diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp
index edcd49738..e7b9f9c01 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ namespace MWGui
         , mStamina(NULL)
         , mDrowning(NULL)
         , mDrowningFrame(NULL)
+        , mDrowningFlash(NULL)
         , mWeapImage(NULL)
         , mSpellImage(NULL)
         , mWeapStatus(NULL)
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ namespace MWGui
         , mSpellVisible(true)
         , mWorldMouseOver(false)
         , mEnemyHealthTimer(0)
+        , mIsDrowning(false)
     {
         setCoord(0,0, width, height);
 
@@ -75,6 +77,7 @@ namespace MWGui
         //Drowning bar
         getWidget(mDrowningFrame, "DrowningFrame");
         getWidget(mDrowning, "Drowning");
+        getWidget(mDrowningFlash, "Flash");
         mDrowning->setProgressRange(200);
 
         const MyGUI::IntSize& viewSize = MyGUI::RenderManager::getInstance().getViewSize();
@@ -207,7 +210,15 @@ namespace MWGui
 
     void HUD::setDrowningTimeLeft(float time)
     {
-        mDrowning->setProgressPosition(time/20.0*200.0);
+        size_t progress = time/20.0*200.0;
+        mDrowning->setProgressPosition(progress);
+
+        bool isDrowning = (progress == 0);
+        if (isDrowning && !mIsDrowning) // Just started drowning
+            mDrowningFlashTheta = 0.0f; // Start out on bright red every time.
+
+        mDrowningFlash->setVisible(isDrowning);
+        mIsDrowning = isDrowning;
     }
 
     void HUD::setDrowningBarVisible(bool visible)
@@ -367,6 +378,9 @@ namespace MWGui
             mEnemyHealth->setVisible(false);
             mWeaponSpellBox->setPosition(mWeaponSpellBox->getPosition() + MyGUI::IntPoint(0,20));
         }
+
+        if (mIsDrowning)
+            mDrowningFlashTheta += dt * Ogre::Math::TWO_PI;
     }
 
     void HUD::onResChange(int width, int height)
@@ -609,6 +623,12 @@ namespace MWGui
             mEnemyHealth->setProgressRange(100);
             mEnemyHealth->setProgressPosition(stats.getHealth().getCurrent() / stats.getHealth().getModified() * 100);
         }
+
+        if (mIsDrowning)
+        {
+            float intensity = (cos(mDrowningFlashTheta) + 1.0f) / 2.0f;
+            mDrowningFlash->setColour(MyGUI::Colour(intensity, intensity, intensity));
+        }
     }
 
     void HUD::setEnemy(const MWWorld::Ptr &enemy)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.hpp
index c40742a60..04206fbc8 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.hpp
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ namespace MWGui
         MyGUI::ImageBox* mCrosshair;
         MyGUI::TextBox* mCellNameBox;
         MyGUI::TextBox* mWeaponSpellBox;
-        MyGUI::Widget* mDrowningFrame;
+        MyGUI::Widget *mDrowningFrame, *mDrowningFlash;
 
         MyGUI::Widget* mDummy;
 
@@ -101,6 +101,9 @@ namespace MWGui
         MWWorld::Ptr mEnemy;
         float mEnemyHealthTimer;
 
+        bool  mIsDrowning;
+        float mDrowningFlashTheta;
+
         void onWorldClicked(MyGUI::Widget* _sender);
         void onWorldMouseOver(MyGUI::Widget* _sender, int x, int y);
         void onWorldMouseLostFocus(MyGUI::Widget* _sender, MyGUI::Widget* _new);
diff --git a/files/mygui/openmw_hud.layout b/files/mygui/openmw_hud.layout
index e39777dd0..72d337e45 100644
--- a/files/mygui/openmw_hud.layout
+++ b/files/mygui/openmw_hud.layout
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
             <Widget type="ProgressBar" skin="MW_Progress_Loading" position="12 36 196 8" align="Center Top" name="Drowning">
                 <Property key="NeedMouse" value="false"/>
             </Widget>
+            <Widget type="Widget" skin="MW_Progress_Drowning" position="14 38 192 4" align="Center Top" name="Flash"/>
         </Widget>
 
         <!-- Equipped weapon/selected spell name display for a few seconds after it changes -->
diff --git a/files/mygui/openmw_progress.skin.xml b/files/mygui/openmw_progress.skin.xml
index 35114ffeb..f5418e3f8 100644
--- a/files/mygui/openmw_progress.skin.xml
+++ b/files/mygui/openmw_progress.skin.xml
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@
             <State name="normal" offset="0 28 2 14"/>
         </BasisSkin>
     </Skin>
+    <Skin name="MW_BigTrack_Progress_Red_Small" size="2 6" texture="smallbars.png" >
+        <BasisSkin type="MainSkin" offset="0 0 2 6" align="Stretch">
+            <State name="normal" offset="0 0 2 8"/>
+        </BasisSkin>
+    </Skin>
     <Skin name="MW_BigTrack_Progress_Blue_Small" size="2 6" texture="smallbars.png" >
         <BasisSkin type="MainSkin" offset="0 0 2 6" align="Stretch">
             <State name="normal" offset="0 26 2 6"/>
@@ -65,6 +70,10 @@
         <Child type="Widget" skin="BlackBG" offset="2 2 60 2" align="Stretch" name="Client"/>
     </Skin>
 
+    <Skin name="MW_Progress_Drowning" size="64 6">
+        <Child type="Widget" skin="MW_BigTrack_Progress_Red_Small" offset="0 0 64 6" align="Stretch"/>
+    </Skin>
+
     <Skin name="MW_ProgressScroll_Loading" size="64 6">
         <Property key="TrackWidth" value="1"/>
         <Property key="TrackRangeMargins" value="0 0"/>