diff --git a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
index 2299053cd..08e24b5d6 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@ OMW::Engine::Engine(Files::ConfigurationManager& configurationManager)
   , mFpsLevel(0)
   , mDebug (false)
   , mVerboseScripts (false)
-  , mNewGame (false)
   , mUseSound (true)
   , mCompileAll (false)
   , mScriptContext (0)
@@ -237,11 +236,6 @@ void OMW::Engine::setScriptsVerbosity(bool scriptsVerbosity)
     mVerboseScripts = scriptsVerbosity;
 }
 
-void OMW::Engine::setNewGame(bool newGame)
-{
-    mNewGame = newGame;
-}
-
 // Initialise and enter main loop.
 
 void OMW::Engine::go()
@@ -332,13 +326,13 @@ void OMW::Engine::go()
 
     // Create the world
     mEnvironment.setWorld (new MWWorld::World (*mOgre, mFileCollections, mMaster,
-        mResDir, mCfgMgr.getCachePath(), mNewGame, mEncoding, mFallbackMap));
+        mResDir, mCfgMgr.getCachePath(), mEncoding, mFallbackMap));
 
     // Create window manager - this manages all the MW-specific GUI windows
     MWScript::registerExtensions (mExtensions);
 
     mEnvironment.setWindowManager (new MWGui::WindowManager(
-        mExtensions, mFpsLevel, mNewGame, mOgre, mCfgMgr.getLogPath().string() + std::string("/"),
+        mExtensions, mFpsLevel, mOgre, mCfgMgr.getLogPath().string() + std::string("/"),
         mCfgMgr.getCachePath ().string(), mScriptConsoleMode));
 
     // Create sound system
diff --git a/apps/openmw/engine.hpp b/apps/openmw/engine.hpp
index 57402c91e..b13ec4368 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/engine.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/engine.hpp
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ namespace OMW
             int mFpsLevel;
             bool mDebug;
             bool mVerboseScripts;
-            bool mNewGame;
             bool mUseSound;
             bool mCompileAll;
             std::string mFocusName;
@@ -138,9 +137,6 @@ namespace OMW
             /// Disable or enable all sounds
             void setSoundUsage(bool soundUsage);
 
-            /// Start as a new game.
-            void setNewGame(bool newGame);
-
             /// Initialise and enter main loop.
             void go();
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/main.cpp b/apps/openmw/main.cpp
index 0563fdbbb..6b31f3ade 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/main.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/main.cpp
@@ -133,9 +133,6 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
         ("script-run", bpo::value<std::string>()->default_value(""),
             "select a file containing a list of console commands that is executed on startup")
 
-        ("new-game", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)
-            ->default_value(false), "activate char gen/new game mechanics")
-
         ("fs-strict", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)
             ->default_value(false), "strict file system handling (no case folding)")
 
@@ -238,7 +235,6 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
 
     // startup-settings
     engine.setCell(variables["start"].as<std::string>());
-    engine.setNewGame(variables["new-game"].as<bool>());
 
     // other settings
     engine.setDebugMode(variables["debug"].as<bool>());
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp
index c177912d4..9df75870d 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@ namespace MWBase
              */
             virtual void update() = 0;
 
+            virtual void newGame() = 0;
+
             virtual void pushGuiMode (MWGui::GuiMode mode) = 0;
             virtual void popGuiMode() = 0;
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/mainmenu.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/mainmenu.cpp
index b19f3de6d..0f74f6e14 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/mainmenu.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/mainmenu.cpp
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ namespace MWGui
     void MainMenu::newGameConfirmed()
     {
         MWBase::Environment::get().getWindowManager ()->removeGuiMode (GM_MainMenu);
+        MWBase::Environment::get().getWindowManager ()->newGame ();
         MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld ()->newGame();
     }
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
index 627f8f339..1f5966f72 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 using namespace MWGui;
 
 WindowManager::WindowManager(
-    const Compiler::Extensions& extensions, int fpsLevel, bool newGame, OEngine::Render::OgreRenderer *mOgre,
+    const Compiler::Extensions& extensions, int fpsLevel, OEngine::Render::OgreRenderer *mOgre,
         const std::string& logpath, const std::string& cacheDir, bool consoleOnlyScripts)
   : mGuiManager(NULL)
   , mHud(NULL)
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@ WindowManager::WindowManager(
   , mGui(NULL)
   , mGarbageDialogs()
   , mShown(GW_ALL)
-  , mAllowed(newGame ? GW_None : GW_ALL)
-  , mRestAllowed(newGame ? false : true)
+  , mAllowed(GW_ALL)
+  , mRestAllowed(true)
   , mShowFPSLevel(fpsLevel)
   , mFPS(0.0f)
   , mTriangleCount(0)
@@ -1041,3 +1041,9 @@ void WindowManager::startTraining(MWWorld::Ptr actor)
 {
     mTrainingWindow->startTraining(actor);
 }
+
+void WindowManager::newGame ()
+{
+    mAllowed = GW_None;
+    mRestAllowed = false;
+}
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp
index 2e684b5da..db5c22348 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ namespace MWGui
     typedef std::pair<std::string, int> Faction;
     typedef std::vector<Faction> FactionList;
 
-    WindowManager(const Compiler::Extensions& extensions, int fpsLevel, bool newGame,
+    WindowManager(const Compiler::Extensions& extensions, int fpsLevel,
                   OEngine::Render::OgreRenderer *mOgre, const std::string& logpath,
                   const std::string& cacheDir, bool consoleOnlyScripts);
     virtual ~WindowManager();
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ namespace MWGui
      */
     virtual void update();
 
+    virtual void newGame();
+
     virtual void pushGuiMode(GuiMode mode);
     virtual void popGuiMode();
     virtual void removeGuiMode(GuiMode mode); ///< can be anywhere in the stack
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
index f1fb67632..afcdb8d39 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
     World::World (OEngine::Render::OgreRenderer& renderer,
         const Files::Collections& fileCollections,
-        const std::string& master, const boost::filesystem::path& resDir, const boost::filesystem::path& cacheDir, bool newGame,
+        const std::string& master, const boost::filesystem::path& resDir, const boost::filesystem::path& cacheDir,
         const std::string& encoding, std::map<std::string,std::string> fallbackMap)
     : mPlayer (0), mLocalScripts (mStore), mGlobalVariables (0),
       mSky (true), mCells (mStore, mEsm), mNewGameStarted(false),
@@ -197,12 +197,6 @@ namespace MWWorld
         // global variables
         mGlobalVariables = new Globals (mStore);
 
-        if (newGame)
-        {
-            // set new game mark
-            mGlobalVariables->setInt ("chargenstate", 1);
-        }
-
         mGlobalVariables->setInt ("pcrace", 3);
 
         mWorldScene = new Scene(*mRendering, mPhysics);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
index a58e70d12..8f89ecff3 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
             World (OEngine::Render::OgreRenderer& renderer,
                 const Files::Collections& fileCollections,
-                const std::string& master, const boost::filesystem::path& resDir, const boost::filesystem::path& cacheDir, bool newGame,
+                const std::string& master, const boost::filesystem::path& resDir, const boost::filesystem::path& cacheDir,
                 const std::string& encoding, std::map<std::string,std::string> fallbackMap);
 
             virtual ~World();