diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp
index 6076c1c10..de85f296d 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp
@@ -417,8 +417,7 @@ namespace MWGui
         icon.insert(slashPos+1, "b_");
         icon = MWBase::Environment::get().getWindowManager()->correctIconPath(icon);
 
-        mSpellImage->setItem(MWWorld::Ptr());
-        mSpellImage->setIcon(icon);
+        mSpellImage->setSpellIcon(icon);
     }
 
     void HUD::setSelectedEnchantItem(const MWWorld::Ptr& item, int chargePercent)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.hpp
index 73428c034..c33c4efad 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.hpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ namespace MWGui
     class DragAndDrop;
     class SpellIcons;
     class ItemWidget;
+    class SpellWidget;
 
     class HUD : public WindowBase, public LocalMapBase
     {
@@ -64,7 +65,8 @@ namespace MWGui
         MyGUI::ProgressBar *mHealth, *mMagicka, *mStamina, *mEnemyHealth, *mDrowning;
         MyGUI::Widget* mHealthFrame;
         MyGUI::Widget *mWeapBox, *mSpellBox, *mSneakBox;
-        ItemWidget *mWeapImage, *mSpellImage;
+        ItemWidget *mWeapImage;
+        SpellWidget *mSpellImage;
         MyGUI::ProgressBar *mWeapStatus, *mSpellStatus;
         MyGUI::Widget *mEffectBox, *mMinimapBox;
         MyGUI::Button* mMinimapButton;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/itemwidget.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/itemwidget.cpp
index 223bced4f..ba3039a16 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/itemwidget.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/itemwidget.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ namespace MWGui
     void ItemWidget::registerComponents()
     {
         MyGUI::FactoryManager::getInstance().registerFactory<ItemWidget>("Widget");
+        MyGUI::FactoryManager::getInstance().registerFactory<SpellWidget>("Widget");
     }
 
     void ItemWidget::initialiseOverride()
@@ -153,4 +154,14 @@ namespace MWGui
         setIcon(ptr);
     }
 
+    void SpellWidget::setSpellIcon(const std::string& icon)
+    {
+        if (mFrame)
+            mFrame->setImageTexture("");
+        if (mItemShadow)
+            mItemShadow->setImageTexture(icon);
+        if (mItem)
+            mItem->setImageTexture(icon);
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/itemwidget.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/itemwidget.hpp
index dd1717d11..e9b9ba1d5 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/itemwidget.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/itemwidget.hpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ namespace MWGui
         void setIcon (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr);
         void setFrame (const std::string& frame, const MyGUI::IntCoord& coord);
 
-    private:
+    protected:
         virtual void initialiseOverride();
 
         MyGUI::ImageBox* mItem;
@@ -52,6 +52,14 @@ namespace MWGui
         std::string mCurrentFrame;
     };
 
+    class SpellWidget : public ItemWidget
+    {
+    MYGUI_RTTI_DERIVED(SpellWidget)
+    public:
+
+        void setSpellIcon (const std::string& icon);
+    };
+
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/layout.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/layout.cpp
index 6bdb1a9f4..3035adebb 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/layout.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/layout.cpp
@@ -58,7 +58,10 @@ namespace MWGui
 
     void Layout::setTitle(const std::string& title)
     {
-        static_cast<MyGUI::Window*>(mMainWidget)->setCaptionWithReplacing(title);
+        MyGUI::Window* window = static_cast<MyGUI::Window*>(mMainWidget);
+
+        if (window->getCaption() != title)
+            window->setCaptionWithReplacing(title);
     }
 
     MyGUI::Widget* Layout::getWidget(const std::string &_name)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp
index 0a4486928..9be0326e7 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
     // mWatchedTimeToStartDrowning = -1 for correct drowning state check,
     // if stats.getTimeToStartDrowning() == 0 already on game start
     MechanicsManager::MechanicsManager()
-    : mWatchedTimeToStartDrowning(-1), mWatchedStatsEmpty (true), mUpdatePlayer (true), mClassSelected (false),
+    : mWatchedLevel(-1), mWatchedTimeToStartDrowning(-1), mWatchedStatsEmpty (true), mUpdatePlayer (true), mClassSelected (false),
       mRaceSelected (false), mAI(true)
     {
         //buildPlayer no longer here, needs to be done explicitly after all subsystems are up and running
@@ -361,7 +361,11 @@ namespace MWMechanics
                 }
             }
 
-            winMgr->setValue("level", stats.getLevel());
+            if(stats.getLevel() != mWatchedLevel)
+            {
+                mWatchedLevel = stats.getLevel();
+                winMgr->setValue("level", mWatchedLevel);
+            }
 
             mWatchedStatsEmpty = false;
 
@@ -377,10 +381,15 @@ namespace MWMechanics
             MWWorld::ContainerStoreIterator enchantItem = inv.getSelectedEnchantItem();
             if (enchantItem != inv.end())
                 winMgr->setSelectedEnchantItem(*enchantItem);
-            else if (!winMgr->getSelectedSpell().empty())
-                winMgr->setSelectedSpell(winMgr->getSelectedSpell(), int(MWMechanics::getSpellSuccessChance(winMgr->getSelectedSpell(), mWatched)));
             else
-                winMgr->unsetSelectedSpell();
+            {
+                const std::string& spell = winMgr->getSelectedSpell();
+                if (!spell.empty())
+                    winMgr->setSelectedSpell(spell, int(MWMechanics::getSpellSuccessChance(spell, mWatched)));
+                else
+                    winMgr->unsetSelectedSpell();
+            }
+
         }
 
         if (mUpdatePlayer)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.hpp
index a1fce4fa9..2dda376f5 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.hpp
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ namespace MWMechanics
             DynamicStat<float> mWatchedMagicka;
             DynamicStat<float> mWatchedFatigue;
 
+            int mWatchedLevel;
+
             float mWatchedTimeToStartDrowning;
 
             bool mWatchedStatsEmpty;
diff --git a/files/mygui/openmw_hud.layout b/files/mygui/openmw_hud.layout
index cee3f4682..b3e3cfb9d 100644
--- a/files/mygui/openmw_hud.layout
+++ b/files/mygui/openmw_hud.layout
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
         <!-- Selected spell box -->
         <Widget type="Button" position="122 146 36 41" align="Left Bottom" name="SpellBox">
             <Widget type="Widget" skin="HUD_Box" position="0 0 36 36">
-                <Widget type="ItemWidget" skin="MW_ItemIconNoShadow" position="-3 -3 42 42" align="Left Top" name="SpellImage"/>
+                <Widget type="SpellWidget" skin="MW_ItemIconNoShadow" position="-3 -3 42 42" align="Left Top" name="SpellImage"/>
                 <Property key="NeedMouse" value="false"/>
             </Widget>
             <Widget type="ProgressBar" skin="MW_EnergyBar_Magic" position="0 36 36 6" align="Left Bottom" name="SpellStatus">