diff --git a/interface/resources/shaders/ambient_occlusion.frag b/interface/resources/shaders/ambient_occlusion.frag
index b59c87d797..a62d1d3a71 100644
--- a/interface/resources/shaders/ambient_occlusion.frag
+++ b/interface/resources/shaders/ambient_occlusion.frag
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ void main(void) {
         vec3 offset = center + rotation * (radius * sampleKernel[i]);
         vec4 projected = gl_ProjectionMatrix * vec4(offset, 1.0);
         float depth = texCoordToViewSpaceZ(projected.xy * 0.5 / projected.w + vec2(0.5, 0.5));
-        occlusion += 1.0 - step(offset.z, depth); //  * step(abs(center.z - depth), radius);
+        occlusion += 1.0 - step(offset.z, depth);
     }
     
     gl_FragColor = vec4(occlusion, occlusion, occlusion, 0.0) / 16.0;
diff --git a/interface/resources/shaders/occlusion_blur.frag b/interface/resources/shaders/occlusion_blur.frag
index 2ee5eaf2cb..5b86aec68d 100644
--- a/interface/resources/shaders/occlusion_blur.frag
+++ b/interface/resources/shaders/occlusion_blur.frag
@@ -11,15 +11,14 @@
 // the original texture
 uniform sampler2D originalTexture;
 
+// the scale for the blur kernel
+uniform vec2 blurScale;
+
 void main(void) {
-    float ds = dFdx(gl_TexCoord[0].s);
-    float dt = dFdy(gl_TexCoord[0].t);
-    vec4 sum = vec4(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
-    for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
-        for (int j = 0; j < 4; j++) {
-            sum += texture2D(originalTexture, gl_TexCoord[0].st +
-                vec2(ds, dt) * vec2(-2.0 + float(i), -2.0 + float(j)));
-        }
-    }
-    gl_FragColor = sum / 16.0;
+    vec2 minExtents = gl_TexCoord[0].st + blurScale * vec2(-0.5, -0.5);
+    vec2 maxExtents = gl_TexCoord[0].st + blurScale * vec2(1.5, 1.5);
+    gl_FragColor = (texture2D(originalTexture, minExtents) +
+        texture2D(originalTexture, vec2(maxExtents.s, minExtents.t)) +
+        texture2D(originalTexture, vec2(minExtents.s, maxExtents.t)) +
+        texture2D(originalTexture, maxExtents)) * 0.25;
 }
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/AmbientOcclusionEffect.cpp b/interface/src/renderer/AmbientOcclusionEffect.cpp
index ff86615b26..368546a566 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/AmbientOcclusionEffect.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/AmbientOcclusionEffect.cpp
@@ -32,15 +32,6 @@ void AmbientOcclusionEffect::init() {
     _occlusionProgram->addShaderFromSourceFile(QGLShader::Fragment, "resources/shaders/ambient_occlusion.frag");
     _occlusionProgram->link();
     
-    _blurProgram = new ProgramObject();
-    _blurProgram->addShaderFromSourceFile(QGLShader::Vertex, "resources/shaders/ambient_occlusion.vert");
-    _blurProgram->addShaderFromSourceFile(QGLShader::Fragment, "resources/shaders/occlusion_blur.frag");
-    _blurProgram->link();
-    
-    _blurProgram->bind();
-    _blurProgram->setUniformValue("originalTexture", 0);
-    _blurProgram->release();
-    
     // create the sample kernel: an array of spherically distributed offset vectors
     const int SAMPLE_KERNEL_SIZE = 16;
     QVector3D sampleKernel[SAMPLE_KERNEL_SIZE];
@@ -83,6 +74,17 @@ void AmbientOcclusionEffect::init() {
     glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER, GL_NEAREST);
     glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_NEAREST);
     glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0);
+    
+    _blurProgram = new ProgramObject();
+    _blurProgram->addShaderFromSourceFile(QGLShader::Vertex, "resources/shaders/ambient_occlusion.vert");
+    _blurProgram->addShaderFromSourceFile(QGLShader::Fragment, "resources/shaders/occlusion_blur.frag");
+    _blurProgram->link();
+    
+    _blurProgram->bind();
+    _blurProgram->setUniformValue("originalTexture", 0);
+    _blurProgram->release();
+    
+    _blurScaleLocation = _blurProgram->uniformLocation("blurScale");
 }
 
 void AmbientOcclusionEffect::render() {
@@ -131,6 +133,7 @@ void AmbientOcclusionEffect::render() {
     glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, secondaryFBO->texture());
     
