diff --git a/src/p_enemy.c b/src/p_enemy.c
index 0ed62f4b4b88091a9e2059215e75259d5726d0f1..26465d10eddea7ae463f4252a6770ec64476c44c 100644
--- a/src/p_enemy.c
+++ b/src/p_enemy.c
@@ -14322,7 +14322,7 @@ void A_SpawnPterabytes(mobj_t *actor)
 		return;
 
 	if (actor->spawnpoint)
-		amount = min(1, actor->spawnpoint->args[0]);
+		amount = max(1, actor->spawnpoint->args[0]);
 
 	interval = FixedAngle(FRACUNIT*360/amount);
 
diff --git a/src/p_map.c b/src/p_map.c
index 275403e2e125ec1d04f4ccbdec1b0e4880d59728..5c8ccbb19327542e118c19e404673fdc1981de82 100644
--- a/src/p_map.c
+++ b/src/p_map.c
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ static void P_DoPterabyteCarry(player_t *player, mobj_t *ptera)
 	player->mo->x = ptera->x;
 	player->mo->y = ptera->y;
 	P_SetThingPosition(player->mo);
-	ptera->movefactor = 3*TICRATE;
+	ptera->movefactor = 3*TICRATE; // timer before dropping
 	ptera->watertop = ptera->waterbottom = ptera->cusval = 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/p_user.c b/src/p_user.c
index ed9da035cd4f640c00abbb2a2f045959b5f07797..0db9ac7d183a5c856f4368a37c8db21e6d21a404 100644
--- a/src/p_user.c
+++ b/src/p_user.c
@@ -4370,7 +4370,7 @@ void P_DoJump(player_t *player, boolean soundandstate)
 		if (player->powers[pw_carry] == CR_PTERABYTE)
 		{
 			S_StartSound(player->mo, sfx_s3kd7s);
-			player->mo->tracer->cusval += 10;
+			player->mo->tracer->cusval += 10; // attempting to break free
 			player->mo->tracer->watertop = P_RandomRange(-player->mo->tracer->cusval, player->mo->tracer->cusval) << (FRACBITS - 1);
 			player->mo->tracer->waterbottom = P_RandomRange(-player->mo->tracer->cusval, player->mo->tracer->cusval) << (FRACBITS - 1);
 			player->mo->tracer->cvmem = P_RandomRange(-player->mo->tracer->cusval, player->mo->tracer->cusval) << (FRACBITS - 1);
@@ -12712,6 +12712,9 @@ void P_PlayerAfterThink(player_t *player)
 			}
 			case CR_PTERABYTE: // being carried by a Pterabyte
 			{
+
+#define DROPTHRESHOLD TICRATE
+
 				mobj_t *ptera = player->mo->tracer;
 				mobj_t *spawnpoint = ptera->tracer->tracer;
 				player->mo->height = FixedDiv(P_GetPlayerHeight(player), FixedDiv(14 * FRACUNIT, 10 * FRACUNIT));
@@ -12719,7 +12722,7 @@ void P_PlayerAfterThink(player_t *player)
 				if (ptera->health <= 0)
 					goto dropoff;
 
-				if (P_MobjAboveLava(ptera) && ptera->movefactor <= 3*TICRATE - 10)
+				if (P_MobjAboveLava(ptera) && ptera->movefactor < DROPTHRESHOLD)
 					goto dropoff;
 
 				if (player->mo->eflags & MFE_VERTICALFLIP)
@@ -12728,7 +12731,7 @@ void P_PlayerAfterThink(player_t *player)
 						&& (ptera->eflags & MFE_VERTICALFLIP)) // Reverse gravity check for the carrier - Flame
 						player->mo->z = ptera->z + ptera->height + FixedMul(FRACUNIT, player->mo->scale);
 
-					if (ptera->ceilingz - ptera->z > spawnpoint->ceilingz - spawnpoint->z + 512*FRACUNIT && ptera->movefactor <= 3 * TICRATE - 10)
+					if (ptera->ceilingz - ptera->z > spawnpoint->ceilingz - spawnpoint->z + 512*FRACUNIT && ptera->movefactor < DROPTHRESHOLD)
 						goto dropoff;
 				}
 				else
@@ -12737,7 +12740,7 @@ void P_PlayerAfterThink(player_t *player)
 						&& !(ptera->eflags & MFE_VERTICALFLIP)) // Correct gravity check for the carrier - Flame
 						player->mo->z = ptera->z - player->mo->height - FixedMul(FRACUNIT, player->mo->scale);
 
-					if (ptera->z - ptera->floorz > spawnpoint->z - spawnpoint->floorz + 512 * FRACUNIT && ptera->movefactor <= 3 * TICRATE - 10)
+					if (ptera->z - ptera->floorz > spawnpoint->z - spawnpoint->floorz + 512 * FRACUNIT && ptera->movefactor < DROPTHRESHOLD)
 						goto dropoff;
 				}
 
@@ -12745,7 +12748,7 @@ void P_PlayerAfterThink(player_t *player)
 				if (!ptera->movefactor)
 					goto dropoff;
 
-				if (ptera->cusval >= 30)
+				if (ptera->cusval >= 50) // breaking free
 				{
 					player->powers[pw_carry] = CR_NONE;
 					P_SetTarget(&player->mo->tracer, NULL);