diff --git a/libraries/animation/src/Rig.cpp b/libraries/animation/src/Rig.cpp
index 07287e8aaf..cba1e4400d 100644
--- a/libraries/animation/src/Rig.cpp
+++ b/libraries/animation/src/Rig.cpp
@@ -504,12 +504,19 @@ bool Rig::getRelativeDefaultJointTranslation(int index, glm::vec3& translationOu
 static const std::vector<float> FORWARD_SPEEDS = { 0.4f, 1.3f, 4.5f }; // m/s
 static const std::vector<float> BACKWARD_SPEEDS = { 0.6f, 1.05f }; // m/s
 static const std::vector<float> LATERAL_SPEEDS = { 0.2f, 0.5f }; // m/s
+static const float DEFAULT_AVATAR_EYE_HEIGHT = 1.65f; // movement speeds are for characters of this eye-height. ~170 cm tall.
 
 void Rig::computeMotionAnimationState(float deltaTime, const glm::vec3& worldPosition, const glm::vec3& worldVelocity, const glm::quat& worldRotation, CharacterControllerState ccState) {
 
     glm::vec3 front = worldRotation * IDENTITY_FRONT;
     glm::vec3 workingVelocity = worldVelocity;
 
+    // TODO: account for avatar scaling
+    int eyeJoint = indexOfJoint("LeftEye");
+    int toeJoint = indexOfJoint("LeftToeBase");
+    const float AVATAR_EYE_HEIGHT = (eyeJoint >= 0 && toeJoint >= 0) ? getAbsoluteDefaultPose(eyeJoint).trans.y - getAbsoluteDefaultPose(toeJoint).trans.y : DEFAULT_AVATAR_EYE_HEIGHT;
+    const float AVATAR_HEIGHT_RATIO = DEFAULT_AVATAR_EYE_HEIGHT / AVATAR_EYE_HEIGHT;
+
     {
         glm::vec3 localVel = glm::inverse(worldRotation) * workingVelocity;
 
@@ -529,18 +536,22 @@ void Rig::computeMotionAnimationState(float deltaTime, const glm::vec3& worldPos
         float moveBackwardAlpha = 0.0f;
         float moveLateralAlpha = 0.0f;
 
-        // calcuate the animation alpha and timeScale values based on current speeds and animation reference speeds.
-        calcAnimAlpha(_averageForwardSpeed.getAverage(), FORWARD_SPEEDS, &moveForwardAlpha);
-        calcAnimAlpha(-_averageForwardSpeed.getAverage(), BACKWARD_SPEEDS, &moveBackwardAlpha);
-        calcAnimAlpha(fabsf(_averageLateralSpeed.getAverage()), LATERAL_SPEEDS, &moveLateralAlpha);
+        float averageForwardSpeed = AVATAR_HEIGHT_RATIO * _averageForwardSpeed.getAverage();
+        float averageBackwardSpeed = -averageForwardSpeed;
+        float averageLateralSpeed = AVATAR_HEIGHT_RATIO * fabsf(_averageLateralSpeed.getAverage());
 
-        _animVars.set("moveForwardSpeed", _averageForwardSpeed.getAverage());
+        // calcuate the animation alpha and timeScale values based on current speeds and animation reference speeds.
+        calcAnimAlpha(averageForwardSpeed, FORWARD_SPEEDS, &moveForwardAlpha);
+        calcAnimAlpha(averageBackwardSpeed, BACKWARD_SPEEDS, &moveBackwardAlpha);
+        calcAnimAlpha(averageLateralSpeed, LATERAL_SPEEDS, &moveLateralAlpha);
+
+        _animVars.set("moveForwardSpeed", averageForwardSpeed);
         _animVars.set("moveForwardAlpha", moveForwardAlpha);
 
-        _animVars.set("moveBackwardSpeed", -_averageForwardSpeed.getAverage());
+        _animVars.set("moveBackwardSpeed", averageBackwardSpeed);
         _animVars.set("moveBackwardAlpha", moveBackwardAlpha);
 
-        _animVars.set("moveLateralSpeed", fabsf(_averageLateralSpeed.getAverage()));
+        _animVars.set("moveLateralSpeed", averageLateralSpeed);
         _animVars.set("moveLateralAlpha", moveLateralAlpha);
 
         const float MOVE_ENTER_SPEED_THRESHOLD = 0.2f; // m/sec