diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
index a31c25b572..469df6066d 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ const float PITCH_SPEED = 100.0f; // degrees/sec
 const float COLLISION_RADIUS_SCALAR = 1.2f; // pertains to avatar-to-avatar collisions
 const float COLLISION_RADIUS_SCALE = 0.125f;
 
-const float MIN_KEYBOARD_CONTROL_SPEED = 1.5f;
-const float MAX_WALKING_SPEED = 3.0f * MIN_KEYBOARD_CONTROL_SPEED;
+const float MIN_KEYBOARD_CONTROL_SPEED = 0.75f;
+const float MAX_WALKING_SPEED = 4.5f;
 
 // TODO: normalize avatar speed for standard avatar size, then scale all motion logic 
 // to properly follow avatar size.
@@ -1262,21 +1262,19 @@ glm::vec3 MyAvatar::applyKeyboardMotor(float deltaTime, const glm::vec3& localVe
 
             // Compute the target keyboard velocity (which ramps up slowly, and damps very quickly)
             // the max magnitude of which depends on what we're doing:
-            float finalMaxMotorSpeed = hasFloor ? _scale * MAX_WALKING_SPEED : _scale * MAX_KEYBOARD_MOTOR_SPEED;
             float motorLength = glm::length(_keyboardMotorVelocity);
+            float finalMaxMotorSpeed = hasFloor ? _scale * MAX_WALKING_SPEED : _scale * MAX_KEYBOARD_MOTOR_SPEED;
+            float speedGrowthTimescale  = 2.0f;
+            float speedIncreaseFactor = 1.8f;
+            motorLength *= 1.0f + glm::clamp(deltaTime / speedGrowthTimescale , 0.0f, 1.0f) * speedIncreaseFactor;
             if (motorLength < _scale * MIN_KEYBOARD_CONTROL_SPEED) {
                 // an active keyboard motor should never be slower than this
-                _keyboardMotorVelocity = _scale * MIN_KEYBOARD_CONTROL_SPEED * direction;
+                motorLength = _scale * MIN_KEYBOARD_CONTROL_SPEED;
                 motorEfficiency = 1.0f;
-            } else {
-                float KEYBOARD_MOTOR_LENGTH_TIMESCALE = 2.0f;
-                float INCREASE_FACTOR = 1.8f;
-                motorLength *= 1.0f + glm::clamp(deltaTime / KEYBOARD_MOTOR_LENGTH_TIMESCALE, 0.0f, 1.0f) * INCREASE_FACTOR;
-                if (motorLength > finalMaxMotorSpeed) {
-                    motorLength = finalMaxMotorSpeed;
-                }
-                _keyboardMotorVelocity = motorLength * direction;
+            } else if (motorLength > finalMaxMotorSpeed) {
+                motorLength = finalMaxMotorSpeed;
             }
+            _keyboardMotorVelocity = motorLength * direction;
             _isPushing = true;
         } 
     } else {