diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cell.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cell.cpp
index 92b6ee9fc9..f4a57b87c9 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cell.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cell.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
             .mFogDensity = 1.f,}
             ,mWaterHeight(cell.mWaterHeight)
     {
-        if (isExterior() && mWaterHeight == ESM4::Cell::sInvalidWaterLevel)
+        if (isExterior())
         {
             auto& worldStore = MWBase::Environment::get().getESMStore()->get<ESM4::World>();
             const ESM4::World* cellWorld = worldStore.find(mParent);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/store.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/store.cpp
index dd42476f64..4f8e4daa48 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/store.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/store.cpp
@@ -1212,16 +1212,15 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
     void Store<ESM4::Cell>::insertCell(ESM4::Cell* cellPtr)
     {
+        // Do not index exterior cells with Rec_Persistent flag because they are not real cells.
+        // References from these cells are merged into normal cells.
+        if (cellPtr->isExterior() && cellPtr->mFlags & ESM4::Rec_Persistent)
+            return;
+
         if (!cellPtr->mEditorId.empty())
             mCellNameIndex[cellPtr->mEditorId] = cellPtr;
         if (cellPtr->isExterior())
-        {
-            ESM::ExteriorCellLocation cellindex = { cellPtr->mX, cellPtr->mY, cellPtr->mParent };
-            if (cellPtr->mCellFlags & ESM4::Rec_Persistent)
-                mPersistentExteriors[cellindex] = cellPtr;
-            else
-                mExteriors[cellindex] = cellPtr;
-        }
+            mExteriors[ESM::ExteriorCellLocation(cellPtr->mX, cellPtr->mY, cellPtr->mParent)] = cellPtr;
     }
 
     void Store<ESM4::Cell>::clearDynamic()
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/store.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/store.hpp
index 453f36db11..238c5cbd5f 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/store.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/store.hpp
@@ -291,9 +291,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
     {
         std::unordered_map<std::string, ESM4::Cell*, Misc::StringUtils::CiHash, Misc::StringUtils::CiEqual>
             mCellNameIndex;
-
         std::unordered_map<ESM::ExteriorCellLocation, ESM4::Cell*> mExteriors;
-        std::unordered_map<ESM::ExteriorCellLocation, ESM4::Cell*> mPersistentExteriors;
 
     public:
         const ESM4::Cell* searchCellName(std::string_view) const;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldmodel.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldmodel.cpp
index 149b113b00..26402c5855 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldmodel.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldmodel.cpp
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ MWWorld::CellStore& MWWorld::WorldModel::getExterior(ESM::ExteriorCellLocation c
                 record.mParent = cellIndex.mWorldspace;
                 record.mX = cellIndex.mX;
                 record.mY = cellIndex.mY;
-                record.mCellFlags = 0;
+                // Other ESM4::Cell members use default values from class definition.
                 cell = mStore.insert(record);
             }
             CellStore* cellStore = &emplaceCellStore(cell->mId, *cell, mStore, mReaders, mCells);
diff --git a/components/esm4/lighting.hpp b/components/esm4/lighting.hpp
index d4f0d0ffea..486ea0fa61 100644
--- a/components/esm4/lighting.hpp
+++ b/components/esm4/lighting.hpp
@@ -35,16 +35,16 @@ namespace ESM4
 
     // FO3/FNV version of the struct
     struct Lighting
-    { //               | Aichan Prison values
-        std::uint32_t ambient; //               | 16 17 19 00 (RGBA)
-        std::uint32_t directional; //               | 00 00 00 00 (RGBA)
-        std::uint32_t fogColor; //               | 1D 1B 16 00 (RGBA)
-        float fogNear; // Fog Near      | 00 00 00 00 = 0.f
-        float fogFar; // Fog Far       | 00 80 3B 45 = 3000.f
-        std::int32_t rotationXY; // rotation xy   | 00 00 00 00 = 0
-        std::int32_t rotationZ; // rotation z    | 00 00 00 00 = 0
-        float fogDirFade; // Fog dir fade  | 00 00 80 3F = 1.f
-        float fogClipDist; // Fog clip dist | 00 80 3B 45 = 3000.f
+    { //                                  | Aichan Prison values
+        std::uint32_t ambient = 0; //     | 16 17 19 00 (RGBA)
+        std::uint32_t directional = 0; // | 00 00 00 00 (RGBA)
+        std::uint32_t fogColor = 0; //    | 1D 1B 16 00 (RGBA)
+        float fogNear = 0; // Fog Near    | 00 00 00 00 = 0.f
+        float fogFar = 0; // Fog Far      | 00 80 3B 45 = 3000.f
+        std::int32_t rotationXY = 0; //   | 00 00 00 00 = 0
+        std::int32_t rotationZ = 0; //    | 00 00 00 00 = 0
+        float fogDirFade = 0; //          | 00 00 80 3F = 1.f
+        float fogClipDist = 0; //         | 00 80 3B 45 = 3000.f
         float fogPower = 1.f; // TES4 doesn't have this
     };
 
diff --git a/components/esm4/loadcell.hpp b/components/esm4/loadcell.hpp
index c8980705e5..6bb04daff4 100644
--- a/components/esm4/loadcell.hpp
+++ b/components/esm4/loadcell.hpp
@@ -80,13 +80,13 @@ namespace ESM4
         FormId mGlobal;
         FormId mClimate;
         FormId mWater;
-        float mWaterHeight = 0;
+        float mWaterHeight = sInvalidWaterLevel;
 
         std::vector<FormId> mRegions;
         Lighting mLighting;
 
         FormId mLightingTemplate; // FO3/FONV
-        std::uint32_t mLightingTemplateFlags; // FO3/FONV
+        std::uint32_t mLightingTemplateFlags = 0; // FO3/FONV
 
         FormId mMusic; // FO3/FONV
         FormId mAcousticSpace; // FO3/FONV