diff --git a/libraries/physics/src/CharacterController.h b/libraries/physics/src/CharacterController.h
index d736487d20..77a75c7bbd 100755
--- a/libraries/physics/src/CharacterController.h
+++ b/libraries/physics/src/CharacterController.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "BulletUtil.h"
 #include "CharacterGhostObject.h"
 #include "PhysicsEngine.h"
+#include "PhysicsHelpers.h"
 
 const uint32_t PENDING_FLAG_ADD_TO_SIMULATION = 1U << 0;
 const uint32_t PENDING_FLAG_REMOVE_FROM_SIMULATION = 1U << 1;
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ const uint32_t PENDING_FLAG_REMOVE_DETAILED_FROM_SIMULATION = 1U << 7;
 const float DEFAULT_MIN_FLOOR_NORMAL_DOT_UP = cosf(PI / 3.0f);
 
 const uint32_t NUM_SUBSTEPS_FOR_STUCK_TRANSITION = 6; // physics substeps
-const uint32_t NUM_SUBSTEPS_FOR_SAFE_LANDING_RETRY = 40; // physics substeps
+const uint32_t NUM_SUBSTEPS_FOR_SAFE_LANDING_RETRY = NUM_SUBSTEPS_PER_SECOND / 2; // retry every half second
 
 class btRigidBody;
 class btCollisionWorld;
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/PhysicsHelpers.h b/libraries/shared/src/PhysicsHelpers.h
index 332100f03b..2e32865fd0 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/PhysicsHelpers.h
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/PhysicsHelpers.h
@@ -19,8 +19,9 @@
 // TODO: move everything in here to the physics library after the physics/entities library
 // dependency order is swapped.
 
-const int PHYSICS_ENGINE_MAX_NUM_SUBSTEPS = 6; // Bullet will start to "lose time" at 10 FPS.
-const float PHYSICS_ENGINE_FIXED_SUBSTEP = 1.0f / 90.0f;
+const int32_t PHYSICS_ENGINE_MAX_NUM_SUBSTEPS = 6; // Bullet will start to "lose time" at 10 FPS.
+const uint32_t NUM_SUBSTEPS_PER_SECOND = 90;
+const float PHYSICS_ENGINE_FIXED_SUBSTEP = 1.0f / (float)NUM_SUBSTEPS_PER_SECOND;
 
 const float DYNAMIC_LINEAR_SPEED_THRESHOLD = 0.05f;  // 5 cm/sec
 const float DYNAMIC_ANGULAR_SPEED_THRESHOLD = 0.087266f;  // ~5 deg/sec