diff --git a/src/game/shared/Multiplayer/multiplayer_animstate.cpp b/src/game/shared/Multiplayer/multiplayer_animstate.cpp
index fcadc0b19..167c105a8 100644
--- a/src/game/shared/Multiplayer/multiplayer_animstate.cpp
+++ b/src/game/shared/Multiplayer/multiplayer_animstate.cpp
@@ -1287,6 +1287,11 @@ void CMultiPlayerAnimState::UpdateGestureLayer( CStudioHdr *pStudioHdr, GestureS
 	// Get the current cycle.
 	float flCycle = pGesture->m_pAnimLayer->m_flCycle;
 	flCycle += pPlayer->GetSequenceCycleRate( pStudioHdr, pGesture->m_pAnimLayer->m_nSequence ) * gpGlobals->frametime * GetGesturePlaybackRate() * pGesture->m_pAnimLayer->m_flPlaybackRate;
+	if ( flCycle < 0.0f )
+	{
+		// if playback rate is negative, allow the animation to loop backwards
+		flCycle = 1.0f;
+	}
 
 	pGesture->m_pAnimLayer->m_flPrevCycle =	pGesture->m_pAnimLayer->m_flCycle;
 	pGesture->m_pAnimLayer->m_flCycle = flCycle;