diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
index b104881..118f497 100644
--- a/init.lua
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -71,11 +71,18 @@ local function pick_walk_anim(num_deg)
     end
 end
 
--- HandleAnimationLower port: chooses walk anim based on signed angle between
--- body-forward and move-direction. Manages idle_lower / walk_* transitions.
+-- Lower-body controller: legs rotate to walk direction (NOT Substrate's
+-- body-relative wedge). User preference: leg stride visually aligns with
+-- movement axis. lower_control.rot = atan(move_x, -move_y) so leg sprites
+-- (which oscillate scl_y along their local Y) cycle along the walk axis.
+-- One generic walk_fwd_lower anim suffices since the rotation handles
+-- the directional change (4-direction anims kept on disk for future
+-- gait-style differentiation).
 local function update_lower_anim(moving, move_x, move_y)
     if not moving then
-        -- Idle: stop all walk anims, resume idle_lower.
+        -- Idle: stop walk anims, resume idle_lower. Preserve last
+        -- lower_control_rot_deg so legs keep their last orientation
+        -- (no snap-back to north on stop).
         if state.walk_anim_current ~= nil then
             for _, a in ipairs(WALK_ANIMS) do
                 puppet.stop(state.player, a)
@@ -91,22 +98,16 @@ local function update_lower_anim(moving, move_x, move_y)
                 ci_last_state = "idle"
             end
         end
-        state.lower_control_rot_deg = 0
         return
     end
 
-    -- Walking: read body's previous-frame world.rot for signed angle computation.
-    local _, _, body_rot = puppet.bone_world_transform(state.player, "body")
-    -- Body forward direction (sprite-top-up convention): forward = -Y at rot=0.
-    -- In world coords: fwd_x = sin(rot), fwd_y = -cos(rot).
-    local fwd_x = math.sin(body_rot)
-    local fwd_y = -math.cos(body_rot)
-    local num = signed_angle_2d(fwd_x, fwd_y, move_x, move_y)
-    local anim_id, wedge_deg = pick_walk_anim(num)
-    state.lower_control_rot_deg = wedge_deg
+    -- Walking: legs face walk direction (sprite-top convention: rot=0 = -Y).
+    state.lower_control_rot_deg = math.deg(math.atan(move_x, -move_y))
 
+    -- Single generic walk anim (4-direction-picker deferred until we have
+    -- differentiated gait styles per direction).
+    local anim_id = "walk_fwd_lower"
     if state.walk_anim_current ~= anim_id then
-        -- Swap to new walk anim.
         for _, a in ipairs(WALK_ANIMS) do
             if a ~= anim_id then puppet.stop(state.player, a) end
         end
diff --git a/manifest.module b/manifest.module
index cf99157..a5fd30e 100644
--- a/manifest.module
+++ b/manifest.module
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
         {"id": "lib-core.camera",                 "version": "0.3.0"},
         {"id": "lib-core.render",                 "version": "0.1.0"},
         {"id": "lib-core.maps",                   "version": "0.1.2"},
-        {"id": "lib-core.puppet", "version": "0.4.0"},
+        {"id": "lib-core.puppet", "version": "0.4.1"},
         {"id": "lib-asset.prototype-subterrain",  "version": "0.1.1"}
     ]
 }