diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp
index 00350fcc22..35bca441ae 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
         /* Kind of a hack. Activators need a character controller to manage an idle state. */
         if(ptr.getTypeName() == typeid(ESM::Activator).name() ||
            !MWWorld::Class::get(ptr).getCreatureStats(ptr).isDead())
-            mActors.insert(std::make_pair(ptr, CharacterController(ptr, anim, CharState_Alive)));
+            mActors.insert(std::make_pair(ptr, CharacterController(ptr, anim, CharState_Idle)));
         else
             mActors.insert(std::make_pair(ptr, CharacterController(ptr, anim, CharState_Dead)));
     }
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
                 if(!MWWorld::Class::get(iter->first).getCreatureStats(iter->first).isDead())
                 {
                     if(iter->second.getState() == CharState_Dead)
-                        iter->second.setState(CharState_Alive);
+                        iter->second.setState(CharState_Idle);
 
                     updateActor(iter->first, totalDuration);
                     if(iter->first.getTypeName() == typeid(ESM::NPC).name())
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
index 0767df130d..96221cbb8d 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ CharacterController::CharacterController(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr, MWRender::Anim
     mAnimation->setController(this);
     switch(mState)
     {
-        case CharState_Alive:
+        case CharState_Idle:
             mCurrentGroup = "idle";
             mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "start");
             break;
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ void CharacterController::setState(CharacterState state)
     mAnimQueue.clear();
     switch(mState)
     {
-        case CharState_Alive:
+        case CharState_Idle:
             mCurrentGroup = "idle";
             mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "start");
             break;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp
index cdbe439a43..992cb8f1fe 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
 {
 
 enum CharacterState {
-    CharState_Alive,
+    CharState_Idle,
     CharState_Dead
 };