diff --git a/code/playerman/playercontrol.cpp b/code/playerman/playercontrol.cpp
index 5d9894964be..05d85249ab2 100644
--- a/code/playerman/playercontrol.cpp
+++ b/code/playerman/playercontrol.cpp
@@ -417,6 +417,15 @@ void do_view_track_target()
 	chase_slew_angles.h = forward_angles.h - view_angles.h;
 	chase_slew_angles.p = -(forward_angles.p - view_angles.p);
 
+	// Do over-the-top correction.
+	// Headings are extracted with atan2, so each one lies in (-PI, PI] and their difference can be
+	// nearly a full circle in either direction.  Without wrapping it back into (-PI, PI], a target just
+	// past the left shoulder reads as being almost all the way around to the right instead.
+	if (chase_slew_angles.h > PI)
+		chase_slew_angles.h -= PI2;
+	else if (chase_slew_angles.h < -PI)
+		chase_slew_angles.h += PI2;
+
 	// the gimbal limits of the player's virtual neck.
 	// These nested ifs prevent the player from looking up and 
 	// down beyond 90 degree angles.