diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/AnimInverseKinematics.cpp b/libraries/animation/src/AnimInverseKinematics.cpp
index 516d4116d8..42e9472819 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/AnimInverseKinematics.cpp
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/AnimInverseKinematics.cpp
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ const AnimPoseVec& AnimInverseKinematics::overlay(const AnimVariantMap& animVars
             if (offsetLength > MIN_HIPS_OFFSET_LENGTH) {
                 // but only if offset is long enough
                 float scaleFactor = ((offsetLength - MIN_HIPS_OFFSET_LENGTH) / offsetLength);
-                _relativePoses[0].trans = underPoses[0].trans + scaleFactor * _hipsOffset;
+                _relativePoses[_hipsIndex].trans = underPoses[_hipsIndex].trans + scaleFactor * _hipsOffset;
             }
 
             solveWithCyclicCoordinateDescent(targets);
@@ -758,8 +758,10 @@ void AnimInverseKinematics::setSkeletonInternal(AnimSkeleton::ConstPointer skele
     if (skeleton) {
         initConstraints();
         _headIndex = _skeleton->nameToJointIndex("Head");
+        _hipsIndex = _skeleton->nameToJointIndex("Hips");
     } else {
         clearConstraints();
         _headIndex = -1;
+        _hipsIndex = -1;
     }
 }
diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/AnimInverseKinematics.h b/libraries/animation/src/AnimInverseKinematics.h
index b96dd3711e..f8f7fd9e9e 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/AnimInverseKinematics.h
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/AnimInverseKinematics.h
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ protected:
 
     // experimental data for moving hips during IK
     int _headIndex = -1;
+    int _hipsIndex = -1;
     glm::vec3 _hipsOffset = Vectors::ZERO;
 
     // _maxTargetIndex is tracked to help optimize the recalculation of absolute poses