diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/Gameplay/ActionGameManager.cs b/Assets/Scripts/Gameplay/ActionGameManager.cs
index 7f6451934..38a1e1f73 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/Gameplay/ActionGameManager.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/Gameplay/ActionGameManager.cs
@@ -203,6 +203,8 @@ public class ActionGameManager : MonoBehaviour
     private readonly HelmInput _helm = new HelmInput();
     // Seconds a held turn key takes to reach full turn rate.
     public float KeyboardTurnRampTime = .4f;
+    // Whether the turn axis was last driven by keys; kept while released so the ramp down still applies.
+    private bool _turnDigital;
     private TextMeshProUGUI _faceAimMark;
     private (HardpointData[] hardpoints, Transform[] barrels, PlaceUIElementWorldspace crosshair)[] _articulationGroups;
     // The outgoing progress indicators on the player's target: one per lock weapon (its Lock, shown only on a hostile target)
@@ -1337,8 +1339,9 @@ public class ActionGameManager : MonoBehaviour
                 {
                     ship.Command.Movement = Input.Player.Move.ReadValue<Vector2>().ToCultMath();
                     _helm.Held = Input.Player.FaceAim.IsPressed();
-                    var turnDigital = Input.Player.Turn.activeControl?.device is UnityEngine.InputSystem.Keyboard;
-                    var turnAxis = _helm.TurnAxis(Input.Player.Turn.ReadValue<float>(), turnDigital, Time.deltaTime, KeyboardTurnRampTime);
+                    if (Input.Player.Turn.activeControl is { } turnControl)
+                        _turnDigital = turnControl.device is UnityEngine.InputSystem.Keyboard;
+                    var turnAxis = _helm.TurnAxis(Input.Player.Turn.ReadValue<float>(), _turnDigital, Time.deltaTime, KeyboardTurnRampTime);
                     ship.Command.Turn = _helm.Demand(_viewDirection.xz, turnAxis);
                 }
 
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/HelmInput.cs b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/HelmInput.cs
index aa9cd3a03..d8ff21efe 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/HelmInput.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/HelmInput.cs
@@ -15,13 +15,16 @@ public class HelmInput
 
     private float _turnAxis;
 
-    // The turn axis as the helm reads it. A digital input (keys) ramps from zero to full over rampTime so a tap feathers the
-    // turn; releasing it, or reversing, starts again from zero. An analog input passes straight through.
+    // The turn axis as the helm reads it. A digital input (keys) ramps up while held and back down while released, both at
+    // full scale per rampTime, so tapping at a rate holds a gentle turn; reversing cuts to zero and ramps the other way.
+    // An analog input passes straight through.
     public float TurnAxis(float raw, bool digital, float dt, float rampTime)
     {
-        if (!digital || rampTime <= 0 || raw == 0) return _turnAxis = raw;
+        if (!digital || rampTime <= 0) return _turnAxis = raw;
+        var step = dt / rampTime;
+        if (raw == 0) return _turnAxis = sign(_turnAxis) * max(0f, abs(_turnAxis) - step);
         if (sign(raw) != sign(_turnAxis)) _turnAxis = 0;
-        return _turnAxis = sign(raw) * min(abs(raw), abs(_turnAxis) + dt / rampTime);
+        return _turnAxis = sign(raw) * min(abs(raw), abs(_turnAxis) + step);
     }
 
     // The turn the player commands: the aim heading, resolved against the hull at each sim step, or the turn axis.