diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index d0d071a141..24d31b9442 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -2884,7 +2884,8 @@ void Application::displaySide(Camera& whichCamera, bool selfAvatarOnly) {
         }
     }
 
-    _avatarManager.renderAvatars(whichCamera.getMode() == CAMERA_MODE_MIRROR, selfAvatarOnly);
+    bool renderMyHead = (whichCamera.getInterpolatedMode() != CAMERA_MODE_FIRST_PERSON);
+    _avatarManager.renderAvatars(renderMyHead, selfAvatarOnly);
 
     if (!selfAvatarOnly) {
         //  Render the world box
diff --git a/interface/src/Camera.cpp b/interface/src/Camera.cpp
index 94bc693c2b..d3a126c38a 100644
--- a/interface/src/Camera.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Camera.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ Camera::Camera() {
     _modeShiftRate     = 1.0f;
     _linearModeShift   = 0.0f;
     _mode              = CAMERA_MODE_THIRD_PERSON;
+    _prevMode          = CAMERA_MODE_THIRD_PERSON;
     _tightness         = 10.0f; // default
     _fieldOfView       = DEFAULT_FIELD_OF_VIEW_DEGREES; 
     _aspectRatio       = 16.f/9.f;
@@ -123,6 +124,7 @@ void Camera::setModeShiftRate ( float rate ) {
 
 void Camera::setMode(CameraMode m) { 
  
+    _prevMode = _mode;
     _mode = m;
     _modeShift = 0.0;
     _linearModeShift = 0.0;
@@ -199,6 +201,17 @@ bool Camera::getFrustumNeedsReshape() const {
     return _frustumNeedsReshape;
 }
 
+// call this when deciding whether to render the head or not
+CameraMode Camera::getInterpolatedMode() const {
+    const float SHIFT_THRESHOLD_INTO_FIRST_PERSON = 0.7f;
+    const float SHIFT_THRESHOLD_OUT_OF_FIRST_PERSON = 0.6f;
+    if (_mode == CAMERA_MODE_FIRST_PERSON && _linearModeShift < SHIFT_THRESHOLD_INTO_FIRST_PERSON ||
+        _prevMode == CAMERA_MODE_FIRST_PERSON && _linearModeShift < SHIFT_THRESHOLD_OUT_OF_FIRST_PERSON) {
+        return _prevMode;
+    }
+    return _mode;
+}
+
 // call this after reshaping the view frustum
 void Camera::setFrustumWasReshaped() {
     _frustumNeedsReshape = false;
diff --git a/interface/src/Camera.h b/interface/src/Camera.h
index 615135bc80..7fc9b47634 100644
--- a/interface/src/Camera.h
+++ b/interface/src/Camera.h
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ public:
     const glm::quat& getEyeOffsetOrientation () const { return _eyeOffsetOrientation; }
     float            getScale                () const { return _scale; }
     
+    CameraMode getInterpolatedMode() const;
+
     bool getFrustumNeedsReshape() const; // call to find out if the view frustum needs to be reshaped
     void setFrustumWasReshaped();  // call this after reshaping the view frustum.
 
@@ -68,6 +70,7 @@ private:
 
     bool        _needsToInitialize;
     CameraMode  _mode;
+    CameraMode  _prevMode;
     bool        _frustumNeedsReshape;
     glm::vec3   _position;
     glm::vec3   _idealPosition;
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
index 4b4c189729..259bf994e0 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
@@ -242,7 +242,9 @@ void Avatar::renderBody(bool forceRenderHead) {
     glm::vec3 pos = getPosition();
     //printf("Render other at %.3f, %.2f, %.2f\n", pos.x, pos.y, pos.z);
     _skeletonModel.render(1.0f);
-    _head.render(1.0f);
+    if (forceRenderHead) {
+        _head.render(1.0f);
+    }
     _hand.render(false);
 }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
index d98d30cf6a..a4a85f5770 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ void AvatarManager::renderAvatars(bool forceRenderHead, bool selfAvatarOnly) {
     bool renderLookAtVectors = Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::LookAtVectors);
     
     if (!selfAvatarOnly) {
-        //  Render avatars of other nodes
         foreach (const AvatarSharedPointer& avatarPointer, _avatarHash) {
             Avatar* avatar = static_cast<Avatar*>(avatarPointer.data());
             if (!avatar->isInitialized()) {
@@ -84,7 +83,7 @@ void AvatarManager::renderAvatars(bool forceRenderHead, bool selfAvatarOnly) {
             if (avatar == static_cast<Avatar*>(_myAvatar.data())) {
                 avatar->render(forceRenderHead);
             } else {
-                avatar->render(false);
+                avatar->render(true);
             }
             avatar->setDisplayingLookatVectors(renderLookAtVectors);
         }