diff --git a/indra/llcommon/llinitparam.cpp b/indra/llcommon/llinitparam.cpp
index 54e98e66f348dbb18305925e4b794724e9190917..d6326a7c1189e45c79b94073e2ed2f8539f0c996 100644
--- a/indra/llcommon/llinitparam.cpp
+++ b/indra/llcommon/llinitparam.cpp
@@ -180,8 +180,9 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 		return true;
 	}
 
-	void BaseBlock::serializeBlock(Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const LLInitParam::BaseBlock* diff_block) const
+	bool BaseBlock::serializeBlock(Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const LLInitParam::BaseBlock* diff_block) const
 	{
+		bool serialized = false;
 		// named param is one like LLView::Params::follows
 		// unnamed param is like LLView::Params::rect - implicit
 		const BlockDescriptor& block_data = mostDerivedBlockDescriptor();
@@ -193,10 +194,10 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 			param_handle_t param_handle = (*it)->mParamHandle;
 			const Param* param = getParamFromHandle(param_handle);
 			ParamDescriptor::serialize_func_t serialize_func = (*it)->mSerializeFunc;
-			if (serialize_func)
+			if (serialize_func && param->anyProvided())
 			{
 				const Param* diff_param = diff_block ? diff_block->getParamFromHandle(param_handle) : NULL;
-				serialize_func(*param, parser, name_stack, diff_param);
+				serialized |= serialize_func(*param, parser, name_stack, diff_param);
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -232,10 +233,13 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 
 				name_stack.push_back(std::make_pair(it->first, !duplicate));
 				const Param* diff_param = diff_block ? diff_block->getParamFromHandle(param_handle) : NULL;
-				serialize_func(*param, parser, name_stack, diff_param);
+				serialized |= serialize_func(*param, parser, name_stack, diff_param);
 				name_stack.pop_back();
 			}
 		}
+
+		// was anything serialized in this block?
+		return serialized;
 	}
 
 	bool BaseBlock::inspectBlock(Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t name_stack, S32 min_count, S32 max_count) const
@@ -354,7 +358,7 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 	}
 
 	//static 
-	void BaseBlock::addParam(BlockDescriptor& block_data, const ParamDescriptorPtr in_param, const char* char_name)
+	void BaseBlock::addParam(BlockDescriptor& block_data, ParamDescriptorPtr in_param, const char* char_name)
 	{
 		// create a copy of the param descriptor in mAllParams
 		// so other data structures can store a pointer to it
diff --git a/indra/llcommon/llinitparam.h b/indra/llcommon/llinitparam.h
index b7607e91b9afac17706f760f34b33d54d40f87da..93e24d40407bb80c6a51c6caf025dcf9edc1ecc0 100644
--- a/indra/llcommon/llinitparam.h
+++ b/indra/llcommon/llinitparam.h
@@ -32,10 +32,10 @@
 #include <boost/function.hpp>
 #include <boost/type_traits/is_convertible.hpp>
 #include <boost/unordered_map.hpp>
-#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
 
 #include "llerror.h"
 #include "llstl.h"
+#include "llmemory.h"
 
 namespace LLInitParam
 {
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 
 		typedef bool(*merge_func_t)(Param&, const Param&, bool);
 		typedef bool(*deserialize_func_t)(Param&, Parser&, const Parser::name_stack_range_t&, bool);
-		typedef void(*serialize_func_t)(const Param&, Parser&, Parser::name_stack_t&, const Param* diff_param);
+		typedef bool(*serialize_func_t)(const Param&, Parser&, Parser::name_stack_t&, const Param* diff_param);
 		typedef void(*inspect_func_t)(const Param&, Parser&, Parser::name_stack_t&, S32 min_count, S32 max_count);
 		typedef bool(*validation_func_t)(const Param*);
 
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 		UserData*			mUserData;
 	};
 
-	typedef boost::shared_ptr<ParamDescriptor> ParamDescriptorPtr;
+	typedef ParamDescriptor* ParamDescriptorPtr;
 
 	// each derived Block class keeps a static data structure maintaining offsets to various params
 	class LL_COMMON_API BlockDescriptor
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 		virtual void paramChanged(const Param& changed_param, bool user_provided) {}
 
 		bool deserializeBlock(Parser& p, Parser::name_stack_range_t name_stack_range, bool new_name);
-		void serializeBlock(Parser& p, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const BaseBlock* diff_block = NULL) const;
+		bool serializeBlock(Parser& p, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const BaseBlock* diff_block = NULL) const;
 		bool inspectBlock(Parser& p, Parser::name_stack_t name_stack = Parser::name_stack_t(), S32 min_count = 0, S32 max_count = S32_MAX) const;
 
