diff --git a/src/BulletDynamics/Featherstone/btMultiBody.cpp b/src/BulletDynamics/Featherstone/btMultiBody.cpp
index 29b851611..8a8a5da77 100644
--- a/src/BulletDynamics/Featherstone/btMultiBody.cpp
+++ b/src/BulletDynamics/Featherstone/btMultiBody.cpp
@@ -769,8 +769,8 @@ void btMultiBody::computeAccelerationsArticulatedBodyAlgorithmMultiDof(btScalar
 
 		//adding damping terms (only)
 		btScalar linDampMult = 1., angDampMult = 1.;
-		zeroAccSpatFrc[0].addVector(angDampMult * m_baseInertia * spatVel[0].getAngular() * (DAMPING_K1_ANGULAR + DAMPING_K2_ANGULAR * spatVel[0].getAngular().norm()),
-								   linDampMult * m_baseMass * spatVel[0].getLinear() * (DAMPING_K1_LINEAR + DAMPING_K2_LINEAR * spatVel[0].getLinear().norm()));
+		zeroAccSpatFrc[0].addVector(angDampMult * m_baseInertia * spatVel[0].getAngular() * (DAMPING_K1_ANGULAR + DAMPING_K2_ANGULAR * spatVel[0].getAngular().safeNorm()),
+								   linDampMult * m_baseMass * spatVel[0].getLinear() * (DAMPING_K1_LINEAR + DAMPING_K2_LINEAR * spatVel[0].getLinear().safeNorm()));
 
 		//
 		//p += vhat x Ihat vhat - done in a simpler way
@@ -856,8 +856,8 @@ void btMultiBody::computeAccelerationsArticulatedBodyAlgorithmMultiDof(btScalar
 		//
 		//adding damping terms (only)
 		btScalar linDampMult = 1., angDampMult = 1.;
-		zeroAccSpatFrc[i+1].addVector(angDampMult * m_links[i].m_inertiaLocal * spatVel[i+1].getAngular() * (DAMPING_K1_ANGULAR + DAMPING_K2_ANGULAR * spatVel[i+1].getAngular().norm()),
-									 linDampMult * m_links[i].m_mass * spatVel[i+1].getLinear() * (DAMPING_K1_LINEAR + DAMPING_K2_LINEAR * spatVel[i+1].getLinear().norm()));
+		zeroAccSpatFrc[i+1].addVector(angDampMult * m_links[i].m_inertiaLocal * spatVel[i+1].getAngular() * (DAMPING_K1_ANGULAR + DAMPING_K2_ANGULAR * spatVel[i+1].getAngular().safeNorm()),
+									 linDampMult * m_links[i].m_mass * spatVel[i+1].getLinear() * (DAMPING_K1_LINEAR + DAMPING_K2_LINEAR * spatVel[i+1].getLinear().safeNorm()));
 		
         // calculate Ihat_i^A
 		//init the spatial AB inertia (it has the simple form thanks to choosing local body frames origins at their COMs)
diff --git a/src/BulletDynamics/Featherstone/btMultiBodySliderConstraint.cpp b/src/BulletDynamics/Featherstone/btMultiBodySliderConstraint.cpp
index e29ae0691..67b106f28 100644
--- a/src/BulletDynamics/Featherstone/btMultiBodySliderConstraint.cpp
+++ b/src/BulletDynamics/Featherstone/btMultiBodySliderConstraint.cpp
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ void btMultiBodySliderConstraint::createConstraintRows(btMultiBodyConstraintArra
     for (int i = 0; i < 3; ++i)
     {
         constraintAxis[0] = frameAworld.getColumn(i).cross(jointAxis);
-        if (constraintAxis[0].norm() > EPSILON)
+        if (constraintAxis[0].safeNorm() > EPSILON)
         {
             constraintAxis[0] = constraintAxis[0].normalized();
             constraintAxis[1] = jointAxis.cross(constraintAxis[0]);
diff --git a/src/LinearMath/btVector3.h b/src/LinearMath/btVector3.h
index 839b19c14..487670009 100644
--- a/src/LinearMath/btVector3.h
+++ b/src/LinearMath/btVector3.h
@@ -267,10 +267,20 @@ public:
 
 	/**@brief Return the norm (length) of the vector */
 	SIMD_FORCE_INLINE btScalar norm() const
-	{
+	{		
 		return length();
 	}
 
+	/**@brief Return the norm (length) of the vector */
+	SIMD_FORCE_INLINE btScalar safeNorm() const
+	{
+		btScalar d = length2();
+		//workaround for some clang/gcc issue of sqrtf(tiny number) = -INF
+		if (d>SIMD_EPSILON)
+			return btSqrt(d);
+		return btScalar(0);
+	}
+
   /**@brief Return the distance squared between the ends of this and another vector
    * This is symantically treating the vector like a point */
 	SIMD_FORCE_INLINE btScalar distance2(const btVector3& v) const;