diff --git a/addons/spottingscope/functions/fnc_place.sqf b/addons/spottingscope/functions/fnc_place.sqf
index 21560f948f..d967627fb8 100644
--- a/addons/spottingscope/functions/fnc_place.sqf
+++ b/addons/spottingscope/functions/fnc_place.sqf
@@ -27,15 +27,30 @@ if ((_unit call CBA_fnc_getUnitAnim) select 0 == "stand") then {
 [{
     params ["_unit"];
 
-    private ["_direction", "_position", "_spottingScope"];
-    _direction = getDir _unit;
-    _position = (getPosASL _unit) vectorAdd [0.8 * sin(_direction), 0.8 * cos(_direction), 0.02];
+    // prevent collision damage
+    [QEGVAR(common,fixCollision), _unit] call CBA_fnc_localEvent;
 
-    _spottingScope = "ACE_SpottingScopeObject" createVehicle [0, 0, 0];
+    // Check for a place to land the spotting scope
+    private _direction = getDir _unit;
+    private _position = (getPosASL _unit) vectorAdd [0.8 * sin(_direction), 0.8 * cos(_direction), 0];
+    private _vectorUp = [0, 0, 1];
+    private _intersections = lineIntersectsSurfaces [_position vectorAdd [0, 0, 1.5], _position vectorDiff [0, 0, 1.5], _unit, objNull, true, 1, "GEOM", "FIRE"];
+    if (_intersections isEqualTo []) then {
+        TRACE_1("No intersections",_intersections);
+    } else {
+        (_intersections select 0) params ["_touchingPoint", "_surfaceNormal"];
+        _position = _touchingPoint vectorAdd [0, 0, 0.05];
+        _vectorUp = _surfaceNormal;
+    };
+
+    // Create the scope and set its position and orientation
+    private _spottingScope = "ACE_SpottingScopeObject" createVehicle [0, 0, 0];
     _spottingScope setDir _direction;
     _spottingScope setPosASL _position;
-    if ((getPosATL _spottingScope select 2) - (getPos _spottingScope select 2) < 1E-5) then {
-        _spottingScope setVectorUp (surfaceNormal (position _spottingScope));
-    };
+    _spottingScope setVectorUp _vectorUp;
+    [QEGVAR(common,fixPosition), _spottingScope, _spottingScope] call CBA_fnc_targetEvent;
+    [QEGVAR(common,fixFloating), _spottingScope, _spottingScope] call CBA_fnc_targetEvent;
+
     _unit reveal _spottingScope;
+
 }, [_unit], 1, 0] call CBA_fnc_waitAndExecute;