diff --git a/app/src/openxr/cpp/OpenXRInputSource.cpp b/app/src/openxr/cpp/OpenXRInputSource.cpp
index 306df98829..e34aae9d31 100644
--- a/app/src/openxr/cpp/OpenXRInputSource.cpp
+++ b/app/src/openxr/cpp/OpenXRInputSource.cpp
@@ -795,17 +795,17 @@ void OpenXRInputSource::Update(const XrFrameState& frameState, XrSpace localSpac
         return;
     }
 
+    bool isControllerUnavailable = (poseLocation.locationFlags & XR_SPACE_LOCATION_ORIENTATION_VALID_BIT) == 0;
+    auto gotHandTrackingInfo = false;
+    auto handFacesHead = false;
 #if defined(PICOXR)
     // Pico does continuously track the controllers even when left alone. That's why we return
-    // always true so that we always check hand tracking just in case.
-    bool isControllerUnavailable = true;
+    // always true so that we always check hand tracking just in case (unless it's disabled).
+    bool mustAlwaysCheckHandTracking = handTrackingEnabled;
 #else
-    bool isControllerUnavailable = (poseLocation.locationFlags & XR_SPACE_LOCATION_ORIENTATION_VALID_BIT) == 0;
+    bool mustAlwaysCheckHandTracking = false;
 #endif
-
-    auto gotHandTrackingInfo = false;
-    auto handFacesHead = false;
-    if (isControllerUnavailable || mUsingHandInteractionProfile) {
+    if (isControllerUnavailable || mUsingHandInteractionProfile || mustAlwaysCheckHandTracking) {
         if (!handTrackingEnabled) {
             delegate.SetEnabled(mIndex, false);
             return;