diff --git a/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearParentGrabEntity.js b/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearParentGrabEntity.js
index e5d3b055bc..db10fff69a 100644
--- a/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearParentGrabEntity.js
+++ b/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearParentGrabEntity.js
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@
    findGroupParent, Vec3, cloneEntity, entityIsCloneable, propsAreCloneDynamic, HAPTIC_PULSE_STRENGTH,
    HAPTIC_PULSE_DURATION, BUMPER_ON_VALUE, findHandChildEntities, TEAR_AWAY_DISTANCE, MSECS_PER_SEC, TEAR_AWAY_CHECK_TIME,
    TEAR_AWAY_COUNT, distanceBetweenPointAndEntityBoundingBox, print, Uuid, highlightTargetEntity, unhighlightTargetEntity,
-   distanceBetweenEntityLocalPositionAndBoundingBox, getGrabbableData, getGrabPointSphereOffset, DISPATCHER_PROPERTIES
+   distanceBetweenEntityLocalPositionAndBoundingBox, getGrabbableData, getGrabPointSphereOffset, DISPATCHER_PROPERTIES,
+   NEAR_GRAB_DISTANCE
 */
 
 Script.include("/~/system/libraries/controllerDispatcherUtils.js");
@@ -235,14 +236,14 @@ Script.include("/~/system/libraries/controllers.js");
             // nearbyEntityProperties is already sorted by length from controller
             var nearbyEntityProperties = controllerData.nearbyEntityProperties[this.hand];
             var sensorScaleFactor = MyAvatar.sensorToWorldScale;
-            var tearAwayDistance = TEAR_AWAY_DISTANCE * sensorScaleFactor;
+            var nearGrabDistance = NEAR_GRAB_DISTANCE * sensorScaleFactor;
             var nearGrabRadius = NEAR_GRAB_RADIUS * sensorScaleFactor;
             for (var i = 0; i < nearbyEntityProperties.length; i++) {
                 var props = nearbyEntityProperties[i];
                 var grabPosition = controllerData.controllerLocations[this.hand].position; // Is offset from hand position.
                 var dist = distanceBetweenPointAndEntityBoundingBox(grabPosition, props);
                 var distance = Vec3.distance(grabPosition, props.position);
-                if ((dist > tearAwayDistance) ||
+                if ((dist > nearGrabDistance) ||
                     (distance > nearGrabRadius)) { // Only smallish entities can be near grabbed.
                     continue;
                 }
diff --git a/scripts/system/libraries/controllerDispatcherUtils.js b/scripts/system/libraries/controllerDispatcherUtils.js
index e9d5255d28..ab2801087e 100644
--- a/scripts/system/libraries/controllerDispatcherUtils.js
+++ b/scripts/system/libraries/controllerDispatcherUtils.js
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
    TEAR_AWAY_DISTANCE:true,
    TEAR_AWAY_COUNT:true,
    TEAR_AWAY_CHECK_TIME:true,
+   NEAR_GRAB_DISTANCE: true,
    distanceBetweenPointAndEntityBoundingBox:true,
    entityIsEquipped:true,
    entityIsFarGrabbedByOther:true,
@@ -99,6 +100,10 @@ NEAR_GRAB_RADIUS = 1.0;
 TEAR_AWAY_DISTANCE = 0.15; // ungrab an entity if its bounding-box moves this far from the hand
 TEAR_AWAY_COUNT = 2; // multiply by TEAR_AWAY_CHECK_TIME to know how long the item must be away
 TEAR_AWAY_CHECK_TIME = 0.15; // seconds, duration between checks
+
+NEAR_GRAB_DISTANCE = 0.14; // Grab an entity if its bounding box is within this distance.
+// Smaller than TEAR_AWAY_DISTANCE for hysteresis.
+
 DISPATCHER_HOVERING_LIST = "dispactherHoveringList";
 DISPATCHER_HOVERING_STYLE = {
     isOutlineSmooth: true,