diff --git a/libraries/voxels/src/AABox.cpp b/libraries/voxels/src/AABox.cpp
index 1d85b3181a..3c28401c66 100755
--- a/libraries/voxels/src/AABox.cpp
+++ b/libraries/voxels/src/AABox.cpp
@@ -80,37 +80,37 @@ bool AABox::contains(const glm::vec3& point) const {
         isWithin(point.z, _corner.z, _size.z);
 }
 
-// finds the intersection between the closer plane in one direction
-static bool findIntersection(float origin, float direction, float corner, float size, float* t) {
+// finds the intersection between a ray and the facing plane on one axis
+static bool findIntersection(float origin, float direction, float corner, float size, float& distance) {
     if (direction > EPSILON) {
-        *t = (corner - origin) / direction;
+        distance = (corner - origin) / direction;
         return true;
         
     } else if (direction < -EPSILON) {
-        *t = (corner + size - origin) / direction;
+        distance = (corner + size - origin) / direction;
         return true;
     }
     return false;
 }
 
-bool AABox::findRayIntersection(const glm::vec3& origin, const glm::vec3& direction, float* t) const {
+bool AABox::findRayIntersection(const glm::vec3& origin, const glm::vec3& direction, float& distance) const {
     // handle the trivial case where the box contains the origin
     if (contains(origin)) {
-        *t = 0;
+        distance = 0;
         return true;
     }
-    // check each direction
-    float nt;
-    if (findIntersection(origin.x, direction.x, _corner.x, _size.x, &nt) && nt >= 0 &&
-            isWithin(origin.y + nt*direction.y, _corner.y, _size.y) &&
-            isWithin(origin.z + nt*direction.z, _corner.z, _size.z) ||
-        findIntersection(origin.y, direction.y, _corner.y, _size.y, &nt) && nt >= 0 &&
-            isWithin(origin.x + nt*direction.x, _corner.x, _size.x) &&
-            isWithin(origin.z + nt*direction.z, _corner.z, _size.z) ||
-        findIntersection(origin.z, direction.z, _corner.z, _size.z, &nt) && nt >= 0 &&
-            isWithin(origin.y + nt*direction.y, _corner.y, _size.y) &&
-            isWithin(origin.x + nt*direction.x, _corner.x, _size.x)) {
-        *t = nt;
+    // check each axis
+    float axisDistance;
+    if (findIntersection(origin.x, direction.x, _corner.x, _size.x, axisDistance) && axisDistance >= 0 &&
+            isWithin(origin.y + axisDistance*direction.y, _corner.y, _size.y) &&
+            isWithin(origin.z + axisDistance*direction.z, _corner.z, _size.z) ||
+        findIntersection(origin.y, direction.y, _corner.y, _size.y, axisDistance) && axisDistance >= 0 &&
+            isWithin(origin.x + axisDistance*direction.x, _corner.x, _size.x) &&
+            isWithin(origin.z + axisDistance*direction.z, _corner.z, _size.z) ||
+        findIntersection(origin.z, direction.z, _corner.z, _size.z, axisDistance) && axisDistance >= 0 &&
+            isWithin(origin.y + axisDistance*direction.y, _corner.y, _size.y) &&
+            isWithin(origin.x + axisDistance*direction.x, _corner.x, _size.x)) {
+        distance = axisDistance;
         return true;
     }
     return false;
diff --git a/libraries/voxels/src/AABox.h b/libraries/voxels/src/AABox.h
index 0dae354860..0184355de2 100755
--- a/libraries/voxels/src/AABox.h
+++ b/libraries/voxels/src/AABox.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public:
 	const glm::vec3& getSize() const { return _size; };
 
     bool contains(const glm::vec3& point) const;
-    bool findRayIntersection(const glm::vec3& origin, const glm::vec3& direction, float* t) const;
+    bool findRayIntersection(const glm::vec3& origin, const glm::vec3& direction, float& distance) const;
 
 private:
 	glm::vec3 _corner;
diff --git a/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.cpp b/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.cpp
index 263c2f016e..23027de420 100644
--- a/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.cpp
+++ b/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.cpp
@@ -551,8 +551,8 @@ class RayArgs {
 public:
     glm::vec3 origin;
     glm::vec3 direction;
-    VoxelNode** node;
-    float* t;
+    VoxelNode*& node;
+    float& distance;
     bool found;
 };
 
@@ -560,24 +560,24 @@ bool findRayOperation(VoxelNode* node, void* extraData) {
     RayArgs* args = static_cast<RayArgs*>(extraData);
     AABox box;
     node->getAABox(box);
-    float t;
-    if (!box.findRayIntersection(args->origin, args->direction, &t)) {
+    float distance;
+    if (!box.findRayIntersection(args->origin, args->direction, distance)) {
         return false;
     }
     if (!node->isLeaf()) {
         return true; // recurse on children
     }
-    if (!args->found || t < *(args->t)) {
-        *(args->node) = node;
-        *(args->t) = t;
+    if (!args->found || distance < args->distance) {
+        args->node = node;
+        args->distance = distance;
         args->found = true;
     }
     return false;
 }
 
-bool VoxelTree::findRayIntersection(const glm::vec3& origin, const glm::vec3& direction, VoxelNode** node, float* t)
+bool VoxelTree::findRayIntersection(const glm::vec3& origin, const glm::vec3& direction, VoxelNode*& node, float& distance)
 {
-    RayArgs args = { origin / (float)TREE_SCALE, direction, node, t };
+    RayArgs args = { origin / (float)TREE_SCALE, direction, node, distance };
     recurseTreeWithOperation(findRayOperation, &args);
     return args.found;
 }
diff --git a/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.h b/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.h
index e0346ebdb5..221a04138b 100644
--- a/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.h
+++ b/libraries/voxels/src/VoxelTree.h
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public:
     void clearDirtyBit() { _isDirty = false; };
     unsigned long int getNodesChangedFromBitstream() const { return _nodesChangedFromBitstream; };
 
-    bool findRayIntersection(const glm::vec3& origin, const glm::vec3& direction, VoxelNode** node, float* t);
+    bool findRayIntersection(const glm::vec3& origin, const glm::vec3& direction, VoxelNode*& node, float& distance);
     
 private:
     int encodeTreeBitstreamRecursion(int maxEncodeLevel, int& currentEncodeLevel,