diff --git a/apps/openmw/CMakeLists.txt b/apps/openmw/CMakeLists.txt
index 8cfc6bfc8..4e4e9062d 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/apps/openmw/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ set(GAMEMECHANICS_HEADER
     mwmechanics/stat.hpp
     mwmechanics/creaturestats.hpp
     mwmechanics/magiceffects.hpp
+    mwmechanics/movement.hpp
     )
 source_group(apps\\openmw\\mwmechanics FILES ${GAMEMECHANICS} ${GAMEMECHANICS_HEADER})
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.cpp
index bd7aeb413..82306ab2c 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.cpp
@@ -439,6 +439,33 @@ namespace MWClass
         return getStance (ptr, Run) ? 600 : 300; // TODO calculate these values from stats
     }
 
+    MWMechanics::Movement& Npc::getMovementSettings (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr) const
+    {
+        if (!ptr.getRefData().getMovement().get())
+        {
+            boost::shared_ptr<MWMechanics::Movement> movement (
+                new MWMechanics::Movement);
+        }
+
+        return *ptr.getRefData().getMovement();
+    }
+
+    Ogre::Vector3 Npc::getMovementVector (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr) const
+    {
+        Ogre::Vector3 vector (0, 0, 0);
+
+        if (ptr.getRefData().getMovement().get())
+        {
+            vector.x = - ptr.getRefData().getMovement()->mLeftRight * 200;
+            vector.z = - ptr.getRefData().getMovement()->mForwardBackward * 200;
+
+            if (getStance (ptr, Run, false))
+                vector *= 2;
+        }
+
+        return vector;
+    }
+
     void Npc::registerSelf()
     {
         boost::shared_ptr<Class> instance (new Npc);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.hpp
index 1d9d90c4d..9f29878da 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.hpp
@@ -56,6 +56,13 @@ namespace MWClass
             virtual float getSpeed (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr) const;
             ///< Return movement speed.
 
+            virtual MWMechanics::Movement& getMovementSettings (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr) const;
+            ///< Return desired movement.
+
+            virtual Ogre::Vector3 getMovementVector (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr) const;
+            ///< Return desired movement vector (determined based on movement settings,
+            /// stance and stats).
+
             static void registerSelf();
     };
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/movement.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/movement.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a555ac010
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/movement.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#ifndef GAME_MWMECHANICS_MOVEMENT_H
+#define GAME_MWMECHANICS_MOVEMENT_H
+
+namespace MWMechanics
+{
+    /// Desired movement for an actor
+    struct Movement
+    {
+        signed char mLeftRight; // 1: wants to move left, -1: wants to move right
+        signed char mForwardBackward; // 1:wants to move forward, -1: wants to move backward
+
+        Movement() : mLeftRight (0), mForwardBackward (0) {}
+    };
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.cpp
index 837b3b294..670cf90b2 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 
 #include <stdexcept>
 
+#include <OgreVector3.h>
+
 #include "ptr.hpp"
 #include "nullaction.hpp"
 
@@ -112,6 +114,16 @@ namespace MWWorld
         return 0;
     }
 
+    MWMechanics::Movement& Class::getMovementSettings (const Ptr& ptr) const
+    {
+        throw std::runtime_error ("movement settings not supported by class");
+    }
+
+    Ogre::Vector3 Class::getMovementVector (const Ptr& ptr) const
+    {
+        return Ogre::Vector3 (0, 0, 0);
+    }
+
     const Class& Class::get (const std::string& key)
     {
         std::map<std::string, boost::shared_ptr<Class> >::const_iterator iter = sClasses.find (key);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.hpp
index 51c727aad..8ad9ba58f 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.hpp
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@
 #include "containerstore.hpp"
 #include "refdata.hpp"
 
+namespace Ogre
+{
+    class Vector3;
+}
+
 namespace MWRender
 {
     class CellRenderImp;
@@ -19,6 +24,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
 {
     struct CreatureStats;
     struct NpcStats;
+    struct Movement;
 }
 
 namespace MWWorld
@@ -126,6 +132,13 @@ namespace MWWorld
             virtual float getSpeed (const Ptr& ptr) const;
             ///< Return movement speed.
 
+            virtual MWMechanics::Movement& getMovementSettings (const Ptr& ptr) const;
+            ///< Return desired movement.
+
+            virtual Ogre::Vector3 getMovementVector (const Ptr& ptr) const;
+            ///< Return desired movement vector (determined based on movement settings,
+            /// stance and stats).
+
             static const Class& get (const std::string& key);
             ///< If there is no class for this \a key, an exception is thrown.
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/refdata.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/refdata.hpp
index a8cf3aed8..a9613248e 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/refdata.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/refdata.hpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 #include "../mwmechanics/creaturestats.hpp"
 #include "../mwmechanics/npcstats.hpp"
+#include "../mwmechanics/movement.hpp"
 
 #include "containerstore.hpp"
 
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
             // are never copied outside of container operations.
             boost::shared_ptr<MWMechanics::CreatureStats> mCreatureStats;
             boost::shared_ptr<MWMechanics::NpcStats> mNpcStats;
+            boost::shared_ptr<MWMechanics::Movement> mMovement;
 
             boost::shared_ptr<ContainerStore<RefData> > mContainerStore;
 
@@ -102,6 +104,11 @@ namespace MWWorld
                 return mNpcStats;
             }
 
+            boost::shared_ptr<MWMechanics::Movement>& getMovement()
+            {
+                return mMovement;
+            }
+
             boost::shared_ptr<ContainerStore<RefData> >& getContainerStore()
             {
                 return mContainerStore;