diff --git a/apps/essimporter/importercontext.hpp b/apps/essimporter/importercontext.hpp
index 6921cce92..0ad73c267 100644
--- a/apps/essimporter/importercontext.hpp
+++ b/apps/essimporter/importercontext.hpp
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ namespace ESSImport
             mPlayer.mHasMark = 0;
             mPlayer.mCurrentCrimeId = 0; // TODO
             mPlayer.mObject.blank();
+            mPlayer.mObject.mEnabled = true;
             mPlayer.mObject.mRef.mRefID = "player"; // REFR.mRefID would be PlayerSaveGame
 
             mGlobalMapState.mBounds.mMinX = 0;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/player.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/player.cpp
index b8eedec23..a44d79157 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/player.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/player.cpp
@@ -328,6 +328,12 @@ namespace MWWorld
                 throw std::runtime_error ("invalid player state record (object state)");
             }
 
+            if (!player.mObject.mEnabled)
+            {
+                std::cerr << "Savegame attempted to disable the player." << std::endl;
+                player.mObject.mEnabled = true;
+            }
+
             mPlayer.load (player.mObject);
 
             for (int i=0; i<ESM::Attribute::Length; ++i)