diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/AmbientOcclusionEffect.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/AmbientOcclusionEffect.cpp
index 8e50eeb7c9..cca9997cf6 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/AmbientOcclusionEffect.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/AmbientOcclusionEffect.cpp
@@ -176,18 +176,17 @@ public:
 AmbientOcclusionEffectConfig::AmbientOcclusionEffectConfig() :
     render::GPUJobConfig::Persistent(QStringList() << "Render" << "Engine" << "Ambient Occlusion", false),
 #if SSAO_USE_HORIZON_BASED
-    radius{ 0.1f },
+    radius{ 0.3f },
 #else
     radius{ 0.5f },
 #endif
     perspectiveScale{ 1.0f },
     obscuranceLevel{ 0.5f },
 #if SSAO_USE_HORIZON_BASED
-    falloffAngle{ 0.1f },
+    falloffAngle{ 0.2f },
 #else
     falloffAngle{ 0.01f },
 #endif
-    falloffDistance{ 0.3f },
     edgeSharpness{ 1.0f },
     blurDeviation{ 2.5f },
     numSpiralTurns{ 7.0f },
@@ -242,6 +241,7 @@ void AmbientOcclusionEffect::configure(const Config& config) {
     if (config.falloffAngle != _aoParametersBuffer->getFalloffAngle()) {
         auto& current = _aoParametersBuffer.edit().ditheringInfo;
         current.z = config.falloffAngle;
+        current.y = 1.0f / (1.0f - config.falloffAngle);
     }
 
     if (config.edgeSharpness != _aoParametersBuffer->getEdgeSharpness()) {
@@ -302,11 +302,6 @@ void AmbientOcclusionEffect::configure(const Config& config) {
         current.w = (float)config.borderingEnabled;
     }
 
-    if (config.falloffDistance != _aoParametersBuffer->getFalloffDistance()) {
-        auto& current = _aoParametersBuffer.edit().ditheringInfo;
-        current.y = (float)config.falloffDistance;
-    }
-
     if (shouldUpdateGaussian) {
         updateGaussianDistribution();
     }
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/AmbientOcclusionEffect.h b/libraries/render-utils/src/AmbientOcclusionEffect.h
index 81ceee9bf6..4021768995 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/AmbientOcclusionEffect.h
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/AmbientOcclusionEffect.h
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ class AmbientOcclusionEffectConfig : public render::GPUJobConfig::Persistent {
     Q_PROPERTY(float radius MEMBER radius WRITE setRadius)
     Q_PROPERTY(float obscuranceLevel MEMBER obscuranceLevel WRITE setObscuranceLevel)
     Q_PROPERTY(float falloffAngle MEMBER falloffAngle WRITE setFalloffAngle)
-    Q_PROPERTY(float falloffDistance MEMBER falloffDistance WRITE setFalloffDistance)
     Q_PROPERTY(float edgeSharpness MEMBER edgeSharpness WRITE setEdgeSharpness)
     Q_PROPERTY(float blurDeviation MEMBER blurDeviation WRITE setBlurDeviation)
     Q_PROPERTY(float numSpiralTurns MEMBER numSpiralTurns WRITE setNumSpiralTurns)
@@ -80,7 +79,6 @@ public:
     void setRadius(float newRadius) { radius = std::max(0.01f, newRadius); emit dirty(); }
     void setObscuranceLevel(float level) { obscuranceLevel = std::max(0.01f, level); emit dirty(); }
     void setFalloffAngle(float bias) { falloffAngle = std::max(0.0f, std::min(bias, 1.0f)); emit dirty(); }
-    void setFalloffDistance(float value) { falloffDistance = std::max(0.0f, value); emit dirty(); }
     void setEdgeSharpness(float sharpness) { edgeSharpness = std::max(0.0f, (float)sharpness); emit dirty(); }
     void setBlurDeviation(float deviation) { blurDeviation = std::max(0.0f, deviation); emit dirty(); }
     void setNumSpiralTurns(float turns) { numSpiralTurns = std::max(0.0f, (float)turns); emit dirty(); }
@@ -92,7 +90,6 @@ public:
     float perspectiveScale;
     float obscuranceLevel; // intensify or dim down the obscurance effect
     float falloffAngle;
-    float falloffDistance;
     float edgeSharpness;
     float blurDeviation;
     float numSpiralTurns; // defining an angle span to distribute the samples ray directions
@@ -144,7 +141,6 @@ public:
         float getPerspectiveScale() const { return resolutionInfo.z; }
         float getObscuranceLevel() const { return radiusInfo.w; }
         float getFalloffAngle() const { return (float)ditheringInfo.z; }
-        float getFalloffDistance() const { return ditheringInfo.y; }
         float getEdgeSharpness() const { return (float)blurInfo.x; }
         float getBlurDeviation() const { return blurInfo.z; }
         
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/ssao.slh b/libraries/render-utils/src/ssao.slh
index 051f685e2d..99d45647ee 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/ssao.slh
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/ssao.slh
@@ -75,9 +75,6 @@ float getObscuranceScaling() {
 float isDitheringEnabled() {
     return params._ditheringInfo.x;
 }
-float getFalloffDistance() {
-    return params._ditheringInfo.y;
-}
 float isBorderingEnabled() {
     return params._ditheringInfo.w;
 }
@@ -85,6 +82,9 @@ float isBorderingEnabled() {
 float getFalloffAngle() {
     return params._ditheringInfo.z;
 }
+float getFalloffAngleScale() {
+    return params._ditheringInfo.y;
+}
 
 float getNumSamples() {
     return params._sampleInfo.x;
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ float computeHorizonFromTap(vec3 tapPositionES, vec3 fragPositionES, vec3 fragNo
     float cosHorizonAngle = dot(deltaVec, fragNormalES) / (distance + epsilon);
     float radiusFalloff = max(0.0, 1.0 - (distance*distance / getRadius2()));
 
-    cosHorizonAngle = max(0.0, (cosHorizonAngle - getFalloffAngle()) / (1.0 - getFalloffAngle()));
+    cosHorizonAngle = max(0.0, (cosHorizonAngle - getFalloffAngle()) * getFalloffAngleScale());
     cosHorizonAngle *= radiusFalloff;
 
     return cosHorizonAngle;
diff --git a/scripts/developer/utilities/render/ambientOcclusionPass.qml b/scripts/developer/utilities/render/ambientOcclusionPass.qml
index 0416443139..f92b469626 100644
--- a/scripts/developer/utilities/render/ambientOcclusionPass.qml
+++ b/scripts/developer/utilities/render/ambientOcclusionPass.qml
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ Rectangle {
                 "Num Taps:numSamples:32:true",
                 "Taps Spiral:numSpiralTurns:10.0:false",
                 "Falloff Angle:falloffAngle:0.5:false",
-                "Falloff Distance:falloffDistance:2.0:false",
                 "Blur Edge Sharpness:edgeSharpness:1.0:false",
                 "Blur Radius:blurRadius:15.0:false",
             ]