diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
index 262945c024..ea934a2841 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
@@ -65,29 +65,24 @@ static void getStateInfo(CharacterState state, std::string *group, Ogre::Vector3
 CharacterController::CharacterController(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr, MWRender::Animation *anim, CharacterState state, bool loop)
   : mPtr(ptr), mAnimation(anim), mDirection(Ogre::Vector3::ZERO), mState(state), mSkipAnim(false), mLoop(loop)
 {
-    if(mAnimation)
-        mAnimNames = mAnimation->getAnimationNames();
-    if(mAnimNames.size() == 0)
-    {
-        mAnimation = NULL;
+    if(!mAnimation)
         return;
-    }
 
     mAnimation->setController(this);
 
     Ogre::Vector3 accum;
     getStateInfo(mState, &mCurrentGroup, &accum);
     mAnimation->setAccumulation(accum);
-    mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "stop");
+    if(mAnimation->hasAnimation(mCurrentGroup))
+        mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "stop");
 }
 
 CharacterController::CharacterController(const CharacterController &rhs)
-  : mPtr(rhs.mPtr), mAnimation(rhs.mAnimation), mAnimNames(rhs.mAnimNames)
-  , mAnimQueue(rhs.mAnimQueue), mCurrentGroup(rhs.mCurrentGroup)
-  , mDirection(rhs.mDirection), mState(rhs.mState), mSkipAnim(rhs.mSkipAnim)
-  , mLoop(rhs.mLoop)
+  : mPtr(rhs.mPtr), mAnimation(rhs.mAnimation), mAnimQueue(rhs.mAnimQueue)
+  , mCurrentGroup(rhs.mCurrentGroup), mDirection(rhs.mDirection)
+  , mState(rhs.mState), mSkipAnim(rhs.mSkipAnim), mLoop(rhs.mLoop)
 {
-    if(mAnimNames.size() == 0)
+    if(!mAnimation)
         return;
     /* We've been copied. Update the animation with the new controller. */
     mAnimation->setController(this);
@@ -186,7 +181,7 @@ Ogre::Vector3 CharacterController::update(float duration)
 
 void CharacterController::playGroup(const std::string &groupname, int mode, int count)
 {
-    if(std::find(mAnimNames.begin(), mAnimNames.end(), groupname) != mAnimNames.end())
+    if(mAnimation && mAnimation->hasAnimation(groupname))
     {
         count = std::max(count, 1);
         if(mode != 0 || mAnimQueue.size() == 0)
@@ -230,14 +225,19 @@ void CharacterController::setState(CharacterState state, bool loop)
         mLoop = loop;
     }
 
-    if(mAnimNames.size() == 0)
+    if(!mAnimation)
         return;
     mAnimQueue.clear();
 
+    std::string anim;
     Ogre::Vector3 accum;
-    getStateInfo(mState, &mCurrentGroup, &accum);
-    mAnimation->setAccumulation(accum);
-    mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "start");
+    getStateInfo(mState, &anim, &accum);
+    if(mAnimation->hasAnimation(anim))
+    {
+        mCurrentGroup = anim;
+        mAnimation->setAccumulation(accum);
+        mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "start");
+    }
 }
 
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp
index 6d8b3386c1..43ff21dfb2 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ class CharacterController
     MWWorld::Ptr mPtr;
     MWRender::Animation *mAnimation;
 
-    std::vector<std::string> mAnimNames;
-
     typedef std::deque<std::string> AnimationQueue;
     AnimationQueue mAnimQueue;
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
index a86e14c83b..67be0bf0c5 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
@@ -100,17 +100,9 @@ void Animation::createEntityList(Ogre::SceneNode *node, const std::string &model
 }
 
 
-std::vector<std::string> Animation::getAnimationNames()
+bool Animation::hasAnimation(const std::string &anim)
 {
-    std::vector<std::string> anims;
-    if(mEntityList.mSkelBase)
-    {
-        Ogre::AnimationStateSet *as = mEntityList.mSkelBase->getAllAnimationStates();
-        Ogre::AnimationStateIterator ai = as->getAnimationStateIterator();
-        while(ai.hasMoreElements())
-            anims.push_back(ai.getNext()->getAnimationName());
-    }
-    return anims;
+    return mEntityList.mSkelBase && mEntityList.mSkelBase->hasAnimationState(anim);
 }
 
 
@@ -188,13 +180,9 @@ float Animation::findStart(const std::string &groupname, const std::string &star
 void Animation::play(const std::string &groupname, const std::string &start)
 {
     try {
-        if(!mEntityList.mSkelBase)
-            throw std::runtime_error("Attempting to animate an inanimate object");
-
-        Ogre::AnimationState *newstate = mEntityList.mSkelBase->getAnimationState(groupname);
         if(mAnimState)
             mAnimState->setEnabled(false);
-        mAnimState = newstate;
+        mAnimState = mEntityList.mSkelBase->getAnimationState(groupname);
         mAnimState->setEnabled(true);
         mCurrentKeys = &mTextKeys[groupname];
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
index 6c8357d59e..50ddc34d5c 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ public:
     virtual ~Animation();
 
     void setController(MWMechanics::CharacterController *controller);
-    std::vector<std::string> getAnimationNames();
+
+    bool hasAnimation(const std::string &anim);
 
     // Specifies the axis' to accumulate on. Non-accumulated axis will just
     // move visually, but not affect the actual movement. Each x/y/z value