diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarActionHold.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarActionHold.cpp
index 70216eca11..6078d326e0 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarActionHold.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarActionHold.cpp
@@ -107,8 +107,12 @@ void AvatarActionHold::doKinematicUpdate(float deltaTimeStep) {
     withWriteLock([&]{
         if (_kinematicSetVelocity) {
             if (_previousSet) {
-                glm::vec3 positionalVelocity = (_positionalTarget - _previousPositionalTarget) / deltaTimeStep;
+                // smooth velocity over 2 frames
+                glm::vec3 positionalDelta = _positionalTarget - _previousPositionalTarget;
+                glm::vec3 positionalVelocity = (positionalDelta + previousPositionalDelta) / (deltaTimeStep + previousDeltaTimeStep);
                 rigidBody->setLinearVelocity(glmToBullet(positionalVelocity));
+                previousPositionalDelta = positionalDelta;
+                previousDeltaTimeStep = deltaTimeStep;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarActionHold.h b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarActionHold.h
index 6badf97e9e..4856a17b89 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarActionHold.h
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarActionHold.h
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ private:
     bool _previousSet { false };
     glm::vec3 _previousPositionalTarget;
     glm::quat _previousRotationalTarget;
+
+    float previousDeltaTimeStep = 0.0f;
+    glm::vec3 previousPositionalDelta;
 };
 
 #endif // hifi_AvatarActionHold_h