diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp
index 44c8c96be..c397b190f 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp
@@ -200,6 +200,9 @@ namespace MWBase
             virtual MWWorld::Ptr searchPtrViaHandle (const std::string& handle) = 0;
             ///< Return a pointer to a liveCellRef with the given Ogre handle or Ptr() if not found
 
+            virtual MWWorld::Ptr searchPtrViaActorId (int actorId) = 0;
+            ///< Search is limited to the active cells.
+
             /// \todo enable reference in the OGRE scene
             virtual void enable (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr) = 0;
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/creaturestats.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/creaturestats.cpp
index 1482ee24e..9bfea41f3 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/creaturestats.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/creaturestats.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 
 namespace MWMechanics
 {
+    int CreatureStats::sActorId = 0;
+
     CreatureStats::CreatureStats()
         : mLevel (0), mDead (false), mDied (false), mFriendlyHits (0),
           mTalkedTo (false), mAlarmed (false),
@@ -20,7 +22,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
           mFallHeight(0), mRecalcDynamicStats(false), mKnockdown(false), mKnockdownOneFrame(false),
           mKnockdownOverOneFrame(false), mHitRecovery(false), mBlock(false),
           mMovementFlags(0), mDrawState (DrawState_Nothing), mAttackStrength(0.f),
-          mTradeTime(0,0), mGoldPool(0)
+          mTradeTime(0,0), mGoldPool(0), mActorId(-1)
     {
         for (int i=0; i<4; ++i)
             mAiSettings[i] = 0;
@@ -559,4 +561,22 @@ namespace MWMechanics
     {
         return mGoldPool;
     }
+
+    int CreatureStats::getActorId()
+    {
+        if (mActorId==-1)
+            mActorId = sActorId++;
+
+        return mActorId;
+    }
+
+    bool CreatureStats::matchesActorId (int id) const
+    {
+        return mActorId!=-1 && id==mActorId;
+    }
+
+    void CreatureStats::cleanup()
+    {
+        sActorId = 0;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/creaturestats.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/creaturestats.hpp
index 2301f9a67..7cec26fb8 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/creaturestats.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/creaturestats.hpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
     ///
     class CreatureStats
     {
+        static int sActorId;
         DrawState_ mDrawState;
         AttributeValue mAttributes[8];
         DynamicStat<float> mDynamic[3]; // health, magicka, fatigue
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
         MWWorld::TimeStamp mTradeTime; // Relates to NPC gold reset delay
 
         int mGoldPool; // the pool of merchant gold not in inventory
+        int mActorId;
 
     protected:
         // These two are only set by NpcStats, but they are declared in CreatureStats to prevent using virtual methods.
@@ -236,6 +238,15 @@ namespace MWMechanics
 
         void setGoldPool(int pool);
         int getGoldPool() const;
+
+        int getActorId();
+        ///< Will generate an actor ID, if the actor does not have one yet.
+
+        bool matchesActorId (int id) const;
+        ///< Check if \a id matches the actor ID of *this (if the actor does not have an ID
+        /// assigned this function will return false).
+
+        static void cleanup();
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
index 153da1f30..d261fe0c0 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "../mwworld/inventorystore.hpp"
 
 #include "../mwmechanics/npcstats.hpp"
+#include "../mwmechanics/creaturestats.hpp"
 
 #include "../mwscript/globalscripts.hpp"
 
@@ -46,6 +47,8 @@ void MWState::StateManager::cleanup (bool force)
         mState = State_NoGame;
         mCharacterManager.clearCurrentCharacter();
         mTimePlayed = 0;
+
+        MWMechanics::CreatureStats::cleanup();
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.cpp
index 39f6538bb..67ab44b77 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 #include "../mwbase/environment.hpp"
 #include "../mwbase/world.hpp"
 
+#include "../mwmechanics/creaturestats.hpp"
+
 #include "ptr.hpp"
 #include "esmstore.hpp"
 #include "class.hpp"
@@ -41,6 +43,22 @@ namespace
         return MWWorld::Ptr();
     }
 
