diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/doc/savingstages.cpp b/apps/opencs/model/doc/savingstages.cpp
index 17c2b4dca2..d62947df6a 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/doc/savingstages.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/doc/savingstages.cpp
@@ -284,20 +284,6 @@ void CSMDoc::WriteCellCollectionStage::perform (int stage, Messages& messages)
         // write references
         if (references!=mState.getSubRecords().end())
         {
-            // first pass: find highest RefNum
-            int lastRefNum = -1;
-
-            for (std::vector<int>::const_iterator iter (references->second.begin());
-                iter!=references->second.end(); ++iter)
-            {
-                const CSMWorld::Record<CSMWorld::CellRef>& ref =
-                    mDocument.getData().getReferences().getRecord (*iter);
-
-                if (ref.get().mRefNum.mContentFile==0 && ref.get().mRefNum.mIndex>lastRefNum)
-                    lastRefNum = ref.get().mRefNum.mIndex;
-            }
-
-            // second pass: write
             for (std::vector<int>::const_iterator iter (references->second.begin());
                 iter!=references->second.end(); ++iter)
             {
@@ -307,20 +293,7 @@ void CSMDoc::WriteCellCollectionStage::perform (int stage, Messages& messages)
                 if (ref.mState==CSMWorld::RecordBase::State_Modified ||
                     ref.mState==CSMWorld::RecordBase::State_ModifiedOnly)
                 {
-                    if (ref.get().mRefNum.mContentFile==-2)
-                    {
-                        if (lastRefNum>=0xffffff)
-                            throw std::runtime_error (
-                                "RefNums exhausted in cell: " + cell.get().mId);
-
-                        ESM::CellRef ref2 = ref.get();
-                        ref2.mRefNum.mContentFile = 0;
-                        ref2.mRefNum.mIndex = ++lastRefNum;
-
-                        ref2.save (mState.getWriter());
-                    }
-                    else
-                        ref.get().save (mState.getWriter());
+                    ref.get().save (mState.getWriter());
                 }
                 else if (ref.mState==CSMWorld::RecordBase::State_Deleted)
                 {
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/world/ref.cpp b/apps/opencs/model/world/ref.cpp
index d1bd771f80..f3c1b0b73f 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/world/ref.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/world/ref.cpp
@@ -4,7 +4,5 @@
 CSMWorld::CellRef::CellRef()
 {
     mRefNum.mIndex = 0;
-
-    // special marker: This reference does not have a RefNum assign to it yet.
-    mRefNum.mContentFile = -2;
+    mRefNum.mContentFile = 0;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/opencs/view/world/genericcreator.cpp b/apps/opencs/view/world/genericcreator.cpp
index afddda4544..099fdd09c6 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/view/world/genericcreator.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/view/world/genericcreator.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,11 @@ CSMWorld::Data& CSVWorld::GenericCreator::getData() const
     return mData;
 }
 
+QUndoStack& CSVWorld::GenericCreator::getUndoStack()
+{
+    return mUndoStack;
+}
+
 const CSMWorld::UniversalId& CSVWorld::GenericCreator::getCollectionId() const
 {
     return mListId;
diff --git a/apps/opencs/view/world/genericcreator.hpp b/apps/opencs/view/world/genericcreator.hpp
index 4cd2fce2fc..a9ef87749b 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/view/world/genericcreator.hpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/view/world/genericcreator.hpp
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ namespace CSVWorld
 
             CSMWorld::Data& getData() const;
 
+            QUndoStack& getUndoStack();
+
             const CSMWorld::UniversalId& getCollectionId() const;
 
             std::string getNamespace() const;
diff --git a/apps/opencs/view/world/referencecreator.cpp b/apps/opencs/view/world/referencecreator.cpp
index 6b8e02da0d..46d759ff27 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/view/world/referencecreator.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/view/world/referencecreator.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,41 @@ void CSVWorld::ReferenceCreator::configureCreateCommand (CSMWorld::CreateCommand
     command.addValue (index, mCell->text());
 }
 
+void CSVWorld::ReferenceCreator::pushCommand (std::auto_ptr<QUndoCommand> command,
+    const std::string& id)
+{
+    // get the old count
+    std::string cellId = mCell->text().toUtf8().constData();
+
+    CSMWorld::IdTable& cellTable = dynamic_cast<CSMWorld::IdTable&> (
+        *getData().getTableModel (CSMWorld::UniversalId::Type_Cells));
+
+    int countColumn = cellTable.findColumnIndex (CSMWorld::Columns::ColumnId_RefNumCounter);
+
+    QModelIndex countIndex = cellTable.getModelIndex (cellId, countColumn);
+
+    int count = cellTable.data (countIndex).toInt();
+
+    // command for setting the refnum in the newly created reference
+    CSMWorld::IdTable& referenceTable = dynamic_cast<CSMWorld::IdTable&> (
+        *getData().getTableModel (CSMWorld::UniversalId::Type_References));
+
+    int refNumColumn = referenceTable.findColumnIndex (CSMWorld::Columns::ColumnId_RefNum);
+
+    std::auto_ptr<CSMWorld::ModifyCommand> setRefNum (new CSMWorld::ModifyCommand
+        (referenceTable, referenceTable.getModelIndex (id, refNumColumn), count));
+
+    // command for incrementing counter
+    std::auto_ptr<CSMWorld::ModifyCommand> increment (new CSMWorld::ModifyCommand
+        (cellTable, countIndex, count+1));
+
+    getUndoStack().beginMacro (command->text());
+    GenericCreator::pushCommand (command, id);
+    getUndoStack().push (setRefNum.release());
+    getUndoStack().push (increment.release());
+    getUndoStack().endMacro();
+}
+
 CSVWorld::ReferenceCreator::ReferenceCreator (CSMWorld::Data& data, QUndoStack& undoStack,
     const CSMWorld::UniversalId& id)
 : GenericCreator (data, undoStack, id)
diff --git a/apps/opencs/view/world/referencecreator.hpp b/apps/opencs/view/world/referencecreator.hpp
index 12fb12dd90..a0e98a9a4b 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/view/world/referencecreator.hpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/view/world/referencecreator.hpp
@@ -20,12 +20,15 @@ namespace CSVWorld
 
             virtual void configureCreateCommand (CSMWorld::CreateCommand& command) const;
 
+            virtual void pushCommand (std::auto_ptr<QUndoCommand> command,
+                const std::string& id);
+
         public:
 
             ReferenceCreator (CSMWorld::Data& data, QUndoStack& undoStack,
                 const CSMWorld::UniversalId& id);
 
-            virtual void cloneMode(const std::string& originId, 
+            virtual void cloneMode(const std::string& originId,
                                    const CSMWorld::UniversalId::Type type);
 
             virtual void reset();