diff --git a/src/user/user_api.h b/src/user/user_api.h
index e23a5cb2..e69c7602 100644
--- a/src/user/user_api.h
+++ b/src/user/user_api.h
@@ -244,7 +244,6 @@ typedef struct _mjsJoint {         // joint specification
   // other
   int group;                       // group
   mjtByte actgravcomp;             // is gravcomp force applied via actuators
-  double urdfeffort;               // effort (urdf)
   mjDoubleVec userdata;            // user data
   mjString info;                   // message appended to compiler errors
 } mjsJoint;
diff --git a/src/user/user_init.c b/src/user/user_init.c
index 02f8b8fa..b45c2dde 100644
--- a/src/user/user_init.c
+++ b/src/user/user_init.c
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ void mjs_defaultJoint(mjsJoint* joint) {
   joint->actfrclimited = mjLIMITED_AUTO;
   mj_defaultSolRefImp(joint->solref_limit, joint->solimp_limit);
   mj_defaultSolRefImp(joint->solref_friction, joint->solimp_friction);
-  joint->urdfeffort = -1;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/user/user_objects.cc b/src/user/user_objects.cc
index 18c5c61d..db747ab3 100644
--- a/src/user/user_objects.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_objects.cc
@@ -2411,8 +2411,7 @@ void mjCGeom::Compile(void) {
   if (type==mjGEOM_HFIELD) {
     size[0] = hfield->size[0];
     size[1] = hfield->size[1];
-    size[2] = 0.5*(0.5*hfield->size[2] +
-                   hfield->size[3]);
+    size[2] = 0.25 * hfield->size[2] + 0.5 * hfield->size[3];
   } else if (type==mjGEOM_MESH || type==mjGEOM_SDF) {
     const double* aamm = mesh->aamm();
     size[0] = mju_max(fabs(aamm[0]), fabs(aamm[3]));
@@ -5021,7 +5020,6 @@ void mjCActuator::CopyFromSpec() {
 
 
 void mjCActuator::ResolveReferences(const mjCModel* m) {
-  mjCJoint* pjnt;
   switch (trntype) {
   case mjTRN_JOINT:
   case mjTRN_JOINTINPARENT:
@@ -5031,14 +5029,6 @@ void mjCActuator::ResolveReferences(const mjCModel* m) {
       throw mjCError(this,
                      "unknown transmission target '%s' for actuator id = %d", target_.c_str(), id);
     }
-    pjnt = (mjCJoint*) ptarget;
-
-    // apply urdfeffort
-    if (pjnt->spec.urdfeffort>0) {
-      forcerange[0] = -pjnt->spec.urdfeffort;
-      forcerange[1] = pjnt->spec.urdfeffort;
-      forcelimited = mjLIMITED_TRUE;
-    }
     break;
 
   case mjTRN_SLIDERCRANK:
diff --git a/src/xml/xml_urdf.cc b/src/xml/xml_urdf.cc
index e7d281ce..8001d93a 100644
--- a/src/xml/xml_urdf.cc
+++ b/src/xml/xml_urdf.cc
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 // limitations under the License.
 
 #include <array>
+#include <cstdlib>
 #include <cstring>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <string>
@@ -488,17 +489,23 @@ void mjXURDF::Joint(XMLElement* joint_elem) {
 
   // limit element
   if ((elem = FindSubElem(joint_elem, "limit"))) {
-    ReadAttr(elem, "lower", 1, pjoint->range, text);
-    ReadAttr(elem, "upper", 1, pjoint->range+1, text);
-    bool is_limited = mjuu_defined(pjoint->range[0]) &&
-                      mjuu_defined(pjoint->range[1]) &&
-                      pjoint->range[0] < pjoint->range[1];
-    pjoint->limited = is_limited ? mjLIMITED_TRUE : mjLIMITED_FALSE;
+    bool haslower = ReadAttr(elem, "lower", 1, pjoint->range, text);
+    bool hasupper = ReadAttr(elem, "upper", 1, pjoint->range+1, text);
+
+    // handle range mis-specification, otherwise the default mjLIMITED_AUTO will do the right thing
+    bool bad_range = (haslower != hasupper) || pjoint->range[0] > pjoint->range[1];
+    if (bad_range) {
+      pjoint->limited = mjLIMITED_FALSE;
+    }
 
     // ReadAttr(elem, "velocity", 1, &pjoint->maxvel, text); // no maxvel in MuJoCo
-    ReadAttr(elem, "effort", 1, &pjoint->urdfeffort, text);
-  } else {
-    pjoint->limited = mjLIMITED_FALSE;
+    double effort = 0;
+    ReadAttr(elem, "effort", 1, &effort, text);
+    effort = std::abs(effort);
+    if (effort > 0) {
+      pjoint->actfrcrange[0] = -effort;
+      pjoint->actfrcrange[1] = effort;
+    }
   }
 }