diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
index 0547051a7..fbc6b53d6 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
@@ -110,6 +110,11 @@ void Animation::setObjectRoot(const std::string &model, bool baseonly)
 
     mObjectRoot = (!baseonly ? NifOgre::Loader::createObjects(mInsert, mdlname) :
                                NifOgre::Loader::createObjectBase(mInsert, mdlname));
+
+    // Fast forward auto-play particles, which will have been set up as Emitting by the loader.
+    for (unsigned int i=0; i<mObjectRoot->mParticles.size(); ++i)
+        mObjectRoot->mParticles[i]->fastForward(1, 0.1);
+
     if(mObjectRoot->mSkelBase)
     {
         mSkelBase = mObjectRoot->mSkelBase;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
index 7467bd776..303917c95 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
@@ -552,6 +552,10 @@ NifOgre::ObjectScenePtr NpcAnimation::insertBoundedPart(const std::string &model
     std::for_each(objects->mEntities.begin(), objects->mEntities.end(), SetObjectGroup(group));
     std::for_each(objects->mParticles.begin(), objects->mParticles.end(), SetObjectGroup(group));
 
+    // Fast forward auto-play particles, which will have been set up as Emitting by the loader.
+    for (unsigned int i=0; i<objects->mParticles.size(); ++i)
+        objects->mParticles[i]->fastForward(1, 0.1);
+
     if(objects->mSkelBase)
     {
         Ogre::AnimationStateSet *aset = objects->mSkelBase->getAllAnimationStates();
diff --git a/components/nifogre/ogrenifloader.cpp b/components/nifogre/ogrenifloader.cpp
index 495dd1f16..5d55ea307 100644
--- a/components/nifogre/ogrenifloader.cpp
+++ b/components/nifogre/ogrenifloader.cpp
@@ -916,8 +916,10 @@ class NIFObjectLoader
 
                 scene->mControllers.push_back(Ogre::Controller<Ogre::Real>(srcval, dstval, func));
 
-                if (partflags&Nif::NiNode::ParticleFlag_AutoPlay)
-                    partsys->fastForward(1, 0.1);
+                // Emitting state will be overwritten on frame update by the ParticleSystemController,
+                // but set up an initial value anyway so the user can fast-forward particle systems
+                // immediately after creation if desired.
+                partsys->setEmitting(partflags&Nif::NiNode::ParticleFlag_AutoPlay);
             }
             ctrl = ctrl->next;
         }