diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
index 2d7cf4ca5e..3a49b1cc82 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
@@ -623,6 +623,12 @@ float loadSetting(QSettings& settings, const char* name, float defaultValue) {
     return value;
 }
 
+void MyAvatar::setEnableRigAnimations(bool isEnabled) {
+    Settings settings;
+    settings.setValue("enableRig", isEnabled);
+    _rig->setEnableRig(isEnabled);
+}
+
 void MyAvatar::loadData() {
     Settings settings;
     settings.beginGroup("Avatar");
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
index a0cb40cc45..13223b66b9 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ public:
     Q_INVOKABLE AnimationDetails getAnimationDetailsByRole(const QString& role);
     Q_INVOKABLE AnimationDetails getAnimationDetails(const QString& url);
     void clearJointAnimationPriorities();
+    Q_INVOKABLE void setEnableRigAnimations(bool isEnabled);
 
     // get/set avatar data
     void saveData();
diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/AnimationHandle.cpp b/libraries/animation/src/AnimationHandle.cpp
index 605fb25f1c..ebf0e29b97 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/AnimationHandle.cpp
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/AnimationHandle.cpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ void AnimationHandle::setMaskedJoints(const QStringList& maskedJoints) {
     _jointMappings.clear();
 }
 
-void AnimationHandle::setRunning(bool running) {
+void AnimationHandle::setRunning(bool running, bool doRestoreJoints) {
     if (running && isRunning()) {
         // if we're already running, this is the same as a restart
         setFrameIndex(getFirstFrame());
@@ -62,7 +62,9 @@ void AnimationHandle::setRunning(bool running) {
         }
     } else {
         _rig->removeRunningAnimation(getAnimationHandlePointer());
-        restoreJoints();
+        if (doRestoreJoints) {
+            restoreJoints();
+        }
         replaceMatchingPriorities(0.0f);
     }
     emit runningChanged(isRunning());
@@ -71,7 +73,9 @@ void AnimationHandle::setRunning(bool running) {
 AnimationHandle::AnimationHandle(RigPointer rig) :
     QObject(rig.get()),
     _rig(rig),
-    _priority(1.0f)
+    _priority(1.0f),
+    _fade(0.0f),
+    _fadePerSecond(0.0f)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/AnimationHandle.h b/libraries/animation/src/AnimationHandle.h
index 42e564944e..65f7423aa5 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/AnimationHandle.h
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/AnimationHandle.h
@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@ public:
     void setPriority(float priority);
     float getPriority() const { return _priority; }
     void setMix(float mix) { _mix = mix; }
+    void setFade(float fade) { _fade = fade; }
+    float getFade() const { return _fade; }
+    void setFadePerSecond(float fadePerSecond) { _fadePerSecond = fadePerSecond; }
+    float getFadePerSecond() const { return _fadePerSecond; }
 
     void setMaskedJoints(const QStringList& maskedJoints);
     const QStringList& getMaskedJoints() const { return _maskedJoints; }
@@ -87,7 +91,7 @@ public:
     void setLastFrame(float lastFrame) { _animationLoop.setLastFrame(lastFrame); }
     float getLastFrame() const { return _animationLoop.getLastFrame(); }
 
-    void setRunning(bool running);
+    void setRunning(bool running, bool restoreJoints = true);
     bool isRunning() const { return _animationLoop.isRunning(); }
 
     void setFrameIndex(float frameIndex) { _animationLoop.setFrameIndex(frameIndex); }
@@ -111,7 +115,7 @@ signals:
 public slots:
 
     void start() { setRunning(true); }
-    void stop() { setRunning(false); }
+    void stop() { setRunning(false); _fadePerSecond = _fade = 0.0f; }
 
 private:
 
@@ -120,7 +124,9 @@ private:
     QString _role;
     QUrl _url;
     float _priority;
-    float _mix;
+    float _mix; // How much of this animation to blend against what is already there. 1.0 sets to just this animation.
+    float _fade; // How far are we into full strength. 0.0 uses none of this animation, 1.0 (the max) is as much as possible.
+    float _fadePerSecond; // How fast should _fade change? +1.0 means _fade is increasing to 1.0 in 1 second. Negative is fading out.
 
     QStringList _maskedJoints;
     QVector<int> _jointMappings;
diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/Rig.cpp b/libraries/animation/src/Rig.cpp
index bc781feaa5..ec34e90b5c 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/Rig.cpp
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/Rig.cpp
@@ -80,8 +80,8 @@ void Rig::startAnimation(const QString& url, float fps, float priority,
     handle->start();
 }
 
-void Rig::addAnimationByRole(const QString& role, const QString& url, float fps, float priority,
-                               bool loop, bool hold, float firstFrame, float lastFrame, const QStringList& maskedJoints, bool startAutomatically) {
+AnimationHandlePointer Rig::addAnimationByRole(const QString& role, const QString& url, float fps, float priority,
+                                               bool loop, bool hold, float firstFrame, float lastFrame, const QStringList& maskedJoints, bool startAutomatically) {
     // check for a configured animation for the role
     //qCDebug(animation) << "addAnimationByRole" << role << url << fps << priority << loop << hold << firstFrame << lastFrame << maskedJoints << startAutomatically;
     foreach (const AnimationHandlePointer& candidate, _animationHandles) {
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ void Rig::addAnimationByRole(const QString& role, const QString& url, float fps,
             if (startAutomatically) {
                 candidate->start();
             }
-            return;
+            return candidate;
         }
     }
     AnimationHandlePointer handle = createAnimationHandle();
@@ -131,16 +131,18 @@ void Rig::addAnimationByRole(const QString& role, const QString& url, float fps,
     if (startAutomatically) {
         handle->start();
     }
+    return handle;
 }
 void Rig::startAnimationByRole(const QString& role, const QString& url, float fps, float priority,
                                bool loop, bool hold, float firstFrame, float lastFrame, const QStringList& maskedJoints) {
-    addAnimationByRole(role, url, fps, priority, loop, hold, firstFrame, lastFrame, maskedJoints, true);
+    AnimationHandlePointer handle = addAnimationByRole(role, url, fps, priority, loop, hold, firstFrame, lastFrame, maskedJoints, true);
+    handle->setFadePerSecond(1.0f); // For now. Could be individualized later.
 }
 
