diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp
index 566853fc7..de5f15d64 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp
@@ -279,7 +279,11 @@ namespace MWBase
             virtual void rotateObject(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr,float x,float y,float z, bool adjust = false) = 0;
 
             virtual MWWorld::Ptr placeObject(const MWWorld::ConstPtr& ptr, MWWorld::CellStore* cell, ESM::Position pos) = 0;
-            ///< place an object in a "safe" location (ie not in the void, etc).
+            ///< Place an object. Makes a copy of the Ptr.
+
+            virtual MWWorld::Ptr safePlaceObject (const MWWorld::ConstPtr& ptr, const MWWorld::ConstPtr& referenceObject, MWWorld::CellStore* referenceCell, int direction, float distance) = 0;
+            ///< Place an object in a safe place next to \a referenceObject. \a direction and \a distance specify the wanted placement
+            /// relative to \a referenceObject (but the object may be placed somewhere else if the wanted location is obstructed).
 
             virtual void indexToPosition (int cellX, int cellY, float &x, float &y, bool centre = false)
                 const = 0;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwscript/transformationextensions.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwscript/transformationextensions.cpp
index 7d9877168..e9e13e74f 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwscript/transformationextensions.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwscript/transformationextensions.cpp
@@ -492,15 +492,6 @@ namespace MWScript
         {
             public:
 
-                osg::Vec3f getSpawnPosition(const osg::Vec3f& origin, const osg::Quat& orientation, int direction, float distance)
-                {
-                    if(direction == 0) return origin + (orientation * osg::Vec3f(0,1,0)) * distance;
-                    else if(direction == 1) return origin - (orientation * osg::Vec3f(0,1,0)) * distance;
-                    else if(direction == 2) return origin - (orientation * osg::Vec3f(1,0,0)) * distance;
-                    else if(direction == 3) return origin + (orientation * osg::Vec3f(1,0,0)) * distance;
-                    else return origin;
-                }
-
                 virtual void execute (Interpreter::Runtime& runtime)
                 {
                     MWWorld::Ptr actor = pc
@@ -523,52 +514,12 @@ namespace MWScript
                     if (!actor.isInCell())
                         throw std::runtime_error ("actor is not in a cell");
 
-                    ESM::Position ipos = actor.getRefData().getPosition();
-                    osg::Vec3f pos(ipos.asVec3());
-                    osg::Quat rot(ipos.rot[2], osg::Vec3f(0,0,-1));
-
-                    for (int i=0; i<4; ++i)
-                    {
-                        // check if spawn point is safe, fall back to another direction if not
-                        osg::Vec3f spawnPoint = getSpawnPosition(ipos.asVec3(), rot, direction, distance);
-                        spawnPoint.z() += 30; // move up a little to account for slopes, will snap down later
-
-                        if (!MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->castRay(spawnPoint.x(), spawnPoint.y(), spawnPoint.z(),
-                                                                           pos.x(), pos.y(), pos.z() + 20))
-                        {
-                            // safe
-                            ipos.pos[0] = spawnPoint.x();
-                            ipos.pos[1] = spawnPoint.y();
-                            ipos.pos[2] = spawnPoint.z();
-                            break;
-                        }
-                        direction = (direction+1) % 4;
-                    }
-
-                    if (actor.getClass().isActor())
-                    {
-                        // TODO: should this depend on the 'direction' parameter?
-                        ipos.rot[0] = 0;
-                        ipos.rot[1] = 0;
-                        ipos.rot[2] = 0;
-                    }
-                    else
-                    {
-                        ipos.rot[0] = actor.getRefData().getPosition().rot[0];
-                        ipos.rot[1] = actor.getRefData().getPosition().rot[1];
-                        ipos.rot[2] = actor.getRefData().getPosition().rot[2];
-                    }
-
-
                     for (int i=0; i<count; ++i)
                     {
                         // create item
-                        MWWorld::CellStore* store = actor.getCell();
                         MWWorld::ManualRef ref(MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getStore(), itemID, 1);
-                        ref.getPtr().getCellRef().setPosition(ipos);
 
