diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Physics/OdePlugin/ODECharacter.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Physics/OdePlugin/ODECharacter.cs
index e5e7d071d2..b832e0a7dc 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Physics/OdePlugin/ODECharacter.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Physics/OdePlugin/ODECharacter.cs
@@ -519,7 +519,14 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Physics.OdePlugin
             d.BodySetMass(Body, ref ShellMass);
             d.Matrix3 m_caprot;
             // 90 Stand up on the cap of the capped cyllinder
-            d.RFromAxisAndAngle(out m_caprot, 1, 0, 1, (float)(Math.PI / 2));
+            if (_parent_scene.IsAvCapsuleTilted)
+            {
+                d.RFromAxisAndAngle(out m_caprot, 1, 0, 1, (float)(Math.PI / 2));
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                d.RFromAxisAndAngle(out m_caprot, 0, 0, 1, (float)(Math.PI / 2));
+            }
 
 
             d.GeomSetRotation(Shell, ref m_caprot);
@@ -542,12 +549,24 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Physics.OdePlugin
             d.JointSetAMotorAngle(Amotor, 2, 0);
 
             // These lowstops and high stops are effectively (no wiggle room)
-            d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.LowStop, -0.000000000001f);
-            d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.LoStop3, -0.000000000001f);
-            d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.LoStop2, -0.000000000001f);
-            d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.HiStop, 0.000000000001f);
-            d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.HiStop3, 0.000000000001f);
-            d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.HiStop2, 0.000000000001f);
+            if (_parent_scene.IsAvCapsuleTilted)
+            {
+                d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.LowStop, -0.000000000001f);
+                d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.LoStop3, -0.000000000001f);
+                d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.LoStop2, -0.000000000001f);
+                d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.HiStop, 0.000000000001f);
+                d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.HiStop3, 0.000000000001f);
+                d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.HiStop2, 0.000000000001f);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.LowStop, -0);
+                d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.LoStop3, -0);
+                d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.LoStop2, -0);
+                d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.HiStop, 0);
+                d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.HiStop3, 0);
+                d.JointSetAMotorParam(Amotor, (int)dParam.HiStop2, 0);
+            }
 
             // Fudge factor is 1f by default, we're setting it to 0.  We don't want it to Fudge or the
             // capped cyllinder will fall over
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Physics/OdePlugin/OdePlugin.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Physics/OdePlugin/OdePlugin.cs
index 0f92358763..889afb62a9 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Physics/OdePlugin/OdePlugin.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Physics/OdePlugin/OdePlugin.cs
@@ -199,6 +199,8 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Physics.OdePlugin
         private float avPIDP = 1400f;
         private float avCapRadius = 0.37f;
         private float avStandupTensor = 2000000f;
+        private bool avCapsuleTilted = true; // true = old compatibility mode with leaning capsule; false = new corrected mode
+        public bool IsAvCapsuleTilted { get { return avCapsuleTilted; } set { avCapsuleTilted = value; } }
         private float avDensity = 80f;
         private float avHeightFudgeFactor = 0.52f;
         private float avMovementDivisorWalk = 1.3f;
@@ -426,6 +428,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Physics.OdePlugin
                     avMovementDivisorWalk = physicsconfig.GetFloat("av_movement_divisor_walk", 1.3f);
                     avMovementDivisorRun = physicsconfig.GetFloat("av_movement_divisor_run", 0.8f);
                     avCapRadius = physicsconfig.GetFloat("av_capsule_radius", 0.37f);
+                    avCapsuleTilted = physicsconfig.GetBoolean("av_capsule_tilted", true);
 
                     geomContactPointsStartthrottle = physicsconfig.GetInt("geom_contactpoints_start_throttling", 3);
                     geomUpdatesPerThrottledUpdate = physicsconfig.GetInt("geom_updates_before_throttled_update", 15);
diff --git a/bin/OpenSim.ini.example b/bin/OpenSim.ini.example
index 2d0373168c..b3110645db 100644
--- a/bin/OpenSim.ini.example
+++ b/bin/OpenSim.ini.example
@@ -473,6 +473,10 @@
     av_capsule_standup_tensor_win = 550000
     av_capsule_standup_tensor_linux = 550000
 
+    ; specifies if the capsule should be tilted (=true; old compatibility mode)
+    ; or straight up-and-down (=false; better and more consistent physics behavior)
+    av_capsule_tilted = true
+
     ; used to calculate mass of avatar.
     ; float AVvolume = (float) (Math.PI*Math.Pow(CAPSULE_RADIUS, 2)*CAPSULE_LENGTH);
     ; av_density * AVvolume;