diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderconst.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderconst.hpp
index ab411a6cb..76a460a16 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderconst.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderconst.hpp
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ enum RenderQueueGroups
 
     RQG_Main = Ogre::RENDER_QUEUE_MAIN,
 
-    RQG_Water = Ogre::RENDER_QUEUE_6,
+    RQG_Water = Ogre::RENDER_QUEUE_7+1,
 
-    RQG_Alpha = Ogre::RENDER_QUEUE_7,
+    RQG_Alpha = Ogre::RENDER_QUEUE_MAIN,
 
     RQG_UnderWater = Ogre::RENDER_QUEUE_7+1,
 
diff --git a/components/nifogre/ogre_nif_loader.cpp b/components/nifogre/ogre_nif_loader.cpp
index 886c4b451..538e7290d 100644
--- a/components/nifogre/ogre_nif_loader.cpp
+++ b/components/nifogre/ogre_nif_loader.cpp
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ void NIFLoader::createMaterial(const String &name,
             "   oColor.a = tex.a * diffuse.a * vertexColour.a; \n";
 
             if (mrt) outStream <<
-                "   oColor1 = float4(iDepth / far, 0, 0, 1); \n";
+                "   oColor1 = float4(iDepth / far, 0, 0, (oColor.a == 1)); \n"; // only write to MRT if alpha is 1
 
             outStream <<
             "}";
diff --git a/files/gbuffer/gbuffer.compositor b/files/gbuffer/gbuffer.compositor
index 8ab5665dd..6ca35df87 100644
--- a/files/gbuffer/gbuffer.compositor
+++ b/files/gbuffer/gbuffer.compositor
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ compositor gbuffer
             }
             pass render_scene
             {
+                // Renders everything except water
                 first_render_queue 0
-                last_render_queue 59
+                last_render_queue 70
             }
 
         }
@@ -35,7 +36,9 @@ compositor gbuffer
     }
 }
 
-// Finalizer compositor to render objects that we don't want in the MRT textures (this is the case for most transparent stuff)
+// Finalizer compositor to render objects that we don't want in the MRT textures (ex. water)
+// NB the water has to be rendered in a seperate compositor anyway, because it
+// accesses the MRT textures which can't be done while they are still being rendered to.
 compositor gbufferFinalizer
 {
     technique
@@ -63,7 +66,7 @@ compositor gbufferFinalizer
             }
             pass render_scene
             {
-                first_render_queue 60
+                first_render_queue 71
                 last_render_queue 100
             }
         }