diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp
index 1d9e4fae2d..0b55484278 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ namespace MWBase
             virtual MWWorld::Ptr moveObjectBy(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr, const osg::Vec3f& vec) = 0;
             ///< @return an updated Ptr
 
-            virtual void scaleObject (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, float scale) = 0;
+            virtual void scaleObject (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, float scale, bool force = false) = 0;
 
             virtual void rotateObject(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const osg::Vec3f& rot, RotationFlags flags = RotationFlag_inverseOrder) = 0;
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
index 47aeaf53af..3fdfaed72d 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ void NpcAnimation::setViewMode(NpcAnimation::ViewMode viewMode)
         return;
 
     mViewMode = viewMode;
-    MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->scaleObject(mPtr, mPtr.getCellRef().getScale()); // apply race height after view change
+    MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->scaleObject(mPtr, mPtr.getCellRef().getScale(), true); // apply race height after view change
 
     mAmmunition.reset();
     rebuild();
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
index 61abb7fcc2..a5ab0968ee 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
@@ -1281,9 +1281,9 @@ namespace MWWorld
         return moveObject(ptr, newpos);
     }
 
-    void World::scaleObject (const Ptr& ptr, float scale)
+    void World::scaleObject (const Ptr& ptr, float scale, bool force)
     {
-        if (scale == ptr.getCellRef().getScale())
+        if (!force && scale == ptr.getCellRef().getScale())
             return;
         if (mPhysics->getActor(ptr))
             mNavigator->removeAgent(getPathfindingHalfExtents(ptr));
@@ -2482,7 +2482,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
         player.getClass().getInventoryStore(player).setInvListener(anim, player);
         player.getClass().getInventoryStore(player).setContListener(anim);
 
-        scaleObject(player, player.getCellRef().getScale()); // apply race height
+        scaleObject(player, player.getCellRef().getScale(), true); // apply race height
         rotateObject(player, osg::Vec3f(), MWBase::RotationFlag_inverseOrder | MWBase::RotationFlag_adjust);
 
         MWBase::Environment::get().getMechanicsManager()->add(getPlayerPtr());
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
index 84d97ce37c..61154afb59 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
             MWWorld::Ptr moveObjectBy(const Ptr& ptr, const osg::Vec3f& vec) override;
             ///< @return an updated Ptr
 
-            void scaleObject (const Ptr& ptr, float scale) override;
+            void scaleObject (const Ptr& ptr, float scale, bool force = false) override;
 
             /// World rotates object, uses radians
             /// @note Rotations via this method use a different rotation order than the initial rotations in the CS. This