diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
index 50afc5afd..01a88faf2 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
@@ -1271,7 +1271,11 @@ void Animation::addEffect(const std::string &model, int effectId, bool loop, con
     if (bonename.empty())
         params.mObjects = NifOgre::Loader::createObjects(mInsert, model);
     else
+    {
+        if (!mSkelBase)
+            return;
         params.mObjects = NifOgre::Loader::createObjects(mSkelBase, bonename, "", mInsert, model);
+    }
 
     setRenderProperties(params.mObjects, RV_Effects,
                         RQG_Main, RQG_Alpha, 0.f, false, NULL);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp
index 2bdf8a499..7260fc6d1 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp
@@ -88,6 +88,9 @@ void CreatureWeaponAnimation::updateParts()
 
 void CreatureWeaponAnimation::updatePart(NifOgre::ObjectScenePtr& scene, int slot)
 {
+    if (!mSkelBase)
+        return;
+
     MWWorld::InventoryStore& inv = mPtr.getClass().getInventoryStore(mPtr);
     MWWorld::ContainerStoreIterator it = inv.getSlot(slot);
 
@@ -181,7 +184,9 @@ void CreatureWeaponAnimation::releaseArrow()
 Ogre::Vector3 CreatureWeaponAnimation::runAnimation(float duration)
 {
     Ogre::Vector3 ret = Animation::runAnimation(duration);
-    pitchSkeleton(mPtr.getRefData().getPosition().rot[0], mSkelBase->getSkeleton());
+
+    if (mSkelBase)
+        pitchSkeleton(mPtr.getRefData().getPosition().rot[0], mSkelBase->getSkeleton());
 
     if (!mWeapon.isNull())
     {
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
index 0926498c0..66ba25859 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
@@ -335,7 +335,10 @@ void NpcAnimation::updateNpcBase()
 }
 
 void NpcAnimation::updateParts()
-{    
+{
+    if (!mSkelBase)
+        return;
+
     mAlpha = 1.f;
     const MWWorld::Class &cls = mPtr.getClass();
 
@@ -621,30 +624,33 @@ NifOgre::ObjectScenePtr NpcAnimation::insertBoundedPart(const std::string &model
 }
 
 Ogre::Vector3 NpcAnimation::runAnimation(float timepassed)
-{
+{    
     Ogre::Vector3 ret = Animation::runAnimation(timepassed);
 
     mHeadAnimationTime->update(timepassed);
 
-    Ogre::SkeletonInstance *baseinst = mSkelBase->getSkeleton();
-    if(mViewMode == VM_FirstPerson)
+    if (mSkelBase)
     {
-        float pitch = mPtr.getRefData().getPosition().rot[0];
-        Ogre::Node *node = baseinst->getBone("Bip01 Neck");
-        node->pitch(Ogre::Radian(-pitch), Ogre::Node::TS_WORLD);
+        Ogre::SkeletonInstance *baseinst = mSkelBase->getSkeleton();
+        if(mViewMode == VM_FirstPerson)
+        {
+            float pitch = mPtr.getRefData().getPosition().rot[0];
+            Ogre::Node *node = baseinst->getBone("Bip01 Neck");
+            node->pitch(Ogre::Radian(-pitch), Ogre::Node::TS_WORLD);
 
-        // This has to be done before this function ends;
-        // updateSkeletonInstance, below, touches the hands.
-        node->translate(mFirstPersonOffset, Ogre::Node::TS_WORLD);
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        // In third person mode we may still need pitch for ranged weapon targeting
-        pitchSkeleton(mPtr.getRefData().getPosition().rot[0], baseinst);
+            // This has to be done before this function ends;
+            // updateSkeletonInstance, below, touches the hands.
+            node->translate(mFirstPersonOffset, Ogre::Node::TS_WORLD);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            // In third person mode we may still need pitch for ranged weapon targeting
+            pitchSkeleton(mPtr.getRefData().getPosition().rot[0], baseinst);
 
-        Ogre::Node* node = baseinst->getBone("Bip01 Head");
-        if (node)
-            node->rotate(Ogre::Quaternion(mHeadYaw, Ogre::Vector3::UNIT_Z) * Ogre::Quaternion(mHeadPitch, Ogre::Vector3::UNIT_X), Ogre::Node::TS_WORLD);
+            Ogre::Node* node = baseinst->getBone("Bip01 Head");
+            if (node)
+                node->rotate(Ogre::Quaternion(mHeadYaw, Ogre::Vector3::UNIT_Z) * Ogre::Quaternion(mHeadPitch, Ogre::Vector3::UNIT_X), Ogre::Node::TS_WORLD);
+        }
     }
     mFirstPersonOffset = 0.f; // reset the X, Y, Z offset for the next frame.
 
@@ -659,7 +665,9 @@ Ogre::Vector3 NpcAnimation::runAnimation(float timepassed)
         if (!isSkinned(mObjectParts[i]))
             continue;
 
-        updateSkeletonInstance(baseinst, mObjectParts[i]->mSkelBase->getSkeleton());
+        if (mSkelBase)
+            updateSkeletonInstance(mSkelBase->getSkeleton(), mObjectParts[i]->mSkelBase->getSkeleton());
+
         mObjectParts[i]->mSkelBase->getAllAnimationStates()->_notifyDirty();
     }