diff --git a/world/src/column/mod.rs b/world/src/column/mod.rs
index 89d87d3523..fb09eec919 100644
--- a/world/src/column/mod.rs
+++ b/world/src/column/mod.rs
@@ -291,7 +291,9 @@ impl<'a> Sampler for ColumnGen<'a> {
                 ),
                 // above desert_temp
                 sand,
-                temp.sub(CONFIG.desert_temp).mul(0.5),
+                temp.sub(CONFIG.desert_temp)
+                    .div(1.0 - CONFIG.desert_temp)
+                    .mul(4.0)
             ),
             humidity.sub(CONFIG.desert_hum)
                     .div(CONFIG.forest_hum.sub(CONFIG.desert_hum))
@@ -325,7 +327,9 @@ impl<'a> Sampler for ColumnGen<'a> {
                 ),
                 // above desert_temp
                 sand,
-                temp.sub(CONFIG.desert_temp).mul(0.5),
+                temp.sub(CONFIG.desert_temp)
+                    .div(1.0 - CONFIG.desert_temp)
+                    .mul(4.0),
             ),
             humidity.sub(CONFIG.forest_hum)
                     .div(CONFIG.jungle_hum.sub(CONFIG.forest_hum))
@@ -358,7 +362,9 @@ impl<'a> Sampler for ColumnGen<'a> {
                 ),
                 // above desert_temp
                 sand,
-                temp.sub(CONFIG.desert_temp).mul(0.5),
+                temp.sub(CONFIG.desert_temp)
+                    .div(1.0 - CONFIG.desert_temp)
+                    .mul(4.0),
             ),
             humidity.sub(CONFIG.jungle_hum).mul(1.0)
         );
diff --git a/world/src/sim/mod.rs b/world/src/sim/mod.rs
index 3af376dbfe..8106394005 100644
--- a/world/src/sim/mod.rs
+++ b/world/src/sim/mod.rs
@@ -647,7 +647,7 @@ impl SimChunk {
              1.0 - alt_uniform,
             ]);
 
-        let (temp_base, _) = gen_cdf.temp_base[posi];
+        let (temp_base, temp_old) = gen_cdf.temp_base[posi];
 
         // We also correlate temperature negatively with altitude using different weighting than we
         // use for humidity.
@@ -668,7 +668,7 @@ impl SimChunk {
             // Sharply decreases (towards 0.35) when temperature is near desert_temp (from below),
             // then saturates just before it actually becomes desert.  Otherwise stays at 1.
             .mul(
-                temp.sub(CONFIG.desert_temp)
+                temp_old.sub(CONFIG.desert_temp)
                     .neg()
                     .mul(12.0)
                     .max(0.35)