diff --git a/scripts/system/controllers/controllerDispatcher.js b/scripts/system/controllers/controllerDispatcher.js
index b35891e71e..959f217eb4 100644
--- a/scripts/system/controllers/controllerDispatcher.js
+++ b/scripts/system/controllers/controllerDispatcher.js
@@ -271,6 +271,8 @@ Script.include("/~/system/controllers/controllerDispatcherUtils.js");
             }
         }
 
+        // print("QQQ running plugins: " + JSON.stringify(_this.runningPluginNames));
+
         // give time to running plugins
         for (var runningPluginName in _this.runningPluginNames) {
             if (_this.runningPluginNames.hasOwnProperty(runningPluginName)) {
diff --git a/scripts/system/controllers/controllerDispatcherUtils.js b/scripts/system/controllers/controllerDispatcherUtils.js
index daf6b667ed..a7bd3339d0 100644
--- a/scripts/system/controllers/controllerDispatcherUtils.js
+++ b/scripts/system/controllers/controllerDispatcherUtils.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
    COLORS_GRAB_SEARCHING_HALF_SQUEEZE,
    COLORS_GRAB_SEARCHING_FULL_SQUEEZE,
    COLORS_GRAB_DISTANCE_HOLD,
+   NEAR_GRAB_RADIUS,
    Entities,
    makeDispatcherModuleParameters,
    makeRunningValues,
@@ -66,6 +67,9 @@ COLORS_GRAB_SEARCHING_FULL_SQUEEZE = { red: 250, green: 10, blue: 10 };
 COLORS_GRAB_DISTANCE_HOLD = { red: 238, green: 75, blue: 214 };
 
 
+NEAR_GRAB_RADIUS = 0.1;
+
+
 
 // priority -- a lower priority means the module will be asked sooner than one with a higher priority in a given update step
 // activitySlots -- indicates which "slots" must not yet be in use for this module to start
diff --git a/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/equipEntity.js b/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/equipEntity.js
index 65668f0d23..c009d74764 100644
--- a/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/equipEntity.js
+++ b/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/equipEntity.js
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ EquipHotspotBuddy.prototype.updateHotspot = function(hotspot, timestamp) {
             ignoreRayIntersection: true
         }));
         overlayInfoSet.type = "model";
-        print("QQQ adding hopspot: " + hotspot.key);
+        print("QQQ adding hotspot: " + hotspot.key);
         this.map[hotspot.key] = overlayInfoSet;
     } else {
         print("QQQ updating hopspot: " + hotspot.key);
@@ -520,7 +520,9 @@ EquipHotspotBuddy.prototype.update = function(deltaTime, timestamp, controllerDa
             this.targetEntityID = null;
         };
 
-        this.isReady = function (controllerData, deltaTime) {
+        this.checkNearbyHotspots = function (controllerData, deltaTime) {
+
+            var timestamp = Date.now();
 
             this.rawTriggerValue = controllerData.triggerValues[this.hand];
             this.triggerClicked = controllerData.triggerClicks[this.hand];
@@ -548,7 +550,6 @@ EquipHotspotBuddy.prototype.update = function(deltaTime, timestamp, controllerDa
             }
 
             var nearEquipHotspots = this.chooseNearEquipHotspots(candidateEntityProps, controllerData);
-            var timestamp = Date.now();
             equipHotspotBuddy.updateHotspots(nearEquipHotspots, timestamp);
             if (potentialEquipHotspot) {
                 equipHotspotBuddy.highlightHotspot(potentialEquipHotspot);
@@ -556,11 +557,22 @@ EquipHotspotBuddy.prototype.update = function(deltaTime, timestamp, controllerDa
 
             equipHotspotBuddy.update(deltaTime, timestamp, controllerData);
 
-            return makeRunningValues(false, [], []);
+            if (potentialEquipHotspot) {
+                return makeRunningValues(true, [potentialEquipHotspot.entityID], []);
+            } else {
+                return makeRunningValues(false, [], []);
+            }
+
+        };
+
+        this.isReady = function (controllerData, deltaTime) {
+            return this.checkNearbyHotspots(controllerData, deltaTime);
         };
 
         this.run = function (controllerData, deltaTime) {
 
+            return this.checkNearbyHotspots(controllerData, deltaTime);
+
             if (controllerData.secondaryValues[this.hand]) {
                 // this.secondaryReleased() will always be true when not depressed
                 // so we cannot simply rely on that for release - ensure that the
diff --git a/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearActionGrabEntity.js b/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearActionGrabEntity.js
index 42859f3e19..217e90ef88 100644
--- a/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearActionGrabEntity.js
+++ b/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearActionGrabEntity.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
    getControllerJointIndex, getGrabbableData, NULL_UUID, enableDispatcherModule, disableDispatcherModule,
    propsArePhysical, Messages, HAPTIC_PULSE_STRENGTH, HAPTIC_PULSE_DURATION, entityIsGrabbable,
    Quat, Vec3, MSECS_PER_SEC, getControllerWorldLocation, makeDispatcherModuleParameters, makeRunningValues,
-   TRIGGER_OFF_VALUE
+   TRIGGER_OFF_VALUE, NEAR_GRAB_RADIUS
 */
 
 Script.include("/~/system/controllers/controllerDispatcherUtils.js");
@@ -146,6 +146,11 @@ Script.include("/~/system/libraries/controllers.js");
             var nearbyEntityProperties = controllerData.nearbyEntityProperties[this.hand];
             for (var i = 0; i < nearbyEntityProperties.length; i++) {
                 var props = nearbyEntityProperties[i];
+                var handPosition = controllerData.controllerLocations[this.hand].position;
+                var distance = Vec3.distance(props.position, handPosition);
+                if (distance > NEAR_GRAB_RADIUS) {
+                    break;
+                }
                 if (entityIsGrabbable(props)) {
                     return props;
                 }
diff --git a/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearParentGrabEntity.js b/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearParentGrabEntity.js
index 1de2fee5ea..c5ca95fe3b 100644
--- a/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearParentGrabEntity.js
+++ b/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearParentGrabEntity.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 /* global Script, Entities, MyAvatar, Controller, RIGHT_HAND, LEFT_HAND, AVATAR_SELF_ID,
    getControllerJointIndex, NULL_UUID, enableDispatcherModule, disableDispatcherModule,
    propsArePhysical, Messages, HAPTIC_PULSE_STRENGTH, HAPTIC_PULSE_DURATION, TRIGGER_OFF_VALUE,
-   makeDispatcherModuleParameters, entityIsGrabbable, makeRunningValues
+   makeDispatcherModuleParameters, entityIsGrabbable, makeRunningValues, NEAR_GRAB_RADIUS
 */
 
 Script.include("/~/system/controllers/controllerDispatcherUtils.js");
@@ -129,6 +129,11 @@ Script.include("/~/system/controllers/controllerDispatcherUtils.js");
             var nearbyEntityProperties = controllerData.nearbyEntityProperties[this.hand];
             for (var i = 0; i < nearbyEntityProperties.length; i++) {
                 var props = nearbyEntityProperties[i];
+                var handPosition = controllerData.controllerLocations[this.hand].position;
+                var distance = Vec3.distance(props.position, handPosition);
+                if (distance > NEAR_GRAB_RADIUS) {
+                    break;
+                }
                 if (entityIsGrabbable(props)) {
                     return props;
                 }