diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 3def951b14..e023cce81f 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -1667,13 +1667,13 @@ void Application::displaySide(Camera& whichCamera) {
         for (AgentList::iterator agent = agentList->begin(); agent != agentList->end(); agent++) {
             if (agent->getLinkedData() != NULL && agent->getType() == AGENT_TYPE_AVATAR) {
                 Avatar *avatar = (Avatar *)agent->getLinkedData();
-                avatar->render(false, _myCamera.getPosition());
+                avatar->render(false);
             }
         }
         agentList->unlock();
             
         // Render my own Avatar 
-        _myAvatar.render(_lookingInMirror->isChecked(), _myCamera.getPosition());
+        _myAvatar.render(_lookingInMirror->isChecked());
         _myAvatar.setDisplayingLookatVectors(_renderLookatOn->isChecked());
     }
     
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.h b/interface/src/Application.h
index f611a803b9..64959f1274 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.h
+++ b/interface/src/Application.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ public:
     void wheelEvent(QWheelEvent* event);
     
     Avatar* getAvatar() { return &_myAvatar; }
+    Camera* getCamera() { return &_myCamera; }
     VoxelSystem* getVoxels() { return &_voxels; }
     Environment* getEnvironment() { return &_environment; }
     bool shouldEchoAudio() { return _echoAudioMode->isChecked(); }
diff --git a/interface/src/Avatar.cpp b/interface/src/Avatar.cpp
index 7aaee8d62e..8f6ac7c991 100644
--- a/interface/src/Avatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Avatar.cpp
@@ -758,9 +758,9 @@ void Avatar::setGravity(glm::vec3 gravity) {
     }
 }
 
-void Avatar::render(bool lookingInMirror, glm::vec3 cameraPosition) {
+void Avatar::render(bool lookingInMirror) {
     
-    _cameraPosition = cameraPosition;
+    _cameraPosition = Application::getInstance()->getCamera()->getPosition();
     
     if (!_owningAgent && usingBigSphereCollisionTest) {
         // show TEST big sphere
@@ -799,18 +799,14 @@ void Avatar::render(bool lookingInMirror, glm::vec3 cameraPosition) {
         }
         glPushMatrix();
         
-        // extract the view direction from the modelview matrix: transform (0, 0, 1) by the
-        // transpose of the modelview to get its direction in world space, then use the X/Z
-        // components to determine the angle
-        float modelview[16];
-        glGetFloatv(GL_MODELVIEW_MATRIX, modelview);
-        
-        glTranslatef(_joint[AVATAR_JOINT_HEAD_BASE].springyPosition.x,
-                     _joint[AVATAR_JOINT_HEAD_BASE].springyPosition.y + chatMessageHeight,
-                     _joint[AVATAR_JOINT_HEAD_BASE].springyPosition.z);
-        glRotatef(atan2(-modelview[2], -modelview[10]) * 180 / PI, 0, 1, 0);
+        glm::vec3 chatPosition = _joint[AVATAR_JOINT_HEAD_BASE].springyPosition + getBodyUpDirection() * chatMessageHeight;
+        glTranslatef(chatPosition.x, chatPosition.y, chatPosition.z);
+        glm::quat chatRotation = Application::getInstance()->getCamera()->getRotation();
+        glm::vec3 chatAxis = glm::axis(chatRotation);
+        glRotatef(glm::angle(chatRotation), chatAxis.x, chatAxis.y, chatAxis.z);
         
         glColor3f(0, 0.8, 0);
+        glRotatef(180, 0, 1, 0);
         glRotatef(180, 0, 0, 1);
         glScalef(chatMessageScale, chatMessageScale, 1.0f);
 
diff --git a/interface/src/Avatar.h b/interface/src/Avatar.h
index 262051655e..db8176898a 100644
--- a/interface/src/Avatar.h
+++ b/interface/src/Avatar.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public:
     void updateHeadFromGyros(float frametime, SerialInterface * serialInterface, glm::vec3 * gravity);
     void updateFromMouse(int mouseX, int mouseY, int screenWidth, int screenHeight);
     void addBodyYaw(float y) {_bodyYaw += y;};
-    void render(bool lookingInMirror, glm::vec3 cameraPosition);
+    void render(bool lookingInMirror);
 
     //setters
     void setMousePressed           (bool      mousePressed           ) { _mousePressed    = mousePressed;}