diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/inventorywindow.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/inventorywindow.cpp
index 0c8ac459ff..5e33d46005 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/inventorywindow.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/inventorywindow.cpp
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ namespace MWGui
             MWWorld::ContainerStoreIterator it = invStore.getSlot(slot);
             if (it != invStore.end() && *it == item)
             {
-                invStore._freeSlot(slot);
+                invStore.equip(slot, invStore.end());
                 return;
             }
         }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/inventorystore.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/inventorystore.cpp
index b38167d701..3e535793c0 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/inventorystore.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/inventorystore.cpp
@@ -97,13 +97,6 @@ void MWWorld::InventoryStore::equip (int slot, const ContainerStoreIterator& ite
     flagAsModified();
 }
 
-void MWWorld::InventoryStore::_freeSlot(int slot)
-{
-    mSlots[slot] = end();
-
-    flagAsModified();
-}
-
 MWWorld::ContainerStoreIterator MWWorld::InventoryStore::getSlot (int slot)
 {
     if (slot<0 || slot>=static_cast<int> (mSlots.size()))
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/inventorystore.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/inventorystore.hpp
index 303604f4de..05fc651ee7 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/inventorystore.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/inventorystore.hpp
@@ -60,9 +60,6 @@ namespace MWWorld
             void equip (int slot, const ContainerStoreIterator& iterator);
             ///< \note \a iteartor can be an end-iterator
 
-            void _freeSlot(int slot);
-            ///< this method is dangerous, as it doesn't do re-stacking items - you probably want to use equip()
-
             ContainerStoreIterator getSlot (int slot);
 
             void autoEquip (const MWMechanics::NpcStats& stats);