diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
index c61b424bce..a7c8c3e179 100755
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
@@ -122,7 +122,6 @@ MyAvatar::MyAvatar(QThread* thread) :
     _goToOrientation(),
     _prevShouldDrawHead(true),
     _audioListenerMode(FROM_HEAD),
-    _hmdAtRestDetector(glm::vec3(0), glm::quat()),
     _dominantHandSetting(QStringList() << AVATAR_SETTINGS_GROUP_NAME << "dominantHand", DOMINANT_RIGHT_HAND),
     _headPitchSetting(QStringList() << AVATAR_SETTINGS_GROUP_NAME << "", 0.0f),
     _scaleSetting(QStringList() << AVATAR_SETTINGS_GROUP_NAME << "scale", _targetScale),
@@ -702,6 +701,46 @@ void MyAvatar::simulate(float deltaTime) {
     // before we perform rig animations and IK.
     updateSensorToWorldMatrix();
 
+    // if we detect the hand controller is at rest, i.e. lying on the table, or the hand is too far away from the hmd
+    // disable the associated hand controller input.
+    {
+        // NOTE: all poses are in sensor space.
+        auto leftHandIter = _controllerPoseMap.find(controller::Action::LEFT_HAND);
+        if (leftHandIter != _controllerPoseMap.end() && leftHandIter->second.isValid()) {
+            _leftHandAtRestDetector.update(leftHandIter->second.getTranslation(), leftHandIter->second.getRotation());
+            if (_leftHandAtRestDetector.isAtRest()) {
+                leftHandIter->second.valid = false;
+            }
+        } else {
+            _leftHandAtRestDetector.invalidate();
+        }
+
+        auto rightHandIter = _controllerPoseMap.find(controller::Action::RIGHT_HAND);
+        if (rightHandIter != _controllerPoseMap.end() && rightHandIter->second.isValid()) {
+            _rightHandAtRestDetector.update(rightHandIter->second.getTranslation(), rightHandIter->second.getRotation());
+            if (_rightHandAtRestDetector.isAtRest()) {
+                rightHandIter->second.valid = false;
+            }
+        } else {
+            _rightHandAtRestDetector.invalidate();
+        }
+
+        auto headIter = _controllerPoseMap.find(controller::Action::HEAD);
+
+        // The 99th percentile man has a spine to fingertip to height ratio of 0.45.  Lets increase that by about 10% to 0.5
+        // then measure the distance the center of the eyes to the finger tips.  To come up with this ratio.
+        // From "The Measure of Man and Woman: Human Factors in Design, Revised Edition" by Alvin R. Tilley, Henry Dreyfuss Associates
+        const float MAX_HEAD_TO_HAND_DISTANCE_RATIO = 0.52f;
+
+        float maxHeadHandDistance = getUserHeight() * MAX_HEAD_TO_HAND_DISTANCE_RATIO;
+        if (glm::length(headIter->second.getTranslation() - leftHandIter->second.getTranslation()) > maxHeadHandDistance) {
+            leftHandIter->second.valid = false;
+        }
+        if (glm::length(headIter->second.getTranslation() - rightHandIter->second.getTranslation()) > maxHeadHandDistance) {
+            rightHandIter->second.valid = false;
+        }
+    }
+
     {
         PerformanceTimer perfTimer("skeleton");
 
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
index 980aca59ce..485cab8f42 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
@@ -1764,8 +1764,8 @@ private:
     glm::vec3 _customListenPosition;
     glm::quat _customListenOrientation;
 
-    AtRestDetector _hmdAtRestDetector;
-    bool _lastIsMoving { false };
+    AtRestDetector _leftHandAtRestDetector;
+    AtRestDetector _rightHandAtRestDetector;
 
     // all poses are in sensor-frame
     std::map<controller::Action, controller::Pose> _controllerPoseMap;
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/AtRestDetector.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/AtRestDetector.cpp
index 4c08b30dcd..4b4356d641 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/AtRestDetector.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/AtRestDetector.cpp
@@ -30,32 +30,37 @@ void AtRestDetector::reset(const glm::vec3& startPosition, const glm::quat& star
     _isAtRest = false;
 }
 