     _blurProgram->bind();
+    _blurProgram->setUniformValue(_blurScaleLocation, 1.0f / size.width(), 1.0f / size.height());
     
     renderFullscreenQuad();
     
@@ -138,7 +141,6 @@ void AmbientOcclusionEffect::render() {
     
     glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0);
     
-    //glEnable(GL_BLEND);
     glBlendFuncSeparate(GL_SRC_ALPHA, GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA, GL_CONSTANT_ALPHA, GL_ONE);
     glEnable(GL_DEPTH_TEST);
     glDepthMask(GL_TRUE);
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/AmbientOcclusionEffect.h b/interface/src/renderer/AmbientOcclusionEffect.h
index d41bb65381..416d97c236 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/AmbientOcclusionEffect.h
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/AmbientOcclusionEffect.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ private:
     int _noiseScaleLocation;
     
     ProgramObject* _blurProgram;
+    int _blurScaleLocation;
     
     GLuint _rotationTextureID;
 };
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/TextureCache.cpp b/interface/src/renderer/TextureCache.cpp
index 5696475487..603ff2ccf0 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/TextureCache.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/TextureCache.cpp
@@ -64,12 +64,11 @@ GLuint TextureCache::getPermutationNormalTextureID() {
 
 QOpenGLFramebufferObject* TextureCache::getPrimaryFramebufferObject() {
     if (_primaryFramebufferObject == NULL) {
-        QSize size = Application::getInstance()->getGLWidget()->size();
-        _primaryFramebufferObject = new QOpenGLFramebufferObject(size);
-        Application::getInstance()->getGLWidget()->installEventFilter(this);
-    
+        _primaryFramebufferObject = createFramebufferObject();
+        
         glGenTextures(1, &_primaryDepthTextureID);
         glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, _primaryDepthTextureID);
+        QSize size = Application::getInstance()->getGLWidget()->size();
         glTexImage2D(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, GL_DEPTH_COMPONENT, size.width(), size.height(),
             0, GL_DEPTH_COMPONENT, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, 0);
         glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER, GL_NEAREST);
@@ -91,16 +90,14 @@ GLuint TextureCache::getPrimaryDepthTextureID() {
 
 QOpenGLFramebufferObject* TextureCache::getSecondaryFramebufferObject() {
     if (_secondaryFramebufferObject == NULL) {
-        _secondaryFramebufferObject = new QOpenGLFramebufferObject(Application::getInstance()->getGLWidget()->size());
-        Application::getInstance()->getGLWidget()->installEventFilter(this);
+        _secondaryFramebufferObject = createFramebufferObject();
     }
     return _secondaryFramebufferObject;
 }
 
 QOpenGLFramebufferObject* TextureCache::getTertiaryFramebufferObject() {
     if (_tertiaryFramebufferObject == NULL) {
-        _tertiaryFramebufferObject = new QOpenGLFramebufferObject(Application::getInstance()->getGLWidget()->size());
-        Application::getInstance()->getGLWidget()->installEventFilter(this);
+        _tertiaryFramebufferObject = createFramebufferObject();
     }
     return _tertiaryFramebufferObject;
 }
@@ -124,3 +121,15 @@ bool TextureCache::eventFilter(QObject* watched, QEvent* event) {
     }
     return false;
 }
+
+QOpenGLFramebufferObject* TextureCache::createFramebufferObject() {
+    QOpenGLFramebufferObject* fbo = new QOpenGLFramebufferObject(Application::getInstance()->getGLWidget()->size());
+    Application::getInstance()->getGLWidget()->installEventFilter(this);
+    
+    glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, fbo->texture());
+    glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER, GL_LINEAR);
+    glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_LINEAR);
+    glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0);
+    
+    return fbo;
+}
diff --git a/interface/src/renderer/TextureCache.h b/interface/src/renderer/TextureCache.h
index 1f2fc96ac5..9be048f398 100644
--- a/interface/src/renderer/TextureCache.h
+++ b/interface/src/renderer/TextureCache.h
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ public:
 
 private:
     
+    QOpenGLFramebufferObject* createFramebufferObject();
+    
     GLuint _permutationNormalTextureID;
     
     QOpenGLFramebufferObject* _primaryFramebufferObject;