diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/FaceModel.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/FaceModel.cpp
index 2e7a757f21..22686998d3 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/FaceModel.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/FaceModel.cpp
@@ -59,10 +59,11 @@ void FaceModel::updateJointState(int index) {
         state.combinedRotation = _rotation * combinedRotation;
     
     } else {
+        const JointState& parentState = _jointStates.at(joint.parentIndex);
         if (index == geometry.neckJointIndex) {
             // get the rotation axes in joint space and use them to adjust the rotation
             glm::mat3 axes = glm::mat3_cast(getRotation());
-            glm::mat3 inverse = glm::inverse(glm::mat3(_jointStates[joint.parentIndex].transform *
+            glm::mat3 inverse = glm::inverse(glm::mat3(parentState.transform *
                 joint.preTransform * glm::mat4_cast(joint.preRotation * joint.rotation)));
             state.rotation = glm::angleAxis(_owningHead->getRoll(), glm::normalize(inverse * axes[2])) *
                 glm::angleAxis(_owningHead->getYaw(), glm::normalize(inverse * axes[1])) *
@@ -70,14 +71,13 @@ void FaceModel::updateJointState(int index) {
             
         } else if (index == geometry.leftEyeJointIndex || index == geometry.rightEyeJointIndex) {
             // likewise with the eye joints
-            glm::mat4 inverse = glm::inverse(_jointStates[joint.parentIndex].transform *
+            glm::mat4 inverse = glm::inverse(parentState.transform *
                 joint.preTransform * glm::mat4_cast(joint.preRotation * joint.rotation));
             glm::vec3 front = glm::vec3(inverse * glm::vec4(_owningHead->getOrientation() * IDENTITY_FRONT, 0.0f));
             glm::vec3 lookAt = glm::vec3(inverse * glm::vec4(_owningHead->getLookAtPosition() +
                 _owningHead->getSaccade(), 1.0f));
             state.rotation = rotationBetween(front, lookAt) * joint.rotation;
         }     
-        const JointState& parentState = _jointStates.at(joint.parentIndex);
         state.transform = parentState.transform * joint.preTransform *
             glm::mat4_cast(combinedRotation) * joint.postTransform;
         state.combinedRotation = parentState.combinedRotation * combinedRotation;
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/SkeletonModel.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/SkeletonModel.cpp
index fb4c073810..0688290928 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/SkeletonModel.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/SkeletonModel.cpp
@@ -72,15 +72,16 @@ void SkeletonModel::updateJointState(int index) {
         state.combinedRotation = _rotation * combinedRotation;
     
     } else {
+        const JointState& parentState = _jointStates.at(joint.parentIndex);
         if (index == geometry.leanJointIndex) {
             // get the rotation axes in joint space and use them to adjust the rotation
-            glm::mat3 axes = glm::mat3_cast(_rotation);
-            glm::mat3 inverse = glm::inverse(glm::mat3(_jointStates[joint.parentIndex].transform *
-                joint.preTransform * glm::mat4_cast(joint.preRotation * joint.rotation)));
-            state.rotation = glm::angleAxis(_owningAvatar->getHead().getLeanSideways(), glm::normalize(inverse * axes[2])) *
-                glm::angleAxis(_owningAvatar->getHead().getLeanForward(), glm::normalize(inverse * axes[0])) * joint.rotation;
+            state.combinedRotation = _rotation * glm::quat(glm::radians(glm::vec3(_owningAvatar->getHead().getLeanForward(),
+                0.0f, _owningAvatar->getHead().getLeanSideways()))) * glm::inverse(_rotation) * parentState.combinedRotation *
+                    joint.preRotation * joint.rotation;
+            state.rotation = glm::inverse(joint.postRotation * glm::inverse(state.combinedRotation) *
+                parentState.combinedRotation * joint.preRotation);
+            combinedRotation = joint.preRotation * state.rotation * joint.postRotation;
         }
-        const JointState& parentState = _jointStates.at(joint.parentIndex);
         state.transform = parentState.transform * joint.preTransform *
             glm::mat4_cast(combinedRotation) * joint.postTransform;
         state.combinedRotation = parentState.combinedRotation * combinedRotation;