diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/referenceinterface.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/referenceinterface.cpp
index 66e036d929..86a85be18e 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/referenceinterface.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/referenceinterface.cpp
@@ -18,17 +18,17 @@ namespace MWGui
 
     void ReferenceInterface::checkReferenceAvailable()
     {
-        if (mPtr.isEmpty())
-            return;
-
         MWWorld::Ptr::CellStore* playerCell = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getPlayer().getPlayer().getCell();
 
         // check if player has changed cell, or count of the reference has become 0
         if ((playerCell != mCurrentPlayerCell && mCurrentPlayerCell != NULL)
-            || mPtr.getRefData().getCount() == 0)
+             || (!mPtr.isEmpty() && mPtr.getRefData().getCount() == 0))
         {
-            mPtr = MWWorld::Ptr();
-            onReferenceUnavailable();
+            if (!mPtr.isEmpty())
+            {
+                mPtr = MWWorld::Ptr();
+                onReferenceUnavailable();
+            }
         }
 
         mCurrentPlayerCell = playerCell;