-bool AtRestDetector::update(const glm::vec3& position, const glm::quat& rotation) {
-    uint64_t now = usecTimestampNow();
-    float dt = (float)(now - _lastUpdateTime) / (float)USECS_PER_SECOND;
-    _lastUpdateTime = now;
-    const float TAU = 1.0f;
-    float delta = glm::min(dt / TAU, 1.0f);
+void AtRestDetector::update(const glm::vec3& position, const glm::quat& rotation) {
+    _lastIsAtRest = _isAtRest;
+    if (_isValid) {
+        uint64_t now = usecTimestampNow();
+        float dt = (float)(now - _lastUpdateTime) / (float)USECS_PER_SECOND;
+        _lastUpdateTime = now;
+        const float TAU = 1.0f;
+        float delta = glm::min(dt / TAU, 1.0f);
 
-    // keep a running average of position.
-    _positionAverage = position * delta + _positionAverage * (1 - delta);
+        // keep a running average of position.
+        _positionAverage = position * delta + _positionAverage * (1 - delta);
 
-    // keep a running average of position variances.
-    glm::vec3 dx = position - _positionAverage;
-    _positionVariance = glm::dot(dx, dx) * delta + _positionVariance * (1 - delta);
+        // keep a running average of position variances.
+        glm::vec3 dx = position - _positionAverage;
+        _positionVariance = glm::dot(dx, dx) * delta + _positionVariance * (1 - delta);
 
-    // keep a running average of quaternion logarithms.
-    glm::quat quatLogAsQuat = glm::log(rotation);
-    glm::vec3 quatLog(quatLogAsQuat.x, quatLogAsQuat.y, quatLogAsQuat.z);
-    _quatLogAverage = quatLog * delta + _quatLogAverage * (1 - delta);
+        // keep a running average of quaternion logarithms.
+        glm::quat quatLogAsQuat = glm::log(rotation);
+        glm::vec3 quatLog(quatLogAsQuat.x, quatLogAsQuat.y, quatLogAsQuat.z);
+        _quatLogAverage = quatLog * delta + _quatLogAverage * (1 - delta);
 
-    // keep a running average of quatLog variances.
-    glm::vec3 dql = quatLog - _quatLogAverage;
-    _quatLogVariance = glm::dot(dql, dql) * delta + _quatLogVariance * (1 - delta);
+        // keep a running average of quatLog variances.
+        glm::vec3 dql = quatLog - _quatLogAverage;
+        _quatLogVariance = glm::dot(dql, dql) * delta + _quatLogVariance * (1 - delta);
 
-    const float POSITION_VARIANCE_THRESHOLD = 0.001f;
-    const float QUAT_LOG_VARIANCE_THRESHOLD = 0.00002f;
+        const float POSITION_VARIANCE_THRESHOLD = 0.001f;
+        const float QUAT_LOG_VARIANCE_THRESHOLD = 0.00002f;
 
-    _isAtRest = _positionVariance < POSITION_VARIANCE_THRESHOLD && _quatLogVariance < QUAT_LOG_VARIANCE_THRESHOLD;
-    return _isAtRest;
+        _isAtRest = _positionVariance < POSITION_VARIANCE_THRESHOLD && _quatLogVariance < QUAT_LOG_VARIANCE_THRESHOLD;
+    } else {
+        reset(position, rotation);
+        _isValid = true;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/AtRestDetector.h b/libraries/shared/src/AtRestDetector.h
index 525156de65..eb8e5f53f9 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/AtRestDetector.h
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/AtRestDetector.h
@@ -17,21 +17,27 @@
 
 class AtRestDetector {
 public:
+    AtRestDetector() {};
     AtRestDetector(const glm::vec3& startPosition, const glm::quat& startRotation);
     void reset(const glm::vec3& startPosition, const glm::quat& startRotation);
 
     // returns true if object is at rest, dt in assumed to be seconds.
-    bool update(const glm::vec3& position, const glm::quat& startRotation);
+    void update(const glm::vec3& position, const glm::quat& startRotation);
 
+    void invalidate() { _isValid = false; }
     bool isAtRest() const { return _isAtRest; }
+    bool onRest() const { return !_lastIsAtRest && _isAtRest; }
+    bool onWake() const { return _lastIsAtRest && !_isAtRest; }
 
 protected:
+    bool _isValid { false };
     glm::vec3 _positionAverage;
     glm::vec3 _quatLogAverage;
     uint64_t _lastUpdateTime { 0 };
     float _positionVariance { 0.0f };
     float _quatLogVariance { 0.0f };
     bool _isAtRest { false };
+    bool _lastIsAtRest { false };
 };
 
 #endif