diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
index 7b166ba91a..5598e0e56f 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ CharacterController::CharacterController(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr, MWRender::Anim
         mAnimation->setAccumulation(Ogre::Vector3(1.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f));
     }
     if(mAnimation->hasAnimation(mCurrentGroup))
-        mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "stop", loop);
+        mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "stop", "stop", loop);
 }
 
 CharacterController::CharacterController(const CharacterController &rhs)
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ void CharacterController::markerEvent(float time, const std::string &evt)
         if(mAnimQueue.size() >= 2 && mAnimQueue[0] == mAnimQueue[1])
         {
             mAnimQueue.pop_front();
-            mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "loop start", false);
+            mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "loop start", "stop", false);
         }
         else if(mAnimQueue.size() > 0)
         {
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ void CharacterController::markerEvent(float time, const std::string &evt)
             if(mAnimQueue.size() > 0)
             {
                 mCurrentGroup = mAnimQueue.front();
-                mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "start", false);
+                mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "start", "stop", false);
             }
         }
         return;
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ void CharacterController::playGroup(const std::string &groupname, int mode, int
                 mAnimQueue.push_back(groupname);
             mCurrentGroup = groupname;
             mState = CharState_SpecialIdle;
-            mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, ((mode==2) ? "loop start" : "start"), false);
+            mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, ((mode==2) ? "loop start" : "start"), "stop", false);
         }
         else if(mode == 0)
         {
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ void CharacterController::setState(CharacterState state, bool loop)
     if(mAnimation->hasAnimation(anim))
     {
         mCurrentGroup = anim;
-        mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "start", loop);
+        mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "start", "stop", loop);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
index 160641eb0a..1dd46365bc 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ Animation::Animation(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr)
     , mCurrentKeys(NULL)
     , mCurrentAnim(NULL)
     , mCurrentTime(0.0f)
+    , mStopTime(0.0f)
     , mPlaying(false)
     , mLooping(false)
     , mAnimVelocity(0.0f)
@@ -293,12 +294,12 @@ Ogre::Vector3 Animation::updatePosition(float time)
     return posdiff;
 }
 
-void Animation::reset(const std::string &marker)
+void Animation::reset(const std::string &start, const std::string &stop)
 {
     mNextKey = mCurrentKeys->begin();
-    while(mNextKey != mCurrentKeys->end() && mNextKey->second != marker)
-        mNextKey++;
 
+    while(mNextKey != mCurrentKeys->end() && mNextKey->second != start)
+        mNextKey++;
     if(mNextKey != mCurrentKeys->end())
         mCurrentTime = mNextKey->first;
     else
@@ -307,6 +308,17 @@ void Animation::reset(const std::string &marker)
         mCurrentTime = 0.0f;
     }
 
+    if(stop.length() > 0)
+    {
+        NifOgre::TextKeyMap::const_iterator stopKey = mNextKey;
+        while(stopKey != mCurrentKeys->end() && stopKey->second != stop)
+            stopKey++;
+        if(stopKey != mCurrentKeys->end())
+            mStopTime = stopKey->first;
+        else
+            mStopTime = mCurrentAnim->getLength();
+    }
+
     if(mNonAccumRoot)
     {
         const Ogre::NodeAnimationTrack *track = 0;
@@ -328,7 +340,7 @@ void Animation::reset(const std::string &marker)
 }
 
 
-void Animation::play(const std::string &groupname, const std::string &start, bool loop)
+void Animation::play(const std::string &groupname, const std::string &start, const std::string &stop, bool loop)
 {
     try {
         bool found = false;
@@ -351,9 +363,9 @@ void Animation::play(const std::string &groupname, const std::string &start, boo
         if(!found)
             throw std::runtime_error("Failed to find animation "+groupname);
 
-        reset(start);
+        reset(start, stop);
+        setLooping(loop);
         mPlaying = true;
-        mLooping = loop;
     }
     catch(std::exception &e) {
         std::cerr<< e.what() <<std::endl;
@@ -367,11 +379,11 @@ Ogre::Vector3 Animation::runAnimation(float timepassed)
     timepassed *= mAnimSpeedMult;
     while(mCurrentAnim && mPlaying)
     {
-        float targetTime = mCurrentTime + timepassed;
+        float targetTime = std::min(mStopTime, mCurrentTime+timepassed);
         if(mNextKey == mCurrentKeys->end() || mNextKey->first > targetTime)
         {
             movement += updatePosition(targetTime);
-            mPlaying = (mLooping || mCurrentAnim->getLength() >= targetTime);
+            mPlaying = (mLooping || mStopTime > targetTime);
             break;
         }
 
@@ -380,6 +392,8 @@ Ogre::Vector3 Animation::runAnimation(float timepassed)
         mNextKey++;
 
         movement += updatePosition(time);
+        mPlaying = (mLooping || mStopTime > time);
+
         timepassed = targetTime - time;
 
         if(evt == "start" || evt == "loop start")
@@ -391,7 +405,7 @@ Ogre::Vector3 Animation::runAnimation(float timepassed)
         {
             if(mLooping)
             {
-                reset("loop start");
+                reset("loop start", "");
                 if(mCurrentTime >= time)
                     break;
             }
@@ -401,17 +415,12 @@ Ogre::Vector3 Animation::runAnimation(float timepassed)
         {
             if(mLooping)
             {
-                reset("loop start");
+                reset("loop start", "");
                 if(mCurrentTime >= time)
                     break;
+                continue;
             }
-            else
-            {
-                mPlaying = false;
-                if(mController)
-                    mController->markerEvent(time, evt);
-            }
-            continue;
+            // fall-through
         }
         if(mController)
             mController->markerEvent(time, evt);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
index 130805a506..47bc8c3900 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ protected:
     NifOgre::TextKeyMap::const_iterator mNextKey;
     Ogre::Animation *mCurrentAnim;
     float mCurrentTime;
+    float mStopTime;
     bool mPlaying;
     bool mLooping;
 
@@ -53,9 +54,11 @@ protected:
      * vector since the last update or reset. */
     Ogre::Vector3 updatePosition(float time);
 
-    /* Resets the animation to the time of the specified marker, without moving
-     * anything. If the marker is not found, it resets to the beginning. */
-    void reset(const std::string &marker);
+    /* Resets the animation to the time of the specified start marker, without
+     * moving anything, and set the end time to the specified stop marker. If
+     * the marker is not found, it resets to the beginning or end respectively.
+     */
+    void reset(const std::string &start, const std::string &stop);
 
     /* Specifies a list of skeleton names to use as animation sources. */
     void setAnimationSources(const std::vector<std::string> &names);
@@ -86,7 +89,7 @@ public:
 
     void setLooping(bool loop);
 
-    void play(const std::string &groupname, const std::string &start, bool loop);
+    void play(const std::string &groupname, const std::string &start, const std::string &stop, bool loop);
     virtual Ogre::Vector3 runAnimation(float timepassed);
 };
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/characterpreview.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/characterpreview.cpp
index 9f8962d7c3..36cac2155d 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/characterpreview.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/characterpreview.cpp
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ namespace MWRender
     {
         mSelectionBuffer = new OEngine::Render::SelectionBuffer(mCamera, 512, 1024, RV_PlayerPreview);
 
-        mAnimation->play("inventoryhandtohand", "start", false);
+        mAnimation->play("inventoryhandtohand", "start", "stop", false);
     }
 
     // --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------