diff --git a/libraries/script-engine/src/Mat4.cpp b/libraries/script-engine/src/Mat4.cpp
index 52b9690321..6676d0cde1 100644
--- a/libraries/script-engine/src/Mat4.cpp
+++ b/libraries/script-engine/src/Mat4.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ glm::mat4 Mat4::inverse(const glm::mat4& m) const {
     return glm::inverse(m);
 }
 
-glm::vec3 Mat4::getFront(const glm::mat4& m) const {
+glm::vec3 Mat4::getForward(const glm::mat4& m) const {
     return glm::vec3(-m[0][2], -m[1][2], -m[2][2]);
 }
 
diff --git a/libraries/script-engine/src/Mat4.h b/libraries/script-engine/src/Mat4.h
index 8b2a8aa8c1..19bbbe178a 100644
--- a/libraries/script-engine/src/Mat4.h
+++ b/libraries/script-engine/src/Mat4.h
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ public slots:
 
     glm::mat4 inverse(const glm::mat4& m) const;
 
-    glm::vec3 getFront(const glm::mat4& m) const;
+    // redundant, calls getForward which better describes the returned vector as a direction
+    glm::vec3 getFront(const glm::mat4& m) const { return getForward(m); }
+    glm::vec3 getForward(const glm::mat4& m) const;
     glm::vec3 getRight(const glm::mat4& m) const;
     glm::vec3 getUp(const glm::mat4& m) const;
 
diff --git a/scripts/developer/tests/mat4test.js b/scripts/developer/tests/mat4test.js
index ebce420dcb..2d7c994631 100644
--- a/scripts/developer/tests/mat4test.js
+++ b/scripts/developer/tests/mat4test.js
@@ -143,10 +143,10 @@ function testInverse() {
 
 function testFront() {
     var test0 = IDENTITY;
-    assert(mat4FuzzyEqual({x: 0, y: 0, z: -1}, Mat4.getFront(test0)));
+    assert(mat4FuzzyEqual({x: 0, y: 0, z: -1}, Mat4.getForward(test0)));
 
     var test1 = Mat4.createFromScaleRotAndTrans(ONE_HALF, ROT_Y_180, ONE_TWO_THREE);
-    assert(mat4FuzzyEqual({x: 0, y: 0, z: 1}, Mat4.getFront(test1)));
+    assert(mat4FuzzyEqual({x: 0, y: 0, z: 1}, Mat4.getForward(test1)));
 }
 
 function testMat4() {