diff --git a/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearParentGrabEntity.js b/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearParentGrabEntity.js
index 580132a648..a9f3fbd668 100644
--- a/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearParentGrabEntity.js
+++ b/scripts/system/controllers/controllerModules/nearParentGrabEntity.js
@@ -172,8 +172,12 @@ Script.include("/~/system/libraries/cloneEntityUtils.js");
             if (now - this.lastUnequipCheckTime > MSECS_PER_SEC * TEAR_AWAY_CHECK_TIME) {
                 this.lastUnequipCheckTime = now;
                 if (props.parentID === MyAvatar.SELF_ID) {
-                    var sensorScaleFactor = MyAvatar.sensorToWorldScale;
-                    if ((props.localPosition > TEAR_AWAY_DISTANCE * sensorScaleFactor)) {
+                    var tearAwayDistance = TEAR_AWAY_DISTANCE;
+                    var localX = props.localPosition.x;
+                    var localZ = props.localPosition.z;
+                    var localY = props.localPosition.y;
+                    if ((localX > tearAwayDistance) || (localY > tearAwayDistance) ||
+                        (localZ > tearAwayDistance)) {
                         this.autoUnequipCounter++;
                     } else {
                         this.autoUnequipCounter = 0;
@@ -237,10 +241,8 @@ Script.include("/~/system/libraries/cloneEntityUtils.js");
             for (var i = 0; i < nearbyEntityProperties.length; i++) {
                 var props = nearbyEntityProperties[i];
                 var handPosition = controllerData.controllerLocations[this.hand].position;
-                var dist = distanceBetweenPointAndEntityBoundingBox(handPosition, props);
                 var distance = Vec3.distance(handPosition, props.position);
-                if ((dist > TEAR_AWAY_DISTANCE) ||
-                    (distance > NEAR_GRAB_RADIUS * sensorScaleFactor)) {
+                if ((distance > NEAR_GRAB_RADIUS * sensorScaleFactor)) {
                     continue;
                 }
                 if (entityIsGrabbable(props) || entityIsCloneable(props)) {