diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
index c285ba434..114c1a5db 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
@@ -975,20 +975,27 @@ namespace MWRender
         mAccumCtrl = NULL;
 
         if (!forceskeleton)
-            mObjectRoot = mResourceSystem->getSceneManager()->createInstance(model, mInsert);
+        {
+            osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> created = mResourceSystem->getSceneManager()->createInstance(model, mInsert);
+            mObjectRoot = created->asGroup();
+            if (!mObjectRoot)
+            {
+                mObjectRoot = new osg::Group;
+                mObjectRoot->addChild(created);
+            }
+        }
         else
         {
-            osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> newObjectRoot = mResourceSystem->getSceneManager()->createInstance(model);
-            mSkeleton = dynamic_cast<SceneUtil::Skeleton*>(newObjectRoot.get());
-            if (!mSkeleton)
+            osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> created = mResourceSystem->getSceneManager()->createInstance(model);
+            osg::ref_ptr<SceneUtil::Skeleton> skel = dynamic_cast<SceneUtil::Skeleton*>(created.get());
+            if (!skel)
             {
-                osg::ref_ptr<SceneUtil::Skeleton> skel = new SceneUtil::Skeleton;
-                mSkeleton = skel.get();
-                skel->addChild(newObjectRoot);
-                newObjectRoot = skel;
+                skel = new SceneUtil::Skeleton;
+                skel->addChild(created);
             }
-            mInsert->addChild(newObjectRoot);
-            mObjectRoot = newObjectRoot;
+            mSkeleton = skel.get();
+            mObjectRoot = skel;
+            mInsert->addChild(mObjectRoot);
         }
 
         if (previousStateset)
@@ -1017,17 +1024,17 @@ namespace MWRender
 
     osg::Group* Animation::getObjectRoot()
     {
-        return static_cast<osg::Group*>(mObjectRoot.get());
+        return mObjectRoot.get();
     }
 
     osg::Group* Animation::getOrCreateObjectRoot()
     {
         if (mObjectRoot)
-            return static_cast<osg::Group*>(mObjectRoot.get());
+            return mObjectRoot.get();
 
         mObjectRoot = new osg::Group;
         mInsert->addChild(mObjectRoot);
-        return static_cast<osg::Group*>(mObjectRoot.get());
+        return mObjectRoot.get();
     }
 
     void Animation::addGlow(osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> node, osg::Vec4f glowColor)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
index 04df10a38..213e33f67 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ protected:
 
     osg::ref_ptr<osg::Group> mInsert;
 
-    osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> mObjectRoot;
+    osg::ref_ptr<osg::Group> mObjectRoot;
     SceneUtil::Skeleton* mSkeleton;
 
     // The node expected to accumulate movement during movement animations.