diff --git a/mods/ENTITIES/mcl_mobs/api.lua b/mods/ENTITIES/mcl_mobs/api.lua
index 9c0beaeec..092c8939c 100644
--- a/mods/ENTITIES/mcl_mobs/api.lua
+++ b/mods/ENTITIES/mcl_mobs/api.lua
@@ -407,8 +407,11 @@ local function on_step_work (self, dtime)
 	self:check_water_flow()
 	self:env_danger_movement_checks (dtime)
 
-	-- Follow code is heavy and probably shouldn't run when not in range, but we need to extract the cancel follow stuff
-	self:check_follow()
+	if player_in_active_range then
+		if mcl_util.check_dtime_timer(self, dtime, "onstep_follow", 0.2) then
+			self:check_follow()
+		end
+	end
 	self:flop()
 
 	self:check_smooth_rotation(dtime)
diff --git a/mods/ENTITIES/mcl_mobs/effects.lua b/mods/ENTITIES/mcl_mobs/effects.lua
index 696994d0d..1a1578834 100644
--- a/mods/ENTITIES/mcl_mobs/effects.lua
+++ b/mods/ENTITIES/mcl_mobs/effects.lua
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ function mob_class:set_animation(anim, fixed_frame)
 
 
 
-	if self:flight_check() and self.fly and anim == "walk" then anim = "fly" end
+	if self.fly and self:flight_check() and anim == "walk" then anim = "fly" end
 
 	self._current_animation = self._current_animation or ""
 
@@ -324,12 +324,12 @@ local function who_are_you_looking_at (self)
 			self._locked_object = nil
 		end
 	elseif not self._locked_object then
-		if math.random(1, 30) then
+		if mcl_util.check_dtime_timer(self, dtime, "step_look_for_someone", 0.2) then
 			--minetest.log("Change look check: ".. self.name)
 
 			-- For the wither this was 20/60=0.33, so probably need to rebalance and divide rates.
 			-- but frequency of check isn't good as it is costly. Making others too infrequent requires testing
-			local chance = 20/self.curiosity
+			local chance = 150/self.curiosity
 
 			if chance < 1 then chance = 1 end
 			local look_at_player_chance = math.random(chance)
diff --git a/mods/ENTITIES/mcl_mobs/movement.lua b/mods/ENTITIES/mcl_mobs/movement.lua
index 469ac9e85..21595ef54 100644
--- a/mods/ENTITIES/mcl_mobs/movement.lua
+++ b/mods/ENTITIES/mcl_mobs/movement.lua
@@ -623,7 +623,7 @@ function mob_class:check_runaway_from()
 end
 
 
--- follow player if owner or holding item, if fish outta water then flop
+-- follow player if owner or holding item
 function mob_class:check_follow()
 	-- find player to follow
 	if (self.follow ~= "" or self.order == "follow") and not self.following