diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
index c680c75056..74043b2339 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
@@ -277,43 +277,64 @@ void Avatar::render(const glm::vec3& cameraPosition, RenderMode renderMode, bool
         // render pointing lasers
         glm::vec3 laserColor = glm::vec3(1.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
         float laserLength = 50.0f;
-        if (_handState == HAND_STATE_LEFT_POINTING ||
-            _handState == HAND_STATE_BOTH_POINTING) {
-            int leftIndex = _skeletonModel.getLeftHandJointIndex();
-            glm::vec3 leftPosition;
-            glm::quat leftRotation;
-            _skeletonModel.getJointPositionInWorldFrame(leftIndex, leftPosition);
-            _skeletonModel.getJointRotationInWorldFrame(leftIndex, leftRotation);
-            glPushMatrix(); {
-                glTranslatef(leftPosition.x, leftPosition.y, leftPosition.z);
-                float angle = glm::degrees(glm::angle(leftRotation));
-                glm::vec3 axis = glm::axis(leftRotation);
-                glRotatef(angle, axis.x, axis.y, axis.z);
-                glBegin(GL_LINES);
-                glColor3f(laserColor.x, laserColor.y, laserColor.z);
-                glVertex3f(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f);
-                glVertex3f(0.0f, laserLength, 0.0f);
-                glEnd();
-            } glPopMatrix();
+        glm::vec3 position;
+        glm::quat rotation;
+        bool havePosition, haveRotation;
+
+        if (_handState & LEFT_HAND_POINTING_FLAG) {
+
+            if (_handState & IS_FINGER_POINTING_FLAG) {
+                int leftIndexTip = getJointIndex("LeftHandIndex4");
+                int leftIndexTipJoint = getJointIndex("LeftHandIndex3");
+                havePosition = _skeletonModel.getJointPositionInWorldFrame(leftIndexTip, position);
+                haveRotation = _skeletonModel.getJointRotationInWorldFrame(leftIndexTipJoint, rotation);
+            } else {
+                int leftHand = _skeletonModel.getLeftHandJointIndex();
+                havePosition = _skeletonModel.getJointPositionInWorldFrame(leftHand, position);
+                haveRotation = _skeletonModel.getJointRotationInWorldFrame(leftHand, rotation);
+            }
+
+            if (havePosition && haveRotation) {
+                glPushMatrix(); {
+                    glTranslatef(position.x, position.y, position.z);
+                    float angle = glm::degrees(glm::angle(rotation));
+                    glm::vec3 axis = glm::axis(rotation);
+                    glRotatef(angle, axis.x, axis.y, axis.z);
+                    glBegin(GL_LINES);
+                    glColor3f(laserColor.x, laserColor.y, laserColor.z);
+                    glVertex3f(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f);
+                    glVertex3f(0.0f, laserLength, 0.0f);
+                    glEnd();
+                } glPopMatrix();
+            }
         }
-        if (_handState == HAND_STATE_RIGHT_POINTING ||
-            _handState == HAND_STATE_BOTH_POINTING) {
-            int rightIndex = _skeletonModel.getRightHandJointIndex();
-            glm::vec3 rightPosition;
-            glm::quat rightRotation;
-            _skeletonModel.getJointPositionInWorldFrame(rightIndex, rightPosition);
-            _skeletonModel.getJointRotationInWorldFrame(rightIndex, rightRotation);
-            glPushMatrix(); {
-                glTranslatef(rightPosition.x, rightPosition.y, rightPosition.z);
-                float angle = glm::degrees(glm::angle(rightRotation));
-                glm::vec3 axis = glm::axis(rightRotation);
-                glRotatef(angle, axis.x, axis.y, axis.z);
-                glBegin(GL_LINES);
-                glColor3f(laserColor.x, laserColor.y, laserColor.z);
-                glVertex3f(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f);
-                glVertex3f(0.0f, laserLength, 0.0f);
-                glEnd();
-            } glPopMatrix();
+
+        if (_handState & RIGHT_HAND_POINTING_FLAG) {
+            
+            if (_handState & IS_FINGER_POINTING_FLAG) {
+                int rightIndexTip = getJointIndex("RightHandIndex4");
+                int rightIndexTipJoint = getJointIndex("RightHandIndex3");
+                havePosition = _skeletonModel.getJointPositionInWorldFrame(rightIndexTip, position);
+                haveRotation = _skeletonModel.getJointRotationInWorldFrame(rightIndexTipJoint, rotation);
+            } else {
+                int rightHand = _skeletonModel.getRightHandJointIndex();
+                havePosition = _skeletonModel.getJointPositionInWorldFrame(rightHand, position);
+                haveRotation = _skeletonModel.getJointRotationInWorldFrame(rightHand, rotation);
+            }
+
+            if (havePosition && haveRotation) {
+                glPushMatrix(); {
+                    glTranslatef(position.x, position.y, position.z);
+                    float angle = glm::degrees(glm::angle(rotation));
+                    glm::vec3 axis = glm::axis(rotation);
+                    glRotatef(angle, axis.x, axis.y, axis.z);
+                    glBegin(GL_LINES);
+                    glColor3f(laserColor.x, laserColor.y, laserColor.z);
+                    glVertex3f(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f);
+                    glVertex3f(0.0f, laserLength, 0.0f);
+                    glEnd();
+                } glPopMatrix();
+            }
         }
     }
     