 		virtual const BlockDescriptor& mostDerivedBlockDescriptor() const { return selfBlockDescriptor(); }
@@ -870,10 +870,11 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		static void serializeParam(const Param& param, Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const Param* diff_param)
+		static bool serializeParam(const Param& param, Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const Param* diff_param)
 		{
+			bool serialized = false;
 			const self_t& typed_param = static_cast<const self_t&>(param);
-			if (!typed_param.isProvided()) return;
+			if (!typed_param.isProvided()) return false;
 
 			if (!name_stack.empty())
 			{
@@ -888,21 +889,23 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 			{
 				if (!diff_param || !ParamCompare<std::string>::equals(static_cast<const self_t*>(diff_param)->getValueName(), key))
 				{
-					parser.writeValue(key, name_stack);
+					serialized = parser.writeValue(key, name_stack);
 				}
 			}
 			// then try to serialize value directly
 			else if (!diff_param || !ParamCompare<T>::equals(typed_param.getValue(), static_cast<const self_t*>(diff_param)->getValue()))
 			{
-				if (!parser.writeValue(typed_param.getValue(), name_stack)) 
+				serialized = parser.writeValue(typed_param.getValue(), name_stack);
+				if (!serialized) 
 				{
 					std::string calculated_key = typed_param.calcValueName(typed_param.getValue());
 					if (!diff_param || !ParamCompare<std::string>::equals(static_cast<const self_t*>(diff_param)->getValueName(), calculated_key))
 					{
-						parser.writeValue(calculated_key, name_stack);
+						serialized = parser.writeValue(calculated_key, name_stack);
 					}
 				}
 			}
+			return serialized;
 		}
 
 		static void inspectParam(const Param& param, Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, S32 min_count, S32 max_count)
@@ -1014,10 +1017,10 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		static void serializeParam(const Param& param, Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const Param* diff_param)
+		static bool serializeParam(const Param& param, Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const Param* diff_param)
 		{
 			const self_t& typed_param = static_cast<const self_t&>(param);
-			if (!typed_param.isProvided()) return;
+			if (!typed_param.isProvided()) return false;
 
 			if (!name_stack.empty())
 			{
@@ -1027,15 +1030,17 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 			std::string key = typed_param.getValueName();
 			if (!key.empty())
 			{
-				if (!parser.writeValue(key, name_stack))
+				if (parser.writeValue(key, name_stack))
 				{
-					return;
+					return true;
 				}
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				typed_param.serializeBlock(parser, name_stack, static_cast<const self_t*>(diff_param));
+				return typed_param.serializeBlock(parser, name_stack, static_cast<const self_t*>(diff_param));
 			}
+			
+			return false;
 		}
 
 		static void inspectParam(const Param& param, Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, S32 min_count, S32 max_count)
@@ -1197,10 +1202,11 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		static void serializeParam(const Param& param, Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const Param* diff_param)
+		static bool serializeParam(const Param& param, Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const Param* diff_param)
 		{
+			bool serialized = false;
 			const self_t& typed_param = static_cast<const self_t&>(param);
-			if (!typed_param.isProvided()) return;
+			if (!typed_param.isProvided()) return false;
 
 			for (const_iterator it = typed_param.mValues.begin(), end_it = typed_param.mValues.end();
 				it != end_it;
@@ -1216,7 +1222,11 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 					if (!value_written)
 					{
 						std::string calculated_key = it->calcValueName(it->getValue());
-						if (!parser.writeValue(calculated_key, name_stack))
+						if (parser.writeValue(calculated_key, name_stack))
+						{
+							serialized = true;
+						}
+						else
 						{
 							break;
 						}
@@ -1224,7 +1234,11 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 				}
 				else 
 				{
-					if(!parser.writeValue(key, name_stack))
+					if(parser.writeValue(key, name_stack))
+					{
+						serialized = true;
+					}
+					else
 					{
 						break;
 					}
@@ -1232,6 +1246,7 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 
 				name_stack.pop_back();
 			}
+			return serialized;
 		}
 
 		static void inspectParam(const Param& param, Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, S32 min_count, S32 max_count)
@@ -1420,10 +1435,11 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		static void serializeParam(const Param& param, Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const Param* diff_param)
+		static bool serializeParam(const Param& param, Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const Param* diff_param)
 		{
+			bool serialized = false;
 			const self_t& typed_param = static_cast<const self_t&>(param);
-			if (!typed_param.isProvided()) return;
+			if (!typed_param.isProvided()) return false;
 
 			for (const_iterator it = typed_param.mValues.begin(), end_it = typed_param.mValues.end();
 				it != end_it;
@@ -1434,17 +1450,18 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 				std::string key = it->getValueName();
 				if (!key.empty())
 				{
-					parser.writeValue(key, name_stack);
+					serialized |= parser.writeValue(key, name_stack);
 				}
 				// Not parsed via named values, write out value directly
 				// NOTE: currently we don't worry about removing default values in Multiple
 				else 
 				{
-					it->serializeBlock(parser, name_stack, NULL);
+					serialized = it->serializeBlock(parser, name_stack, NULL);
 				}
 
 				name_stack.pop_back();
 			}
+			return serialized;
 		}
 
 		static void inspectParam(const Param& param, Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, S32 min_count, S32 max_count)
@@ -2033,11 +2050,11 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 			return mValue.get().deserializeBlock(p, name_stack_range, new_name);
 		}
 
