diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellpreloader.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellpreloader.cpp
index 7524fefd80..f767c6254b 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellpreloader.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellpreloader.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <components/misc/resourcehelpers.hpp>
 #include <components/nifosg/nifloader.hpp>
 #include <components/terrain/world.hpp>
+#include <components/sceneutil/unrefqueue.hpp>
 
 #include "../mwbase/environment.hpp"
 #include "../mwbase/world.hpp"
@@ -240,7 +241,15 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
     void CellPreloader::notifyLoaded(CellStore *cell)
     {
-        mPreloadCells.erase(cell);
+        PreloadMap::iterator found = mPreloadCells.find(cell);
+        if (found != mPreloadCells.end())
+        {
+            // do the deletion in the background thread
+            if (found->second.mWorkItem)
+                mUnrefQueue->push(mPreloadCells[cell].mWorkItem);
+
+            mPreloadCells.erase(found);
+        }
     }
 
     void CellPreloader::updateCache(double timestamp)
@@ -291,4 +300,9 @@ namespace MWWorld
         mWorkQueue = workQueue;
     }
 
+    void CellPreloader::setUnrefQueue(SceneUtil::UnrefQueue* unrefQueue)
+    {
+        mUnrefQueue = unrefQueue;
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellpreloader.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellpreloader.hpp
index e45f927355..3836b68696 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellpreloader.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellpreloader.hpp
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ namespace Terrain
     class World;
 }
 
+namespace SceneUtil
+{
+    class UnrefQueue;
+}
+
 namespace MWWorld
 {
     class CellStore;
@@ -51,11 +56,14 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
         void setWorkQueue(osg::ref_ptr<SceneUtil::WorkQueue> workQueue);
 
+        void setUnrefQueue(SceneUtil::UnrefQueue* unrefQueue);
+
     private:
         Resource::ResourceSystem* mResourceSystem;
         Resource::BulletShapeManager* mBulletShapeManager;
         Terrain::World* mTerrain;
         osg::ref_ptr<SceneUtil::WorkQueue> mWorkQueue;
+        osg::ref_ptr<SceneUtil::UnrefQueue> mUnrefQueue;
         double mExpiryDelay;
         unsigned int mMinCacheSize;
         unsigned int mMaxCacheSize;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp
index 7061e4418f..0cf47163eb 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp
@@ -471,6 +471,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
         mPreloader.reset(new CellPreloader(rendering.getResourceSystem(), physics->getShapeManager(), rendering.getTerrain()));
         mPreloader->setWorkQueue(mRendering.getWorkQueue());
 
+        mPreloader->setUnrefQueue(rendering.getUnrefQueue());
         mPhysics->setUnrefQueue(rendering.getUnrefQueue());
 
         rendering.getResourceSystem()->setExpiryDelay(Settings::Manager::getFloat("cache expiry delay", "Cells"));