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
index 12ad4474c9..7bf6d057da 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.h
@@ -21,15 +21,6 @@
 
 class ModelItemID;
 
-enum AvatarHandState
-{
-    HAND_STATE_NULL = 0,
-    HAND_STATE_LEFT_POINTING,
-    HAND_STATE_RIGHT_POINTING,
-    HAND_STATE_BOTH_POINTING,
-    NUM_HAND_STATES
-};
-
 class MyAvatar : public Avatar {
     Q_OBJECT
     Q_PROPERTY(bool shouldRenderLocally READ getShouldRenderLocally WRITE setShouldRenderLocally)
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
index 95432bc81a..d22d1c5a0a 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
@@ -188,7 +188,11 @@ QByteArray AvatarData::toByteArray() {
     // key state
     setSemiNibbleAt(bitItems,KEY_STATE_START_BIT,_keyState);
     // hand state
-    setSemiNibbleAt(bitItems,HAND_STATE_START_BIT,_handState);
+    bool isFingerPointing = _handState & IS_FINGER_POINTING_FLAG;
+    setSemiNibbleAt(bitItems, HAND_STATE_START_BIT, _handState & ~IS_FINGER_POINTING_FLAG);
+    if (isFingerPointing) {
+        setAtBit(bitItems, HAND_STATE_FINGER_POINTING_BIT);
+    }
     // faceshift state
     if (_headData->_isFaceshiftConnected) {
         setAtBit(bitItems, IS_FACESHIFT_CONNECTED);
@@ -439,8 +443,9 @@ int AvatarData::parseDataAtOffset(const QByteArray& packet, int offset) {
         
         // key state, stored as a semi-nibble in the bitItems
         _keyState = (KeyState)getSemiNibbleAt(bitItems,KEY_STATE_START_BIT);
-        // hand state, stored as a semi-nibble in the bitItems
-        _handState = getSemiNibbleAt(bitItems,HAND_STATE_START_BIT);
+        // hand state, stored as a semi-nibble plus a bit in the bitItems
+        _handState = getSemiNibbleAt(bitItems, HAND_STATE_START_BIT) 
+            + oneAtBit(bitItems, HAND_STATE_FINGER_POINTING_BIT) ? IS_FINGER_POINTING_FLAG : 0;
         
         _headData->_isFaceshiftConnected = oneAtBit(bitItems, IS_FACESHIFT_CONNECTED);
         _isChatCirclingEnabled = oneAtBit(bitItems, IS_CHAT_CIRCLING_ENABLED);
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
index d590f95bfd..55b35377c0 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
@@ -82,6 +82,12 @@ const int HAND_STATE_START_BIT = 2; // 3rd and 4th bits
 const int IS_FACESHIFT_CONNECTED = 4; // 5th bit
 const int IS_CHAT_CIRCLING_ENABLED = 5; // 6th bit
 const int HAS_REFERENTIAL = 6; // 7th bit
+const int HAND_STATE_FINGER_POINTING_BIT = 7; // 8th bit
+
+const char HAND_STATE_NULL = 0;
+const char LEFT_HAND_POINTING_FLAG = 1;
+const char RIGHT_HAND_POINTING_FLAG = 2;
+const char IS_FINGER_POINTING_FLAG = 4;
 
 static const float MAX_AVATAR_SCALE = 1000.0f;
 static const float MIN_AVATAR_SCALE = .005f;