 void Rig::stopAnimationByRole(const QString& role) {
     foreach (const AnimationHandlePointer& handle, getRunningAnimations()) {
         if (handle->getRole() == role) {
-            handle->stop();
+            handle->setFadePerSecond(-1.0f); // For now. Could be individualized later.
         }
     }
 }
@@ -166,7 +168,7 @@ bool Rig::isRunningAnimation(AnimationHandlePointer animationHandle) {
 }
 bool Rig::isRunningRole(const QString& role) {  //obviously, there are more efficient ways to do this
     for (auto animation : _runningAnimations) {
-        if (animation->getRole() == role) {
+        if ((animation->getRole() == role) && (animation->getFadePerSecond() >= 0.0f)) { // Don't count those being faded out
             return true;
         }
     }
@@ -444,13 +446,48 @@ void Rig::computeMotionAnimationState(float deltaTime, const glm::vec3& worldPos
 }
 
 void Rig::updateAnimations(float deltaTime, glm::mat4 parentTransform) {
-    int nAnimationsSoFar = 0;
+    
+    // First normalize the fades so that they sum to 1.0.
+    // update the fade data in each animation (not normalized as they are an independent propert of animation)
     foreach (const AnimationHandlePointer& handle, _runningAnimations) {
-        handle->setMix(1.0f / ++nAnimationsSoFar);
-        handle->setPriority(1.0);
+        float fadePerSecond = handle->getFadePerSecond();
+        float fade = handle->getFade();
+        if (fadePerSecond != 0.0f) {
+            fade += fadePerSecond * deltaTime;
+            if ((0.0f >= fade) || (fade >= 1.0f)) {
+                fade = glm::clamp(fade, 0.0f, 1.0f);
+                handle->setFadePerSecond(0.0f);
+            }
+            handle->setFade(fade);
+            if (fade <= 0.0f) { // stop any finished animations now
+                handle->setRunning(false, false); // but do not restore joints as it causes a flicker
+            }
+       }
+    }
+    // sum the remaining fade data
+    float fadeTotal = 0.0f;
+    foreach (const AnimationHandlePointer& handle, _runningAnimations) {
+        fadeTotal += handle->getFade();
+    }
+    float fadeSumSoFar = 0.0f;
+    foreach (const AnimationHandlePointer& handle, _runningAnimations) {
+        handle->setPriority(1.0f);
+        float normalizedFade = handle->getFade() / fadeTotal;
+        // simulate() will blend each animation result into the result so far, based on the pairwise mix at at each step.
+        // i.e., slerp the 'mix' distance from the result so far towards this iteration's animation result.
+        // The formula here for mix is based on the idea that, at each step:
+        // fadeSum is to normalizedFade, as (1 - mix) is to mix
+        // i.e., fadeSumSoFar/normalizedFade = (1 - mix)/mix
+        // Then we solve for mix.
+        // Sanity check: For the first animation, fadeSum = 0, and the mix will always be 1.
+        // Sanity check: For equal blending, the formula is equivalent to mix = 1 / nAnimationsSoFar++
+        float mix = 1.0f / ((fadeSumSoFar / normalizedFade) + 1.0f);
+        assert((0.0f <= mix) && (mix <= 1.0f));
+        fadeSumSoFar += normalizedFade;
+        handle->setMix(mix);
         handle->simulate(deltaTime);
     }
-
+ 
     for (int i = 0; i < _jointStates.size(); i++) {
         updateJointState(i, parentTransform);
     }
diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/Rig.h b/libraries/animation/src/Rig.h
index 1dbda23760..113d097f96 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/Rig.h
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/Rig.h
@@ -86,9 +86,9 @@ public:
                               float priority = 1.0f, bool loop = false, bool hold = false, float firstFrame = 0.0f,
                               float lastFrame = FLT_MAX, const QStringList& maskedJoints = QStringList());
     void stopAnimationByRole(const QString& role);
-    void addAnimationByRole(const QString& role, const QString& url = QString(), float fps = 30.0f,
-                            float priority = 1.0f, bool loop = false, bool hold = false, float firstFrame = 0.0f,
-                            float lastFrame = FLT_MAX, const QStringList& maskedJoints = QStringList(), bool startAutomatically = false);
+    AnimationHandlePointer addAnimationByRole(const QString& role, const QString& url = QString(), float fps = 30.0f,
+                                              float priority = 1.0f, bool loop = false, bool hold = false, float firstFrame = 0.0f,
+                                              float lastFrame = FLT_MAX, const QStringList& maskedJoints = QStringList(), bool startAutomatically = false);
 
     float initJointStates(QVector<JointState> states, glm::mat4 parentTransform,
                           int rootJointIndex,