diff --git a/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/CompositorHelper.h b/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/CompositorHelper.h
index 44c769c965..ebc0171752 100644
--- a/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/CompositorHelper.h
+++ b/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/CompositorHelper.h
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ private:
     float _fadeInAlpha { true };
     float _oculusUIRadius { 1.0f };
 
-    quint64 _fadeStarted { 0.0f };
+    quint64 _fadeStarted { 0 };
     float _fadeFailsafeEndValue { 1.0f };
     void checkFadeFailsafe();
     void startFadeFailsafe(float endValue);
diff --git a/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/OpenGLDisplayPlugin.cpp b/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/OpenGLDisplayPlugin.cpp
index 3a111f7fc8..1c175b778c 100644
--- a/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/OpenGLDisplayPlugin.cpp
+++ b/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/OpenGLDisplayPlugin.cpp
@@ -410,27 +410,26 @@ void OpenGLDisplayPlugin::updateFramerate() {
 void OpenGLDisplayPlugin::compositeOverlay() {
     using namespace oglplus;
 
-
-    // set the alpha
     auto compositorHelper = DependencyManager::get<CompositorHelper>();
+
+    // check the alpha
     auto overlayAlpha = compositorHelper->getAlpha();
+    if (overlayAlpha > 0.0f) {
+        // set the alpha
+        Uniform<float>(*_program, _alphaUniform).Set(overlayAlpha);
 
-    if (overlayAlpha <= 0.0f) {
-        return; // don't render the overlay at all.
-    }
-    Uniform<float>(*_program, _alphaUniform).Set(overlayAlpha);
-
-    // Overlay draw
-    if (isStereo()) {
-        Uniform<glm::mat4>(*_program, _mvpUniform).Set(mat4());
-        for_each_eye([&](Eye eye) {
-            eyeViewport(eye);
-            drawUnitQuad();
-        });
-    } else {
         // Overlay draw
-        Uniform<glm::mat4>(*_program, _mvpUniform).Set(mat4());
-        drawUnitQuad();
+        if (isStereo()) {
+            Uniform<glm::mat4>(*_program, _mvpUniform).Set(mat4());
+            for_each_eye([&](Eye eye) {
+                eyeViewport(eye);
+                drawUnitQuad();
+            });
+        } else {
+            // Overlay draw
+            Uniform<glm::mat4>(*_program, _mvpUniform).Set(mat4());
+            drawUnitQuad();
+        }
     }
     Uniform<float>(*_program, _alphaUniform).Set(1.0);
 }
@@ -439,21 +438,21 @@ void OpenGLDisplayPlugin::compositePointer() {
     using namespace oglplus;
     auto compositorHelper = DependencyManager::get<CompositorHelper>();
 
-    // set the alpha
+    // check the alpha
     auto overlayAlpha = compositorHelper->getAlpha();
-    if (overlayAlpha <= 0.0f) {
-        return; // don't render the overlay at all.
-    }
-    Uniform<float>(*_program, _alphaUniform).Set(overlayAlpha);
+    if (overlayAlpha > 0.0f) {
+        // set the alpha
+        Uniform<float>(*_program, _alphaUniform).Set(overlayAlpha);
 
-    Uniform<glm::mat4>(*_program, _mvpUniform).Set(compositorHelper->getReticleTransform(glm::mat4()));
-    if (isStereo()) {
-        for_each_eye([&](Eye eye) {
-            eyeViewport(eye);
+        Uniform<glm::mat4>(*_program, _mvpUniform).Set(compositorHelper->getReticleTransform(glm::mat4()));
+        if (isStereo()) {
+            for_each_eye([&](Eye eye) {
+                eyeViewport(eye);
+                drawUnitQuad();
+            });
+        } else {
             drawUnitQuad();
-        });
-    } else {
-        drawUnitQuad();
+        }
     }
     Uniform<glm::mat4>(*_program, _mvpUniform).Set(mat4());
     Uniform<float>(*_program, _alphaUniform).Set(1.0);
diff --git a/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/hmd/HmdDisplayPlugin.cpp b/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/hmd/HmdDisplayPlugin.cpp
index a053452c9b..e3d92d5761 100644
--- a/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/hmd/HmdDisplayPlugin.cpp
+++ b/libraries/display-plugins/src/display-plugins/hmd/HmdDisplayPlugin.cpp
@@ -62,53 +62,49 @@ void HmdDisplayPlugin::uncustomizeContext() {
 
