diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwphysics/object.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwphysics/object.cpp
index 0a7b9540c5..6d3954088a 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwphysics/object.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwphysics/object.cpp
@@ -116,9 +116,6 @@ namespace MWPhysics
         if (mShapeInstance->mAnimatedShapes.empty())
             return false;
 
-        if (mPtr.getRefData().getBaseNode() == nullptr)
-            return true;
-
         assert (mShapeInstance->getCollisionShape()->isCompound());
 
         btCompoundShape* compound = static_cast<btCompoundShape*>(mShapeInstance->getCollisionShape());
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp
index fcf2c4b387..2abedcd788 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp
@@ -122,6 +122,8 @@ namespace
             const ESM::RefNum& refnum = ptr.getCellRef().getRefNum();
             if (!refnum.hasContentFile() || pagedRefs.find(refnum) == pagedRefs.end())
                 ptr.getClass().insertObjectRendering(ptr, model, rendering);
+            else
+                ptr.getRefData().setBaseNode(new SceneUtil::PositionAttitudeTransform); // FIXME remove this when physics code is fixed not to depend on basenode
 
             setNodeRotation(ptr, rendering, rotation);