diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index af29aff5ef..a431bbb404 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -2135,12 +2135,17 @@ void Application::updateMyAvatar(float deltaTime) {
 
     _myAvatar->update(deltaTime);
 
-    {
+    quint64 now = usecTimestampNow();
+    quint64 dt = now - _lastSendAvatarDataTime;
+
+    if (dt > MIN_TIME_BETWEEN_MY_AVATAR_DATA_SENDS) {
         // send head/hand data to the avatar mixer and voxel server
         PerformanceTimer perfTimer("send");
         QByteArray packet = byteArrayWithPopulatedHeader(PacketTypeAvatarData);
         packet.append(_myAvatar->toByteArray());
         controlledBroadcastToNodes(packet, NodeSet() << NodeType::AvatarMixer);
+
+        _lastSendAvatarDataTime = now;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.h b/interface/src/Application.h
index 451bfdc5e1..d7a826d9ea 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.h
+++ b/interface/src/Application.h
@@ -111,6 +111,10 @@ static const float MIRROR_REARVIEW_DISTANCE = 0.722f;
 static const float MIRROR_REARVIEW_BODY_DISTANCE = 2.56f;
 static const float MIRROR_FIELD_OF_VIEW = 30.0f;
 
+// 70 times per second - target is 60hz, but this helps account for any small deviations
+// in the update loop
+static const quint64 MIN_TIME_BETWEEN_MY_AVATAR_DATA_SENDS = (1000 * 1000) / 70;
+
 static const quint64 TOO_LONG_SINCE_LAST_SEND_DOWNSTREAM_AUDIO_STATS = 1 * USECS_PER_SECOND;
 
 static const QString INFO_HELP_PATH = "html/interface-welcome-allsvg.html";
@@ -567,6 +571,8 @@ private:
     quint64 _lastNackTime;
     quint64 _lastSendDownstreamAudioStats;
 
+    quint64 _lastSendAvatarDataTime;
+
     bool _isVSyncOn;
     
     bool _aboutToQuit;