diff --git a/src/modules/flight_mode_manager/tasks/AutoLineSmoothVel/FlightTaskAutoLineSmoothVel.cpp b/src/modules/flight_mode_manager/tasks/AutoLineSmoothVel/FlightTaskAutoLineSmoothVel.cpp
index c9ad9b7b12..f9142f4893 100644
--- a/src/modules/flight_mode_manager/tasks/AutoLineSmoothVel/FlightTaskAutoLineSmoothVel.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/flight_mode_manager/tasks/AutoLineSmoothVel/FlightTaskAutoLineSmoothVel.cpp
@@ -435,6 +435,11 @@ void FlightTaskAutoLineSmoothVel::_updateTrajConstraints()
 		_trajectory[2].setMaxAccel(9.81f);
 		_trajectory[2].setMaxJerk(9.81f);
 
+		// If the current velocity is beyond the usual constraints, tell
+		// the controller to exceptionally increase its saturations to avoid
+		// cutting out the feedforward
+		_constraints.speed_down = math::max(fabsf(_trajectory[2].getCurrentVelocity()), _param_mpc_z_vel_max_dn.get());
+
 	} else if (_velocity_setpoint(2) < 0.f) { // up
 		float z_accel_constraint = _param_mpc_acc_up_max.get();
 		float z_vel_constraint = _param_mpc_z_vel_max_up.get();
diff --git a/src/modules/mc_pos_control/MulticopterPositionControl.cpp b/src/modules/mc_pos_control/MulticopterPositionControl.cpp
index 4597ce8f8b..c06b868dae 100644
--- a/src/modules/mc_pos_control/MulticopterPositionControl.cpp
+++ b/src/modules/mc_pos_control/MulticopterPositionControl.cpp
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ void MulticopterPositionControl::Run()
 			_control.setVelocityLimits(
 				math::constrain(speed_horizontal, 0.f, _param_mpc_xy_vel_max.get()),
 				math::min(speed_up, _param_mpc_z_vel_max_up.get()), // takeoff ramp starts with negative velocity limit
-				math::constrain(speed_down, 0.f, _param_mpc_z_vel_max_dn.get()));
+				math::max(speed_down, 0.f));
 
 			_control.setInputSetpoint(_setpoint);