diff --git a/packages/ludic.aim/use.ludic b/packages/ludic.aim/use.ludic
index 43e2c447..8ba22029 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.aim/use.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.aim/use.ludic
@@ -13,3 +13,19 @@ export function aim_use(aim_st: AimState, kind: int) -> int {
   if aim_st.am_kind == kind and aim_st.am_dist < AIM_USE_MAX { return AIM_USE_NOTHING }
   return AIM_USE_NEAREST
 }
+
+# whether (x, z) is before the view: within `cos_min` of the camera's heading, seen from the body.
+# Anything at the feet counts, where a heading means nothing, and so does all of it when the view
+# looks straight up or down
+const AIM_FEET: float = 1.2
+export function aim_ahead(x: float, z: float, cos_min: float) -> bool {
+  let dx = x - AimView.body_x()
+  let dz = z - AimView.body_z()
+  let d = Math.sqrt(dx * dx + dz * dz)
+  if d < AIM_FEET { return true }
+  let fx = AimView.fx()
+  let fz = AimView.fz()
+  let f = Math.sqrt(fx * fx + fz * fz)
+  if f < 0.0001 { return true }
+  return (dx * fx + dz * fz) / (d * f) >= cos_min
+}
diff --git a/packages/ludic.character/camera.ludic b/packages/ludic.character/camera.ludic
index e0074c1e..33738c61 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.character/camera.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.character/camera.ludic
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ export function char_camera_third(character_st: mut CharacterState, dt: float) -
   character_st.chr_eye_z = cz
   let ddx = ax - cx
   let ddz = az - cz
-  character_st.chr_eye_yaw = Math.atan2(-ddx, -ddz)
+  # straight over or under the pivot the offset has no heading of its own: keep the look's
+  if ddx * ddx + ddz * ddz > 0.0025 { character_st.chr_eye_yaw = Math.atan2(-ddx, -ddz) } else { character_st.chr_eye_yaw = character_st.chr_cam_yaw }
   character_st.chr_eye_pitch = Math.atan2(character_st.chr_piv_y - cyy, Math.sqrt(ddx * ddx + ddz * ddz))
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/ludic.character/steer.ludic b/packages/ludic.character/steer.ludic
index 22f7c039..292a97c3 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.character/steer.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.character/steer.ludic
@@ -55,7 +55,9 @@ function chr_gait(character_st: mut CharacterState, dist: float, dyaw: float, dp
   }
 }
 
+# as far up and down as a view goes, a degree short of straight (where the heading would flip)
+const CHR_PITCH_MAX: float = 1.553
 function chr_look(character_st: mut CharacterState, dyaw: float, dpitch: float) -> void {
   character_st.chr_cam_yaw = character_st.chr_cam_yaw + dyaw
-  character_st.chr_cam_pitch = Math.clamp(character_st.chr_cam_pitch + dpitch, -0.96, 0.61)
+  character_st.chr_cam_pitch = Math.clamp(character_st.chr_cam_pitch + dpitch, -CHR_PITCH_MAX, CHR_PITCH_MAX)
 }