diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 5087d0d747..61b0499004 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -970,9 +970,6 @@ void Application::keyPressEvent(QKeyEvent* event) {
 
             case Qt::Key_E:
             case Qt::Key_PageUp:
-               if (!_myAvatar->getDriveKeys(UP)) {
-                    _myAvatar->jump();
-                }
                 _myAvatar->setDriveKeys(UP, 1.0f);
                 break;
 
@@ -2207,6 +2204,7 @@ void Application::update(float deltaTime) {
 
     {
         PerformanceTimer perfTimer("physics");
+        _myAvatar->relayDriveKeysToCharacterController();
         _physicsEngine.stepSimulation();
     }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
index 26b777b35b..f92523c58f 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
@@ -1452,3 +1452,9 @@ void MyAvatar::clearDriveKeys() {
         _driveKeys[i] = 0.0f;
     }
 }
+
+void MyAvatar::relayDriveKeysToCharacterController() { 
+    if (_driveKeys[UP] > 0.0f) {
+        _characterController.jump(); 
+    }
+}
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
index 99c0bdb5df..2bc3a4e4ba 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
@@ -87,8 +87,9 @@ public:
     void clearDriveKeys();
     void setDriveKeys(int key, float val) { _driveKeys[key] = val; };
     bool getDriveKeys(int key) { return _driveKeys[key] != 0.0f; };
-    void jump() { _characterController.jump(); }
     
+    void relayDriveKeysToCharacterController();
+
     bool isMyAvatar() { return true; }
     
     bool isLookingAtLeftEye();
diff --git a/libraries/physics/src/CharacterController.cpp b/libraries/physics/src/CharacterController.cpp
index f8c8e31ece..cdff02820d 100755
--- a/libraries/physics/src/CharacterController.cpp
+++ b/libraries/physics/src/CharacterController.cpp
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ btVector3 CharacterController::perpindicularComponent(const btVector3& direction
 const btVector3 LOCAL_UP_AXIS(0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f);
 const float DEFAULT_GRAVITY = 5.0f;
 const float TERMINAL_VELOCITY = 55.0f;
-const float JUMP_SPEED = 5.0f;
+const float JUMP_SPEED = 3.5f;
 
 CharacterController::CharacterController(AvatarData* avatarData) {
     assert(avatarData);
@@ -229,8 +229,8 @@ CharacterController::CharacterController(AvatarData* avatarData) {
     _velocityTimeInterval = 0.0f;
     _verticalVelocity = 0.0f;
     _verticalOffset = 0.0f;
-    _gravity = DEFAULT_GRAVITY; // slower than Earth's
-    _maxFallSpeed = TERMINAL_VELOCITY; // Terminal velocity of a sky diver in m/s.
+    _gravity = DEFAULT_GRAVITY;
+    _maxFallSpeed = TERMINAL_VELOCITY;
     _jumpSpeed = JUMP_SPEED;
     _isOnGround = false;
     _isJumping = false;
@@ -529,6 +529,7 @@ void CharacterController::stepDown(btCollisionWorld* collisionWorld, btScalar dt
         _verticalVelocity = 0.0f;
         _verticalOffset = 0.0f;
         _isJumping = false;
+        _isHovering = false;
         _isOnGround = true;
     } else if (!_isJumping) {
         // sweep again for floor within downStep threshold
@@ -555,6 +556,7 @@ void CharacterController::stepDown(btCollisionWorld* collisionWorld, btScalar dt
             _verticalVelocity = 0.0f;
             _verticalOffset = 0.0f;
             _isJumping = false;
+            _isHovering = false;
             _isOnGround = true;
         } else {
             // nothing to step down on
@@ -583,6 +585,7 @@ void CharacterController::reset(btCollisionWorld* collisionWorld) {
     _verticalOffset = 0.0;
     _isOnGround = false;
     _isJumping = false;
+    _isHovering = true;
     _walkDirection.setValue(0,0,0);
     _velocityTimeInterval = 0.0;
 
@@ -630,8 +633,13 @@ void CharacterController::playerStep(btCollisionWorld* collisionWorld, btScalar
 
     // Update fall velocity.
     if (_isHovering) {
-        const btScalar HOVER_RELAXATION_TIMESCALE = 1.0f;
-        _verticalVelocity *= (1.0f - dt / HOVER_RELAXATION_TIMESCALE);
+        const btScalar MIN_HOVER_VERTICAL_VELOCITY = 0.1f;
+        if (fabsf(_verticalVelocity) < MIN_HOVER_VERTICAL_VELOCITY) {
+            _verticalVelocity = 0.0f;
+        } else {
+            const btScalar HOVER_RELAXATION_TIMESCALE = 0.8f;
+            _verticalVelocity *= (1.0f - dt / HOVER_RELAXATION_TIMESCALE);
+        }
     } else {
         _verticalVelocity -= _gravity * dt;
         if (_verticalVelocity > _jumpSpeed) {
@@ -696,7 +704,7 @@ void CharacterController::jump() {
         } else {
             quint64 now = usecTimestampNow();
             const quint64 JUMP_TO_HOVER_PERIOD = USECS_PER_SECOND;
-            if (now - _jumpToHoverStart < JUMP_TO_HOVER_PERIOD) {
+            if (now - _jumpToHoverStart > JUMP_TO_HOVER_PERIOD) {
                 _isHovering = true;
             }
         }
@@ -781,6 +789,7 @@ void CharacterController::setEnabled(bool enabled) {
             // Setting the ADD bit here works for all cases so we don't even bother checking other bits.
             _pendingFlags |= PENDING_FLAG_ADD_TO_SIMULATION;
             _isHovering = true;
+            _verticalVelocity = 0.0f;
         } else {
             if (_dynamicsWorld) {
                 _pendingFlags |= PENDING_FLAG_REMOVE_FROM_SIMULATION;