-                        MWWorld::Ptr placed = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->placeObject(ref.getPtr(),store,ipos);
-                        placed.getClass().adjustPosition(placed, true); // snap to ground
+                        MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->safePlaceObject(ref.getPtr(), actor, actor.getCell(), direction, distance);
                     }
                 }
         };
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
index 3a4b0109c..be2baf737 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
@@ -1330,6 +1330,43 @@ namespace MWWorld
         return copyObjectToCell(ptr,cell,pos,ptr.getRefData().getCount(),false);
     }
 
+    MWWorld::Ptr World::safePlaceObject(const ConstPtr &ptr, const ConstPtr &referenceObject, MWWorld::CellStore* referenceCell, int direction, float distance)
+    {
+        ESM::Position ipos = referenceObject.getRefData().getPosition();
+        osg::Vec3f pos(ipos.asVec3());
+        osg::Quat orientation(ipos.rot[2], osg::Vec3f(0,0,-1));
+
+        for (int i=0; i<4; ++i)
+        {
+            // check if spawn point is safe, fall back to another direction if not
+            osg::Vec3f spawnPoint = pos;
+            if (direction == 0) spawnPoint = pos + (orientation * osg::Vec3f(0,1,0)) * distance;
+            else if(direction == 1) spawnPoint = pos - (orientation * osg::Vec3f(0,1,0)) * distance;
+            else if(direction == 2) spawnPoint = pos - (orientation * osg::Vec3f(1,0,0)) * distance;
+            else if(direction == 3) spawnPoint = pos + (orientation * osg::Vec3f(1,0,0)) * distance;
+            spawnPoint.z() += 30; // move up a little to account for slopes, will snap down later
+
+            if (!castRay(spawnPoint.x(), spawnPoint.y(), spawnPoint.z(),
+                                                               pos.x(), pos.y(), pos.z() + 20))
+            {
+                // safe
+                ipos.pos[0] = spawnPoint.x();
+                ipos.pos[1] = spawnPoint.y();
+                ipos.pos[2] = spawnPoint.z();
+                break;
+            }
+            direction = (direction+1) % 4;
+        }
+
+        ipos.rot[0] = referenceObject.getRefData().getPosition().rot[0];
+        ipos.rot[1] = referenceObject.getRefData().getPosition().rot[1];
+        ipos.rot[2] = referenceObject.getRefData().getPosition().rot[2];
+
+        MWWorld::Ptr placed = copyObjectToCell(ptr, referenceCell, ipos, ptr.getRefData().getCount(), false);
+        placed.getClass().adjustPosition(placed, true); // snap to ground
+        return placed;
+    }
+
     void World::indexToPosition (int cellX, int cellY, float &x, float &y, bool centre) const
     {
         const int cellSize = 8192;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
index 9f21135e5..d1298a39b 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
@@ -368,7 +368,11 @@ namespace MWWorld
             virtual void rotateObject (const Ptr& ptr,float x,float y,float z, bool adjust = false);
 
             virtual MWWorld::Ptr placeObject(const MWWorld::ConstPtr& ptr, MWWorld::CellStore* cell, ESM::Position pos);
-            ///< place an object. Makes a copy of the Ptr.
+            ///< Place an object. Makes a copy of the Ptr.
+
+            virtual MWWorld::Ptr safePlaceObject (const MWWorld::ConstPtr& ptr, const MWWorld::ConstPtr& referenceObject, MWWorld::CellStore* referenceCell, int direction, float distance);
+            ///< Place an object in a safe place next to \a referenceObject. \a direction and \a distance specify the wanted placement
+            /// relative to \a referenceObject (but the object may be placed somewhere else if the wanted location is obstructed).
 
             virtual float getMaxActivationDistance();