diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 66b96cf132..4e8b95862a 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -2673,6 +2673,14 @@ void Application::queryOctree(NodeType_t serverType, PacketType packetType, Node
     }
 }
 
+bool Application::isHMDMode() const {
+    if (OculusManager::isConnected()) {
+        return true;
+    } else {
+        return false;
+    }
+}
+
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // loadViewFrustum()
 //
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.h b/interface/src/Application.h
index 2c70249b32..c75202d96f 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.h
+++ b/interface/src/Application.h
@@ -316,6 +316,11 @@ public:
 
     void registerScriptEngineWithApplicationServices(ScriptEngine* scriptEngine);
 
+    // the isHMDmode is true whenever we use the interface from an HMD and not a standard flat display
+    // rendering of several elements depend on that
+    // TODO: carry that information on the Camera as a setting
+    bool isHMDMode() const;
+
 signals:
 
     /// Fired when we're simulating; allows external parties to hook in.
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
index 5741d6b265..9dcfb37fb7 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
@@ -655,7 +655,10 @@ void Avatar::renderDisplayName() {
     if (_displayName.isEmpty() || _displayNameAlpha == 0.0f) {
         return;
     }
-       
+    
+    // which viewing mode?
+    bool inHMD = Application::getInstance()->isHMDMode();
+    
     glDisable(GL_LIGHTING);
     
     glPushMatrix();
@@ -664,17 +667,17 @@ void Avatar::renderDisplayName() {
     glTranslatef(textPosition.x, textPosition.y, textPosition.z); 
 
     // we need "always facing camera": we must remove the camera rotation from the stack
-    glm::quat rotation = Application::getInstance()->getCamera()->getRotation();
     
-    glm::vec3 frontAxis(1.f, 0.f, 0.f);
-    frontAxis = glm::rotate(rotation, frontAxis);
-    frontAxis = glm::normalize(glm::vec3(frontAxis.x, 0.f, frontAxis.z));
-    
-    // TODO : test this secodn solution  which should be better wfor occulus
-    //glm::vec3 camPosition = Application::getInstance()->getCamera()->getPosition();
-    //glm::vec3 frontAxis = camPosition - textPosition;
-    //frontAxis = glm::normalize(glm::vec3(frontAxis.z, 0.f, -frontAxis.x));
+    glm::vec3 frontAxis(0.f, 0.f, 1.f);
+    if (inHMD) {
+        glm::vec3 camPosition = Application::getInstance()->getCamera()->getPosition();
+        frontAxis = camPosition - textPosition;
+    } else {
+        glm::quat rotation = Application::getInstance()->getCamera()->getRotation();
+        frontAxis = glm::rotate(rotation, frontAxis);
+    }
     
+    frontAxis = glm::normalize(glm::vec3(frontAxis.z, 0.f, -frontAxis.x));
     float angle = acos(frontAxis.x) * ((frontAxis.z < 0) ? 1.f : -1.f);
     glRotatef(glm::degrees(angle), 0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f);
 
@@ -706,10 +709,16 @@ void Avatar::renderDisplayName() {
 
     if (success) {
         double textWindowHeight = abs(result1[1] - result0[1]);
-        float scaleFactor = Application::getInstance()->getRenderResolutionScale() * // Scale compensate for the resolution
-            QApplication::desktop()->windowHandle()->devicePixelRatio() * // And the device pixel ratio
+        // need to scale to compensate for the font resolution due to the device
+        float scaleFactor = QApplication::desktop()->windowHandle()->devicePixelRatio() *
             ((textWindowHeight > EPSILON) ? 1.0f / textWindowHeight : 1.0f);
-        glScalef(scaleFactor, scaleFactor, 1.0);  
+        if (inHMD) {
+            const float HMDMODE_NAME_SCALE = 0.65f;
+            scaleFactor *= HMDMODE_NAME_SCALE;
+        } else {
+            scaleFactor *= Application::getInstance()->getRenderResolutionScale();
+        }
+        glScalef(scaleFactor, scaleFactor, 1.0);
         
         glScalef(1.0f, -1.0f, 1.0f);  // TextRenderer::draw paints the text upside down in y axis