diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bb592d7..8f6f949 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ Options
  * -f: Delete the mbtiles file if it already exists instead of giving an error
  * -r <i>rate</i>: Rate at which dots are dropped at lower zoom levels (default 2.5)
  * -b <i>pixels</i>: Buffer size where features are duplicated from adjacent tiles (default 5)
- * -g <i>gamma</i>: Rate at which especially dense dots are dropped (default 1, for no effect). A gamma of 2 reduces the number of dots less than a pixel apart to the square root of their original number.
+ * -g <i>gamma</i>: Rate at which especially dense dots are dropped (default 0, for no effect). A gamma of 2 reduces the number of dots less than a pixel apart to the square root of their original number.
 
 Example
 -------
diff --git a/geojson.c b/geojson.c
index e17912a..cb21d17 100644
--- a/geojson.c
+++ b/geojson.c
@@ -901,7 +901,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	int minzoom = 0;
 	int force = 0;
 	double droprate = 2.5;
-	double gamma = 1;
+	double gamma = 0;
 	int buffer = 5;
 	const char *tmpdir = "/tmp";
 
diff --git a/tile.cc b/tile.cc
index 48abeca..fb9ec65 100644
--- a/tile.cc
+++ b/tile.cc
@@ -489,11 +489,11 @@ long long write_tile(char **geoms, char *metabase, unsigned *file_bbox, int z, u
 				continue;
 			}
 
-			if (t == VT_POINT && z < feature_minzoom && gamma == 0) {
+			if (t == VT_POINT && z < feature_minzoom && gamma < 0) {
 				continue;
 			}
 
-			if (t == VT_POINT && gamma != 0) {
+			if (t == VT_POINT && gamma >= 0) {
 				seq++;
 				if (seq >= 0) {
 					seq -= interval;
@@ -501,32 +501,34 @@ long long write_tile(char **geoms, char *metabase, unsigned *file_bbox, int z, u
 					continue;
 				}
 
-				unsigned long long index = encode(bbox[0] / 2 + bbox[2] / 2, bbox[1] / 2 + bbox[3] / 2);
-				if (gap > 0) {
-					if (index == previndex) {
-						continue; // Exact duplicate: can't fulfil the gap requirement
+				if (gamma > 0) {
+					unsigned long long index = encode(bbox[0] / 2 + bbox[2] / 2, bbox[1] / 2 + bbox[3] / 2);
+					if (gap > 0) {
+						if (index == previndex) {
+							continue; // Exact duplicate: can't fulfil the gap requirement
+						}
+
+						if (exp(log((index - previndex) / scale) * gamma) >= gap) {
+							// Dot is further from the previous than the nth root of the gap,
+							// so produce it, and choose a new gap at the next point.
+							gap = 0;
+						} else {
+							continue;
+						}
+					} else {
+						gap = (index - previndex) / scale;
+
+						if (gap == 0) {
+							continue; // Exact duplicate: skip
+						} else if (gap < 1) {
+							continue; // Narrow dot spacing: need to stretch out
+						} else {
+							gap = 0; // Wider spacing than minimum: so pass through unchanged
+						}
 					}
 
-					if (exp(log((index - previndex) / scale) * gamma) >= gap) {
-						// Dot is further from the previous than the nth root of the gap,
-						// so produce it, and choose a new gap at the next point.
-						gap = 0;
-					} else {
-						continue;
-					}
-				} else {
-					gap = (index - previndex) / scale;
-
-					if (gap == 0) {
-						continue; // Exact duplicate: skip
-					} else if (gap < 1) {
-						continue; // Narrow dot spacing: need to stretch out
-					} else {
-						gap = 0; // Wider spacing than minimum: so pass through unchanged
-					}
+					previndex = index;
 				}
-
-				previndex = index;
 			}
 
 			bool reduced = false;