diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/SkeletonModel.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/SkeletonModel.cpp
index f4f2a33331..1290cfd53f 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/SkeletonModel.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/SkeletonModel.cpp
@@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ float VERY_BIG_MASS = 1.0e6f;
 
 // virtual
 void SkeletonModel::buildShapes() {
-    if (!_geometry || _rootIndex == -1) {
+    if (_geometry == NULL || _jointStates.isEmpty()) {
         return;
     }
     
@@ -743,7 +743,7 @@ void SkeletonModel::resetShapePositionsToDefaultPose() {
     // Moves shapes to the joint default locations for debug visibility into
     // how the bounding shape is computed.
 
-    if (!_geometry || _rootIndex == -1 || _shapes.isEmpty()) {
+    if (!_geometry || _shapes.isEmpty()) {
         // geometry or joints have not yet been created
         return;
     }
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/JointState.cpp b/interface/src/renderer/JointState.cpp
index 7958e8b6cd..22473d4d39 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/JointState.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/JointState.cpp
@@ -76,17 +76,22 @@ void JointState::copyState(const JointState& state) {
     // DO NOT copy _fbxJoint or _constraint
 }
 
+void JointState::initTransform(const glm::mat4& parentTransform) {
+    computeTransform(parentTransform);
+    _positionInParentFrame = glm::inverse(extractRotation(parentTransform)) * (extractTranslation(_transform) - extractTranslation(parentTransform));
+}
+
 void JointState::computeTransform(const glm::mat4& parentTransform) {
     glm::quat rotationInConstrainedFrame = _fbxJoint->preRotation * _rotationInConstrainedFrame * _fbxJoint->postRotation;
-    glm::mat4 modifiedTransform = _fbxJoint->preTransform * glm::mat4_cast(rotationInConstrainedFrame) * _fbxJoint->postTransform;
-    _transform = parentTransform * glm::translate(_fbxJoint->translation) * modifiedTransform;
+    glm::mat4 rotationInParentFrame = _fbxJoint->preTransform * glm::mat4_cast(rotationInConstrainedFrame) * _fbxJoint->postTransform;
+    _transform = parentTransform * glm::translate(_fbxJoint->translation) * rotationInParentFrame;
     _rotation = extractRotation(_transform);
 }
 
 void JointState::computeVisibleTransform(const glm::mat4& parentTransform) {
     glm::quat rotationInConstrainedFrame = _fbxJoint->preRotation * _visibleRotationInConstrainedFrame * _fbxJoint->postRotation;
-    glm::mat4 modifiedTransform = _fbxJoint->preTransform * glm::mat4_cast(rotationInConstrainedFrame) * _fbxJoint->postTransform;
-    _visibleTransform = parentTransform * glm::translate(_fbxJoint->translation) * modifiedTransform;
+    glm::mat4 rotationInParentFrame = _fbxJoint->preTransform * glm::mat4_cast(rotationInConstrainedFrame) * _fbxJoint->postTransform;
+    _visibleTransform = parentTransform * glm::translate(_fbxJoint->translation) * rotationInParentFrame;
     _visibleRotation = extractRotation(_visibleTransform);
 }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/JointState.h b/interface/src/renderer/JointState.h
index 36a0212b45..c0b08d2cff 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/JointState.h
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/JointState.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ public:
     void updateConstraint();
     void copyState(const JointState& state);
 
+    void initTransform(const glm::mat4& parentTransform);
     void computeTransform(const glm::mat4& parentTransform);
 
     void computeVisibleTransform(const glm::mat4& parentTransform);
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@ private:
     glm::mat4 _transform; // joint- to model-frame
     glm::quat _rotation;  // joint- to model-frame
     glm::quat _rotationInConstrainedFrame; // rotation in frame where angular constraints would be applied
+    glm::vec3 _positionInParentFrame; // only changes when the Model is scaled
 
     glm::mat4 _visibleTransform;
     glm::quat _visibleRotation;
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/Model.cpp b/interface/src/renderer/Model.cpp
index 5fec542c6e..6394cd8c29 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/Model.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/Model.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ Model::Model(QObject* parent) :
     _snapModelToCenter(false),
     _snappedToCenter(false),
     _showTrueJointTransforms(true),
-    _rootIndex(-1),
     _lodDistance(0.0f),
     _pupilDilation(0.0f),
     _url("http://invalid.com") {
@@ -126,6 +125,7 @@ void Model::setScaleInternal(const glm::vec3& scale) {
     const float ONE_PERCENT = 0.01f;
     if (relativeDeltaScale > ONE_PERCENT || scaleLength < EPSILON) {
         _scale = scale;
+        initJointTransforms();
         if (_shapes.size() > 0) {
             clearShapes();
             buildShapes();
@@ -165,24 +165,26 @@ QVector<JointState> Model::createJointStates(const FBXGeometry& geometry) {
         state.setFBXJoint(&joint);
         jointStates.append(state);
     }
+    return jointStates;
+};
 
+void Model::initJointTransforms() {
     // compute model transforms
-    int numJoints = jointStates.size();
+    int numJoints = _jointStates.size();
     for (int i = 0; i < numJoints; ++i) {
-        JointState& state = jointStates[i];
+        JointState& state = _jointStates[i];
         const FBXJoint& joint = state.getFBXJoint();
         int parentIndex = joint.parentIndex;
         if (parentIndex == -1) {
-            _rootIndex = i;
+            const FBXGeometry& geometry = _geometry->getFBXGeometry();
             // NOTE: in practice geometry.offset has a non-unity scale (rather than a translation)
             glm::mat4 parentTransform = glm::scale(_scale) * glm::translate(_offset) * geometry.offset;
-            state.computeTransform(parentTransform);
+            state.initTransform(parentTransform);
         } else {
-            const JointState& parentState = jointStates.at(parentIndex);
-            state.computeTransform(parentState.getTransform());
+            const JointState& parentState = _jointStates.at(parentIndex);
+            state.initTransform(parentState.getTransform());
         }
     }
-    return jointStates;
 }
 
 void Model::init() {
@@ -560,6 +562,7 @@ bool Model::updateGeometry() {
 // virtual
 void Model::setJointStates(QVector<JointState> states) {
     _jointStates = states;
+    initJointTransforms();
 
     int numJoints = _jointStates.size();
     float radius = 0.0f;
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/Model.h b/interface/src/renderer/Model.h
index dde3a68218..078685345b 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/Model.h
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/Model.h
@@ -164,7 +164,6 @@ protected:
     bool _snapModelToCenter; /// is the model's offset automatically adjusted to center around 0,0,0 in model space
     bool _snappedToCenter; /// are we currently snapped to center
     bool _showTrueJointTransforms;
-    int _rootIndex;
     
     glm::vec3 _localLightDirections[MAX_LOCAL_LIGHTS];
     glm::vec3 _localLightColors[MAX_LOCAL_LIGHTS];
@@ -227,6 +226,7 @@ private:
     void deleteGeometry();
     void renderMeshes(float alpha, RenderMode mode, bool translucent, bool receiveShadows);
     QVector<JointState> createJointStates(const FBXGeometry& geometry);
+    void initJointTransforms();
     
     QSharedPointer<NetworkGeometry> _baseGeometry; ///< reference required to prevent collection of base
     QSharedPointer<NetworkGeometry> _nextBaseGeometry;