diff --git a/src/engine/runtime.js b/src/engine/runtime.js
index 7a4604348..92f98e434 100644
--- a/src/engine/runtime.js
+++ b/src/engine/runtime.js
@@ -672,7 +672,6 @@ class Runtime extends EventEmitter {
      * inactive threads after each iteration.
      */
     _step () {
-        this._refreshTargets = false;
         // Find all edge-activated hats, and add them to threads to be evaluated.
         for (const hatType in this._hats) {
             if (!this._hats.hasOwnProperty(hatType)) continue;
@@ -694,7 +693,11 @@ class Runtime extends EventEmitter {
             // @todo: Only render when this.redrawRequested or clones rendered.
             this.renderer.draw();
         }
-        if (this._refreshTargets) this.emit(Runtime.TARGETS_UPDATE);
+
+        if (this._refreshTargets) {
+            this.emit(Runtime.TARGETS_UPDATE);
+            this._refreshTargets = false;
+        }
 
         // @todo(vm#570) only emit if monitors has changed since last time.
         this.emit(Runtime.MONITORS_UPDATE,
diff --git a/src/virtual-machine.js b/src/virtual-machine.js
index 3bd41bbd4..cf4d0e636 100644
--- a/src/virtual-machine.js
+++ b/src/virtual-machine.js
@@ -332,9 +332,8 @@ class VirtualMachine extends EventEmitter {
             }
             if (newName && RESERVED_NAMES.indexOf(newName) === -1) {
                 const names = this.runtime.targets
-                    .filter(runtimeTarget => runtimeTarget.isSprite())
+                    .filter(runtimeTarget => runtimeTarget.isSprite() && runtimeTarget.id !== target.id)
                     .map(runtimeTarget => runtimeTarget.sprite.name);
-
                 sprite.name = StringUtil.unusedName(newName, names);
             }
             this.emitTargetsUpdate();
diff --git a/test/unit/virtual-machine.js b/test/unit/virtual-machine.js
index 73cefb8a2..37a62ff69 100644
--- a/test/unit/virtual-machine.js
+++ b/test/unit/virtual-machine.js
@@ -94,3 +94,18 @@ test('renameSprite increments from existing sprite names', t => {
     t.equal(vm.runtime.targets[0].sprite.name, 'that name2');
     t.end();
 });
+
+test('renameSprite does not increment when renaming to the same name', t => {
+    const vm = new VirtualMachine();
+    vm.emitTargetsUpdate = () => {};
+    vm.runtime.targets = [{
+        id: 'id1',
+        isSprite: () => true,
+        sprite: {
+            name: 'this name'
+        }
+    }];
+    vm.renameSprite('id1', 'this name');
+    t.equal(vm.runtime.targets[0].sprite.name, 'this name');
+    t.end();
+});