 void HmdDisplayPlugin::compositeOverlay() {
     using namespace oglplus;
-
-    // set the alpha
     auto compositorHelper = DependencyManager::get<CompositorHelper>();
+
+    // check the alpha
     auto overlayAlpha = compositorHelper->getAlpha();
+    if (overlayAlpha > 0.0f) {
+        // set the alpha
+        Uniform<float>(*_program, _alphaUniform).Set(overlayAlpha);
 
-    if (overlayAlpha <= 0.0f) {
-        return; // don't render the overlay at all.
+        _sphereSection->Use();
+        for_each_eye([&](Eye eye) {
+            eyeViewport(eye);
+            auto modelView = glm::inverse(_currentRenderEyePoses[eye]); // *glm::translate(mat4(), vec3(0, 0, -1));
+            auto mvp = _eyeProjections[eye] * modelView;
+            Uniform<glm::mat4>(*_program, _mvpUniform).Set(mvp);
+            _sphereSection->Draw();
+        });
     }
-    Uniform<float>(*_program, _alphaUniform).Set(overlayAlpha);
-
-
-    _sphereSection->Use();
-    for_each_eye([&](Eye eye) {
-        eyeViewport(eye);
-        auto modelView = glm::inverse(_currentRenderEyePoses[eye]); // *glm::translate(mat4(), vec3(0, 0, -1));
-        auto mvp = _eyeProjections[eye] * modelView;
-        Uniform<glm::mat4>(*_program, _mvpUniform).Set(mvp);
-        _sphereSection->Draw();
-    });
     Uniform<float>(*_program, _alphaUniform).Set(1.0);
 }
 
 void HmdDisplayPlugin::compositePointer() {
     using namespace oglplus;
 
-    //Mouse Pointer
-
     auto compositorHelper = DependencyManager::get<CompositorHelper>();
 
-    // set the alpha
+    // check the alpha
     auto overlayAlpha = compositorHelper->getAlpha();
-    if (overlayAlpha <= 0.0f) {
-        return; // don't render the overlay at all.
+    if (overlayAlpha > 0.0f) {
+        // set the alpha
+        Uniform<float>(*_program, _alphaUniform).Set(overlayAlpha);
+
+        // Mouse pointer
+        _plane->Use();
+        // Reconstruct the headpose from the eye poses
+        auto headPosition = (vec3(_currentRenderEyePoses[Left][3]) + vec3(_currentRenderEyePoses[Right][3])) / 2.0f;
+        for_each_eye([&](Eye eye) {
+            eyeViewport(eye);
+            auto reticleTransform = compositorHelper->getReticleTransform(_currentRenderEyePoses[eye], headPosition);
+            auto mvp = _eyeProjections[eye] * reticleTransform;
+            Uniform<glm::mat4>(*_program, _mvpUniform).Set(mvp);
+            _plane->Draw();
+        });
     }
-    Uniform<float>(*_program, _alphaUniform).Set(overlayAlpha);
-
-
-    _plane->Use();
-    // Reconstruct the headpose from the eye poses
-    auto headPosition = (vec3(_currentRenderEyePoses[Left][3]) + vec3(_currentRenderEyePoses[Right][3])) / 2.0f;
-    for_each_eye([&](Eye eye) {
-        eyeViewport(eye);
-        auto reticleTransform = compositorHelper->getReticleTransform(_currentRenderEyePoses[eye], headPosition);
-        auto mvp = _eyeProjections[eye] * reticleTransform;
-        Uniform<glm::mat4>(*_program, _mvpUniform).Set(mvp);
-        _plane->Draw();
-    });
     Uniform<float>(*_program, _alphaUniform).Set(1.0);
 }