diff --git a/interface/resources/shaders/vertical_blur.frag b/interface/resources/shaders/vertical_blur.frag
index 5d136a29c9..012389622e 100644
--- a/interface/resources/shaders/vertical_blur.frag
+++ b/interface/resources/shaders/vertical_blur.frag
@@ -32,5 +32,5 @@ void main(void) {
         texture2D(horizontallyBlurredTexture, gl_TexCoord[0].st + vec2(0.0, dt * 11.5)) +
         texture2D(horizontallyBlurredTexture, gl_TexCoord[0].st + vec2(0.0, dt * 13.5)) +
         texture2D(horizontallyBlurredTexture, gl_TexCoord[0].st + vec2(0.0, dt * 15.5))) / 16.0;
-    gl_FragColor = blurred * blurred.a + texture2D(originalTexture, gl_TexCoord[0].st);
+    gl_FragColor = blurred * blurred.a + texture2D(originalTexture, gl_TexCoord[0].st) * (1.0 + blurred.a * 0.5);
 }
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index af103d4c28..7fae6ffbf9 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -2334,13 +2334,21 @@ void Application::renderLookatIndicator(glm::vec3 pointOfInterest, Camera& which
     renderCircle(haloOrigin, INDICATOR_RADIUS, IDENTITY_UP, NUM_SEGMENTS);
 }
 
+void maybeBeginFollowIndicator(bool& began) {
+    if (!began) {
+        Application::getInstance()->getGlowEffect()->begin();
+        glLineWidth(5);
+        glBegin(GL_LINES);
+        began = true;
+    }
+}
+
 void Application::renderFollowIndicator() {
     NodeList* nodeList = NodeList::getInstance();
 
-    _glowEffect.begin();
+    // initialize lazily so that we don't enable the glow effect unnecessarily
+    bool began = false;
 
-    glLineWidth(5);
-    glBegin(GL_LINES);
     for (NodeList::iterator node = nodeList->begin(); node != nodeList->end(); ++node) {
         if (node->getLinkedData() != NULL && node->getType() == NODE_TYPE_AGENT) {
             Avatar* avatar = (Avatar *) node->getLinkedData();
@@ -2359,6 +2367,7 @@ void Application::renderFollowIndicator() {
                 }
 
                 if (leader != NULL) {
+                    maybeBeginFollowIndicator(began);
                     glColor3f(1.f, 0.f, 0.f);
                     glVertex3f((avatar->getHead().getPosition().x + avatar->getPosition().x) / 2.f,
                                (avatar->getHead().getPosition().y + avatar->getPosition().y) / 2.f,
@@ -2373,6 +2382,7 @@ void Application::renderFollowIndicator() {
     }
 
     if (_myAvatar.getLeadingAvatar() != NULL) {
+        maybeBeginFollowIndicator(began);
         glColor3f(1.f, 0.f, 0.f);
         glVertex3f((_myAvatar.getHead().getPosition().x + _myAvatar.getPosition().x) / 2.f,
                    (_myAvatar.getHead().getPosition().y + _myAvatar.getPosition().y) / 2.f,
@@ -2383,9 +2393,10 @@ void Application::renderFollowIndicator() {
                    (_myAvatar.getLeadingAvatar()->getHead().getPosition().z + _myAvatar.getLeadingAvatar()->getPosition().z) / 2.f);
     }
 
-    glEnd();
-    
-    _glowEffect.end();
+    if (began) {
+        glEnd();
+        _glowEffect.end();
+    }
 }
 
 void Application::update(float deltaTime) {
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.h b/interface/src/Application.h
index bbd1b3ed7b..862207302b 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.h
+++ b/interface/src/Application.h
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ public:
     QNetworkAccessManager* getNetworkAccessManager() { return _networkAccessManager; }
     GeometryCache* getGeometryCache() { return &_geometryCache; }
     TextureCache* getTextureCache() { return &_textureCache; }
+    GlowEffect* getGlowEffect() { return &_glowEffect; }
     
     void resetSongMixMenuItem();
     void setupWorldLight(Camera& whichCamera);
diff --git a/interface/src/VoxelFade.cpp b/interface/src/VoxelFade.cpp
index f7ec97ae30..8ce68c9724 100644
--- a/interface/src/VoxelFade.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/VoxelFade.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 #include <VoxelConstants.h>
 
+#include "Application.h"
 #include "VoxelFade.h"
 
 const float VoxelFade::FADE_OUT_START =  0.5f;
@@ -32,6 +33,8 @@ VoxelFade::VoxelFade(FadeDirection direction, float red, float green, float blue
 }
 
 void VoxelFade::render() {
+    Application::getInstance()->getGlowEffect()->begin();
+
     glDisable(GL_LIGHTING);
     glPushMatrix();
     glScalef(TREE_SCALE, TREE_SCALE, TREE_SCALE);
@@ -45,6 +48,9 @@ void VoxelFade::render() {
     glPopMatrix();
     glEnable(GL_LIGHTING);
     
+    
+    Application::getInstance()->getGlowEffect()->end();
+    
     opacity *= (direction == FADE_OUT) ? FADE_OUT_STEP : FADE_IN_STEP;
 }
 
@@ -55,4 +61,4 @@ bool VoxelFade::isDone() const {
         return opacity >= FADE_IN_END;
     }
     return true; // unexpected case, assume we're done
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}