diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index c403a3c3dc..17e435e2ea 100755
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -1727,9 +1727,8 @@ bool Application::isLookingAtOtherAvatar(glm::vec3 &mouseRayOrigin, glm::vec3 &m
         if (node->getLinkedData() != NULL && node->getType() == NODE_TYPE_AGENT) {
             Avatar *avatar = (Avatar *)node->getLinkedData();
             glm::vec3 headPosition = avatar->getHead().getPosition();
-            glm::vec3 intersectionPosition, intersectionNormal;
             printf("x: %f   y: %f   z: %f \n", mouseRayOrigin.x, mouseRayOrigin.y, mouseRayOrigin.z);
-            if (glm::intersectRaySphere(mouseRayOrigin, mouseRayDirection, headPosition, 10, intersectionPosition, intersectionNormal)) {
+            if (rayIntersectsSphere(mouseRayOrigin, mouseRayDirection, headPosition, 0.07)) {
                 printf("lalala\n");
                 eyePosition = avatar->getHead().getEyeLevelPosition();
                 return true;
@@ -1760,8 +1759,6 @@ void Application::update(float deltaTime) {
     glm::vec3 mouseRayOrigin, mouseRayDirection;
     _viewFrustum.computePickRay(_mouseX / (float)_glWidget->width(),
         _mouseY / (float)_glWidget->height(), mouseRayOrigin, mouseRayDirection);
-    // printf("x: %d   y: %d \n", _mouseX, _mouseY);
-    // printf("x: %f   y: %f   z: %f \n", mouseRayOrigin.x, mouseRayOrigin.y, mouseRayOrigin.z);
 
     // tell my avatar the posiion and direction of the ray projected ino the world based on the mouse position        
     _myAvatar.setMouseRay(mouseRayOrigin, mouseRayDirection);
diff --git a/interface/src/Util.cpp b/interface/src/Util.cpp
index 4bfdb1f587..3e961cd43f 100644
--- a/interface/src/Util.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Util.cpp
@@ -509,3 +509,13 @@ float loadSetting(QSettings* settings, const char* name, float defaultValue) {
     }
     return value;
 }
+
+bool rayIntersectsSphere(glm::vec3 &rayStarting, glm::vec3 &rayNormalizedDirection, glm::vec3 &sphereCenter, double sphereRadius) {
+    glm::vec3 vecFromRayToSphereCenter = sphereCenter - rayStarting;
+    double projection = glm::dot(vecFromRayToSphereCenter, rayNormalizedDirection);
+    double shortestDistance = sqrt(glm::dot(vecFromRayToSphereCenter, vecFromRayToSphereCenter) - projection*projection);
+    if (shortestDistance <= sphereRadius) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/interface/src/Util.h b/interface/src/Util.h
index 2005b76438..6a4a25995c 100644
--- a/interface/src/Util.h
+++ b/interface/src/Util.h
@@ -71,4 +71,6 @@ void runTimingTests();
 
 float loadSetting(QSettings* settings, const char* name, float defaultValue);
 
+bool rayIntersectsSphere(glm::vec3 &rayStarting, glm::vec3 &rayNormalizedDirection, glm::vec3 &sphereCenter, double sphereRadius);
+
 #endif