diff --git a/ArduPlane/quadplane.cpp b/ArduPlane/quadplane.cpp
index b06039e86c..62f2985654 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/quadplane.cpp
+++ b/ArduPlane/quadplane.cpp
@@ -874,7 +874,7 @@ void QuadPlane::init_loiter(void)
     last_loiter_ms = AP_HAL::millis();
 }
 
-void QuadPlane::init_land(void)
+void QuadPlane::init_qland(void)
 {
     init_loiter();
     throttle_wait = false;
@@ -1653,7 +1653,7 @@ bool QuadPlane::init_mode(void)
         init_loiter();
         break;
     case QLAND:
-        init_land();
+        init_qland();
         break;
     case QRTL:
         init_qrtl();
@@ -1777,7 +1777,7 @@ void QuadPlane::vtol_position_controller(void)
 
     case QPOS_POSITION1: {
         Vector2f diff_wp = location_diff(plane.current_loc, loc);
-        float distance = diff_wp.length();
+        const float distance = diff_wp.length();
 
         if (poscontrol.speed_scale <= 0) {
             // initialise scaling so we start off targeting our
@@ -1886,7 +1886,11 @@ void QuadPlane::vtol_position_controller(void)
         pos_control->set_desired_accel_xy(0.0f,0.0f);
 
         // set position control target and update
-        pos_control->set_xy_target(poscontrol.target.x, poscontrol.target.y);
+        if (should_relax()) {
+            loiter_nav->soften_for_landing();
+        } else {
+            pos_control->set_xy_target(poscontrol.target.x, poscontrol.target.y);
+        }
         pos_control->update_xy_controller(ekfNavVelGainScaler);
 
         // nav roll and pitch are controller by position controller
@@ -2291,10 +2295,6 @@ bool QuadPlane::verify_vtol_land(void)
         plane.set_next_WP(plane.next_WP_loc);
     }
 
-    if (should_relax()) {
-        loiter_nav->soften_for_landing();
-    }
-
     // at land_final_alt begin final landing
     if (poscontrol.state == QPOS_LAND_DESCEND && check_land_final()) {
         poscontrol.state = QPOS_LAND_FINAL;
diff --git a/ArduPlane/quadplane.h b/ArduPlane/quadplane.h
index cafc635d5e..1fce00c06f 100644
--- a/ArduPlane/quadplane.h
+++ b/ArduPlane/quadplane.h
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ private:
     void run_rate_controller(void);
 
     void init_loiter(void);
-    void init_land(void);
+    void init_qland(void);
     void control_loiter(void);
     void check_land_complete(void);
     bool land_detector(uint32_t timeout_ms);