diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ea44cab4b1..d6138e46d3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@
     Bug #7796: Absorbed enchantments don't restore magicka
     Bug #7832: Ingredient tooltips show magnitude for Fortify Maximum Magicka effect
     Bug #7840: First run of the launcher doesn't save viewing distance as the default value
+    Bug #7841: Editor: "Dirty" water heights are saved in modified CELLs
     Feature #2566: Handle NAM9 records for manual cell references
     Feature #3537: Shader-based water ripples
     Feature #5173: Support for NiFogProperty
diff --git a/apps/esmtool/record.cpp b/apps/esmtool/record.cpp
index 245012ce13..b1185a4d33 100644
--- a/apps/esmtool/record.cpp
+++ b/apps/esmtool/record.cpp
@@ -612,7 +612,6 @@ namespace EsmTool
         }
         else
             std::cout << "  Map Color: " << Misc::StringUtils::format("0x%08X", mData.mMapColor) << std::endl;
-        std::cout << "  Water Level Int: " << mData.mWaterInt << std::endl;
         std::cout << "  RefId counter: " << mData.mRefNumCounter << std::endl;
         std::cout << "  Deleted: " << mIsDeleted << std::endl;
     }
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/world/nestedcoladapterimp.cpp b/apps/opencs/model/world/nestedcoladapterimp.cpp
index 13ae821a77..8b8c7b17be 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/world/nestedcoladapterimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/world/nestedcoladapterimp.cpp
@@ -996,7 +996,10 @@ namespace CSMWorld
             case 5:
             {
                 if (isInterior && interiorWater)
+                {
                     cell.mWater = value.toFloat();
+                    cell.setHasWaterHeightSub(true);
+                }
                 else
                     return; // return without saving
                 break;
diff --git a/components/esm3/loadcell.cpp b/components/esm3/loadcell.cpp
index 829cf9e916..0c37e64f1e 100644
--- a/components/esm3/loadcell.cpp
+++ b/components/esm3/loadcell.cpp
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ namespace ESM
         bool overriding = !mName.empty();
         bool isLoaded = false;
         mHasAmbi = false;
+        mHasWaterHeightSub = false;
         while (!isLoaded && esm.hasMoreSubs())
         {
             esm.getSubName();
@@ -126,13 +127,13 @@ namespace ESM
                 case fourCC("INTV"):
                     int32_t waterl;
                     esm.getHT(waterl);
+                    mHasWaterHeightSub = true;
                     mWater = static_cast<float>(waterl);
-                    mWaterInt = true;
                     break;
                 case fourCC("WHGT"):
                     float waterLevel;
                     esm.getHT(waterLevel);
-                    mWaterInt = false;
+                    mHasWaterHeightSub = true;
                     if (!std::isfinite(waterLevel))
                     {
                         if (!overriding)
@@ -190,25 +191,15 @@ namespace ESM
 
         if (mData.mFlags & Interior)
         {
-            if (mWaterInt)
-            {
-                int32_t water = (mWater >= 0) ? static_cast<int32_t>(mWater + 0.5) : static_cast<int32_t>(mWater - 0.5);
-                esm.writeHNT("INTV", water);
-            }
-            else
-            {
+            // Try to avoid saving ambient information when it's unnecessary.
+            // This is to fix black lighting and flooded water
+            // in resaved cell records that lack this information.
+            if (mHasWaterHeightSub)
                 esm.writeHNT("WHGT", mWater);
-            }
-
             if (mData.mFlags & QuasiEx)
                 esm.writeHNOCRefId("RGNN", mRegion);
-            else
-            {
-                // Try to avoid saving ambient lighting information when it's unnecessary.
-                // This is to fix black lighting in resaved cell records that lack this information.
-                if (mHasAmbi)
-                    esm.writeHNT("AMBI", mAmbi, 16);
-            }
+            else if (mHasAmbi)
+                esm.writeHNT("AMBI", mAmbi, 16);
         }
         else
         {
@@ -324,7 +315,6 @@ namespace ESM
         mName.clear();
         mRegion = ESM::RefId();
         mWater = 0;
-        mWaterInt = false;
         mMapColor = 0;
         mRefNumCounter = 0;
 
@@ -333,6 +323,7 @@ namespace ESM
         mData.mY = 0;
 
         mHasAmbi = true;
+        mHasWaterHeightSub = true;
         mAmbi.mAmbient = 0;
         mAmbi.mSunlight = 0;
         mAmbi.mFog = 0;
diff --git a/components/esm3/loadcell.hpp b/components/esm3/loadcell.hpp
index bfabdd58f9..3f16bcca31 100644
--- a/components/esm3/loadcell.hpp
+++ b/components/esm3/loadcell.hpp
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ namespace ESM
             , mRegion(ESM::RefId())
             , mHasAmbi(true)
             , mWater(0)
-            , mWaterInt(false)
+            , mHasWaterHeightSub(false)
             , mMapColor(0)
             , mRefNumCounter(0)
         {
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ namespace ESM
         bool mHasAmbi;
 
         float mWater; // Water level
-        bool mWaterInt;
+        bool mHasWaterHeightSub;
         int32_t mMapColor;
         // Counter for RefNums. This is only used during content file editing and has no impact on gameplay.
         // It prevents overwriting previous refNums, even if they were deleted.
@@ -163,6 +163,8 @@ namespace ESM
 
         bool hasWater() const { return ((mData.mFlags & HasWater) != 0) || isExterior(); }
 
+        void setHasWaterHeightSub(bool hasWater) { mHasWaterHeightSub = hasWater; }
+
         bool hasAmbient() const { return mHasAmbi; }
 
         void setHasAmbient(bool hasAmbi) { mHasAmbi = hasAmbi; }