diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
index 5fb4ef3156..5930b79074 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
@@ -206,11 +206,13 @@ float AvatarData::getDistanceBasedMinRotationDOT(glm::vec3 viewerPosition) const
     if (distance < AVATAR_DISTANCE_LEVEL_1) {
         result = AVATAR_MIN_ROTATION_DOT;
     } else if (distance < AVATAR_DISTANCE_LEVEL_2) {
-        result = ROTATION_CHANGE_15D;
+        result = ROTATION_CHANGE_2D;
     } else if (distance < AVATAR_DISTANCE_LEVEL_3) {
-        result = ROTATION_CHANGE_45D;
+        result = ROTATION_CHANGE_4D;
     } else if (distance < AVATAR_DISTANCE_LEVEL_4) {
-        result = ROTATION_CHANGE_90D;
+        result = ROTATION_CHANGE_6D;
+    } else if (distance < AVATAR_DISTANCE_LEVEL_5) {
+        result = ROTATION_CHANGE_15D;
     }
     return result;
 }
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
index 860772b7c9..46489451f7 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
@@ -309,16 +309,19 @@ const float AVATAR_SEND_FULL_UPDATE_RATIO = 0.02f;
 const float AVATAR_MIN_ROTATION_DOT = 0.9999999f;
 const float AVATAR_MIN_TRANSLATION = 0.0001f;
 
-const float ROTATION_CHANGE_15D = 0.9914449f;
-const float ROTATION_CHANGE_45D = 0.9238795f;
-const float ROTATION_CHANGE_90D = 0.7071068f;
-const float ROTATION_CHANGE_179D = 0.0087266f;
-
-const float AVATAR_DISTANCE_LEVEL_1 = 10.0f;
-const float AVATAR_DISTANCE_LEVEL_2 = 100.0f;
-const float AVATAR_DISTANCE_LEVEL_3 = 1000.0f;
-const float AVATAR_DISTANCE_LEVEL_4 = 10000.0f;
+// quaternion dot products
+const float ROTATION_CHANGE_2D = 0.99984770f; // 2 degrees
+const float ROTATION_CHANGE_4D = 0.99939083f; // 4 degrees
+const float ROTATION_CHANGE_6D = 0.99862953f; // 6 degrees
+const float ROTATION_CHANGE_15D = 0.99144486f; // 15 degrees
+const float ROTATION_CHANGE_179D = 0.00872653f; // 179 degrees
 
+// rotation culling distance thresholds
+const float AVATAR_DISTANCE_LEVEL_1 = 12.5f; // meters
+const float AVATAR_DISTANCE_LEVEL_2 = 16.6f; // meters
+const float AVATAR_DISTANCE_LEVEL_3 = 25.0f; // meters
+const float AVATAR_DISTANCE_LEVEL_4 = 50.0f; // meters
+const float AVATAR_DISTANCE_LEVEL_5 = 200.0f; // meters
 
 // Where one's own Avatar begins in the world (will be overwritten if avatar data file is found).
 // This is the start location in the Sandbox (xyz: 6270, 211, 6000).