) {
 		return function(item) {
-			// if the item is a layer and contained within Project#layers
+			// If the item is a layer and contained within Project#layers, use
+			// our own version of move().
 			if (item instanceof Layer && !item._parent
-						&& this._removeFromParent()) {
+						&& this._removeFromParent(false, true)) {
 				Base.splice(item._project.layers, [this],
 						item._index + (above ? 1 : -1), 0);
 				this._setProject(item._project);