diff --git a/components/nif/niffile.cpp b/components/nif/niffile.cpp
index 0f7e658fb..10847e8f4 100644
--- a/components/nif/niffile.cpp
+++ b/components/nif/niffile.cpp
@@ -318,6 +318,8 @@ void NIFFile::parse()
       Record *r = NULL;
 
       std::string rec = nif.getString();
+      if(rec.empty())
+        fail("Record number " + Ogre::StringConverter::toString(i) + " out of " + Ogre::StringConverter::toString(recNum) + " is blank.");
 
       RecordFactoryEntry const * entry = lookupRecordFactory (rec.c_str ());
 
diff --git a/components/nif/niffile.hpp b/components/nif/niffile.hpp
index 77e0acb9e..29fa3951e 100644
--- a/components/nif/niffile.hpp
+++ b/components/nif/niffile.hpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <vector>
 #include <cassert>
+#include <typeinfo>
 
 #include <boost/weak_ptr.hpp>
 #include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
@@ -137,8 +138,8 @@ template<typename T>
 struct KeyT {
     float mTime;
     T mValue;
-    T mForwardValue;  // Only for Quadratic interpolation
-    T mBackwardValue; // Only for Quadratic interpolation
+    T mForwardValue;  // Only for Quadratic interpolation, and never for QuaternionKeyList
+    T mBackwardValue; // Only for Quadratic interpolation, and never for QuaternionKeyList
     float mTension;    // Only for TBC interpolation
     float mBias;       // Only for TBC interpolation
     float mContinuity; // Only for TBC interpolation
@@ -184,8 +185,11 @@ struct KeyListT {
                 KeyT<T> &key = mKeys[i];
                 key.mTime = nif->getFloat();
                 key.mValue = (nif->*getValue)();
-                key.mForwardValue = (nif->*getValue)();
-                key.mBackwardValue = (nif->*getValue)();
+                if( typeid(Ogre::Quaternion) != typeid(T) )
+                {
+                    key.mForwardValue = (nif->*getValue)();
+                    key.mBackwardValue = (nif->*getValue)();
+                }
             }
         }
         else if(mInterpolationType == sTBCInterpolation)