diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
index b644defde2..83d170300b 100755
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
@@ -1586,9 +1586,14 @@ void MyAvatar::updateMotors() {
             motorRotation = getMyHead()->getHeadOrientation();
         } else {
             // non-hovering = walking: follow camera twist about vertical but not lift
-            // so we decompose camera's rotation and store the twist part in motorRotation
+            // we decompose camera's rotation and store the twist part in motorRotation
+            // however, we need to perform the decomposition in the avatar-frame
+            // using the local UP axis and then transform back into world-frame
+            glm::quat orientation = getOrientation();
+            glm::quat headOrientation = glm::inverse(orientation) * getMyHead()->getHeadOrientation(); // avatar-frame
             glm::quat liftRotation;
-            motorRotation = getOrientation();
+            swingTwistDecomposition(headOrientation, Vectors::UNIT_Y, liftRotation, motorRotation);
+            motorRotation = orientation * motorRotation;
         }
         const float DEFAULT_MOTOR_TIMESCALE = 0.2f;
         const float INVALID_MOTOR_TIMESCALE = 1.0e6f;