-		void serializeBlock(Parser& p, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const BaseBlock* diff_block = NULL) const
+		bool serializeBlock(Parser& p, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const BaseBlock* diff_block = NULL) const
 		{
-			if (mValue.empty()) return;
+			if (mValue.empty()) return false;
 			
-			mValue.get().serializeBlock(p, name_stack, diff_block);
+			return mValue.get().serializeBlock(p, name_stack, diff_block);
 		}
 
 		bool inspectBlock(Parser& p, Parser::name_stack_t name_stack = Parser::name_stack_t(), S32 min_count = 0, S32 max_count = S32_MAX) const
@@ -2085,7 +2102,7 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 
 		// block param interface
 		LL_COMMON_API bool deserializeBlock(Parser& p, Parser::name_stack_range_t name_stack_range, bool new_name);
-		LL_COMMON_API void serializeBlock(Parser& p, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const BaseBlock* diff_block = NULL) const;
+		LL_COMMON_API bool serializeBlock(Parser& p, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const BaseBlock* diff_block = NULL) const;
 		bool inspectBlock(Parser& p, Parser::name_stack_t name_stack = Parser::name_stack_t(), S32 min_count = 0, S32 max_count = S32_MAX) const
 		{
 			//TODO: implement LLSD params as schema type Any
@@ -2148,7 +2165,7 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 			return typed_param.BaseBlock::deserializeBlock(parser, name_stack_range, new_name);
 		}
 
-		void serializeBlock(Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const BaseBlock* diff_block = NULL) const
+		bool serializeBlock(Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const BaseBlock* diff_block = NULL) const
 		{
 			const derived_t& typed_param = static_cast<const derived_t&>(*this);
 			const derived_t* diff_param = static_cast<const derived_t*>(diff_block);
@@ -2160,14 +2177,18 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 			{
 				if (!diff_param || !ParamCompare<std::string>::equals(diff_param->getValueName(), key))
 				{
-					parser.writeValue(key, name_stack);
+					return parser.writeValue(key, name_stack);
 				}
 			}
 			// then try to serialize value directly
 			else if (!diff_param || !ParamCompare<T>::equals(typed_param.getValue(), diff_param->getValue()))
             {
 				
-				if (!parser.writeValue(typed_param.getValue(), name_stack)) 
+				if (parser.writeValue(typed_param.getValue(), name_stack)) 
+				{
+					return true;
+				}
+				else
 				{
 					//RN: *always* serialize provided components of BlockValue (don't pass diff_param on),
 					// since these tend to be viewed as the constructor arguments for the value T.  It seems
@@ -2184,14 +2205,15 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 						// and serialize those params
 						derived_t copy(typed_param);
 						copy.updateBlockFromValue(true);
-						copy.block_t::serializeBlock(parser, name_stack, NULL);
+						return copy.block_t::serializeBlock(parser, name_stack, NULL);
 					}
 					else
 					{
-						block_t::serializeBlock(parser, name_stack, NULL);
+						return block_t::serializeBlock(parser, name_stack, NULL);
 					}
 				}
 			}
+			return false;
 		}
 
 		bool inspectBlock(Parser& parser, Parser::name_stack_t name_stack = Parser::name_stack_t(), S32 min_count = 0, S32 max_count = S32_MAX) const
diff --git a/indra/llcommon/llsdparam.cpp b/indra/llcommon/llsdparam.cpp
index 4b8a8dba5cc85039f6199593c161b569313b6328..e25a9666091e8a4aa38115f3bfb7432d4133e584 100644
--- a/indra/llcommon/llsdparam.cpp
+++ b/indra/llcommon/llsdparam.cpp
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 		p.writeValue<LLSD::String>(sd.asString(), name_stack);
 	}
 
-	void ParamValue<LLSD, TypeValues<LLSD>, false>::serializeBlock(Parser& p, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const BaseBlock* diff_block) const
+	bool ParamValue<LLSD, TypeValues<LLSD>, false>::serializeBlock(Parser& p, Parser::name_stack_t& name_stack, const BaseBlock* diff_block) const
 	{
 		// attempt to write LLSD out directly
 		if (!p.writeValue<LLSD>(mValue, name_stack))
@@ -337,5 +337,6 @@ namespace LLInitParam
 			// otherwise read from LLSD value and serialize out to parser (which could be LLSD, XUI, etc)
 			LLParamSDParserUtilities::readSDValues(boost::bind(&serializeElement, boost::ref(p), _1, _2), mValue, name_stack);
 		}
+		return true;
 	}
 }