+    template<typename T>
+    MWWorld::Ptr searchViaActorId (MWWorld::CellRefList<T>& actorList, int actorId,
+        MWWorld::CellStore *cell)
+    {
+        for (typename MWWorld::CellRefList<T>::List::iterator iter (actorList.mList.begin());
+             iter!=actorList.mList.end(); ++iter)
+        {
+            MWWorld::Ptr actor (&*iter, cell);
+
+            if (MWWorld::Class::get (actor).getCreatureStats (actor).matchesActorId (actorId))
+                return actor;
+        }
+
+        return MWWorld::Ptr();
+    }
+
     template<typename RecordType, typename T>
     void writeReferenceCollection (ESM::ESMWriter& writer,
         const MWWorld::CellRefList<T>& collection)
@@ -323,6 +341,17 @@ namespace MWWorld
         return Ptr();
     }
 
+    Ptr CellStore::searchViaActorId (int id)
+    {
+        if (Ptr ptr = ::searchViaActorId (mNpcs, id, this))
+            return ptr;
+
+        if (Ptr ptr = ::searchViaActorId (mCreatures, id, this))
+            return ptr;
+
+        return Ptr();
+    }
+
     float CellStore::getWaterLevel() const
     {
         return mWaterLevel;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.hpp
index cc3036647..91c536b43 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.hpp
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ namespace MWWorld
             Ptr searchViaHandle (const std::string& handle);
             ///< Will return an empty Ptr if cell is not loaded.
 
+            Ptr searchViaActorId (int id);
+            ///< Will return an empty Ptr if cell is not loaded.
+
             float getWaterLevel() const;
 
             void setWaterLevel (float level);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp
index 7af926dca..4b92a920b 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp
@@ -507,4 +507,24 @@ namespace MWWorld
         }
         return false;
     }
+
+    Ptr Scene::searchPtrViaHandle (const std::string& handle)
+    {
+        for (CellStoreCollection::const_iterator iter (mActiveCells.begin());
+            iter!=mActiveCells.end(); ++iter)
+            if (Ptr ptr = (*iter)->searchViaHandle (handle))
+                return ptr;
+
+        return Ptr();
+    }
+
+    Ptr Scene::searchPtrViaActorId (int actorId)
+    {
+        for (CellStoreCollection::const_iterator iter (mActiveCells.begin());
+            iter!=mActiveCells.end(); ++iter)
+            if (Ptr ptr = (*iter)->searchViaActorId (actorId))
+                return ptr;
+
+        return Ptr();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.hpp
index 8d8765378..449644754 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.hpp
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ namespace MWWorld
             ///< Remove an object from the scene, but not from the world model.
 
             bool isCellActive(const CellStore &cell);
+
+            Ptr searchPtrViaHandle (const std::string& handle);
+
+            Ptr searchPtrViaActorId (int actorId);
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
index 538cd17df..e07ee9df8 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
@@ -546,17 +546,13 @@ namespace MWWorld
     {
         if (mPlayer->getPlayer().getRefData().getHandle()==handle)
             return mPlayer->getPlayer();
-        for (Scene::CellStoreCollection::const_iterator iter (mWorldScene->getActiveCells().begin());
-            iter!=mWorldScene->getActiveCells().end(); ++iter)
-        {
-            CellStore* cellstore = *iter;
-            Ptr ptr = cellstore->searchViaHandle (handle);
 
-            if (!ptr.isEmpty())
-                return ptr;
-        }
+        return mWorldScene->searchPtrViaHandle (handle);
+    }
 
-        return MWWorld::Ptr();
+    Ptr World::searchPtrViaActorId (int actorId)
+    {
+        return mWorldScene->searchPtrViaActorId (actorId);
     }
 
     void World::addContainerScripts(const Ptr& reference, CellStore * cell)
@@ -1922,7 +1918,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
                     out.push_back(searchPtrViaHandle(*it));
         }
     }
-    
+
     bool World::getLOS(const MWWorld::Ptr& npc,const MWWorld::Ptr& targetNpc)
     {
         if (!targetNpc.getRefData().isEnabled() || !npc.getRefData().isEnabled())
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
index 645330683..2328e67a8 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
@@ -287,6 +287,9 @@ namespace MWWorld
             virtual Ptr searchPtrViaHandle (const std::string& handle);
             ///< Return a pointer to a liveCellRef with the given Ogre handle or Ptr() if not found
 
+            virtual Ptr searchPtrViaActorId (int actorId);
+            ///< Search is limited to the active cells.
+
             virtual void adjustPosition (const Ptr& ptr);
             ///< Adjust position after load to be on ground. Must be called after model load.