diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
index 2970c9b1d..7560f8738 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
@@ -273,11 +273,12 @@ namespace MWGui
         trackWindow(mCompanionWindow, "companion");
 
         mWerewolfFader = new ScreenFader("textures\\werewolfoverlay.dds");
-        mHitFader = new ScreenFader("textures\\bm_player_hit_01.dds");
+        std::string hitFaderTexture = "textures\\bm_player_hit_01.dds";
         // fall back to player_hit_01.dds if bm_player_hit_01.dds is not available
         // TODO: check if non-BM versions actually use player_hit_01.dds
-        if(!Ogre::ResourceGroupManager::getSingleton().resourceExistsInAnyGroup("textures\\bm_player_hit_01.dds"))
-            mHitFader->setTexture("textures\\player_hit_01.dds");
+        if(!Ogre::ResourceGroupManager::getSingleton().resourceExistsInAnyGroup(hitFaderTexture))
+            hitFaderTexture = "textures\\player_hit_01.dds";
+        mHitFader = new ScreenFader(hitFaderTexture);
         mScreenFader = new ScreenFader("black.png");
 
         mDebugWindow = new DebugWindow();