diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/activatoranimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/activatoranimation.cpp
index 0dc16ecb6..961c07003 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/activatoranimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/activatoranimation.cpp
@@ -30,24 +30,13 @@ ActivatorAnimation::ActivatorAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr)
         {
             Ogre::Entity *ent = mEntityList.mEntities[i];
 
-            bool transparent = false;
-            for(unsigned int j=0;!transparent && j < ent->getNumSubEntities(); ++j)
+            for(unsigned int j=0; j < ent->getNumSubEntities(); ++j)
             {
-                Ogre::MaterialPtr mat = ent->getSubEntity(j)->getMaterial();
-                Ogre::Material::TechniqueIterator techIt = mat->getTechniqueIterator();
-                while(!transparent && techIt.hasMoreElements())
-                {
-                    Ogre::Technique* tech = techIt.getNext();
-                    Ogre::Technique::PassIterator passIt = tech->getPassIterator();
-                    while(!transparent && passIt.hasMoreElements())
-                    {
-                        Ogre::Pass* pass = passIt.getNext();
-                        transparent = pass->isTransparent();
-                    }
-                }
+                Ogre::SubEntity* subEnt = ent->getSubEntity(j);
+                subEnt->setRenderQueueGroup(subEnt->getMaterial()->isTransparent() ? RQG_Alpha : RQG_Main);
             }
+
             ent->setVisibilityFlags(RV_Misc);
-            ent->setRenderQueueGroup(transparent ? RQG_Alpha : RQG_Main);
         }
         setAnimationSource(mesh);
     }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp
index 73bb80547..22f84ee01 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp
@@ -31,23 +31,11 @@ CreatureAnimation::CreatureAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr)
             Ogre::Entity *ent = mEntityList.mEntities[i];
             ent->setVisibilityFlags(RV_Actors);
 
-            bool transparent = false;
-            for(unsigned int j=0;!transparent && j < ent->getNumSubEntities(); ++j)
+            for(unsigned int j=0; j < ent->getNumSubEntities(); ++j)
             {
-                Ogre::MaterialPtr mat = ent->getSubEntity(j)->getMaterial();
-                Ogre::Material::TechniqueIterator techIt = mat->getTechniqueIterator();
-                while(!transparent && techIt.hasMoreElements())
-                {
-                    Ogre::Technique* tech = techIt.getNext();
-                    Ogre::Technique::PassIterator passIt = tech->getPassIterator();
-                    while(!transparent && passIt.hasMoreElements())
-                    {
-                        Ogre::Pass* pass = passIt.getNext();
-                        transparent = pass->isTransparent();
-                    }
-                }
+                Ogre::SubEntity* subEnt = ent->getSubEntity(j);
+                subEnt->setRenderQueueGroup(subEnt->getMaterial()->isTransparent() ? RQG_Alpha : RQG_Main);
             }
-            ent->setRenderQueueGroup(transparent ? RQG_Alpha : RQG_Main);
         }
 
         std::vector<std::string> names;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
index 33addd284..a7d5c22af 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
@@ -107,23 +107,11 @@ NpcAnimation::NpcAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, Ogre::SceneNode* node, MWWor
         if (mVisibilityFlags != 0)
             base->setVisibilityFlags(mVisibilityFlags);
 
-        bool transparent = false;
-        for(unsigned int j=0;!transparent && j < base->getNumSubEntities();++j)
+        for(unsigned int j=0; j < base->getNumSubEntities(); ++j)
         {
-            Ogre::MaterialPtr mat = base->getSubEntity(j)->getMaterial();
-            Ogre::Material::TechniqueIterator techIt = mat->getTechniqueIterator();
-            while(!transparent && techIt.hasMoreElements())
-            {
-                Ogre::Technique* tech = techIt.getNext();
-                Ogre::Technique::PassIterator passIt = tech->getPassIterator();
-                while(!transparent && passIt.hasMoreElements())
-                {
-                    Ogre::Pass* pass = passIt.getNext();
-                    transparent = pass->isTransparent();
-                }
-            }
+            Ogre::SubEntity* subEnt = base->getSubEntity(j);
+            subEnt->setRenderQueueGroup(subEnt->getMaterial()->isTransparent() ? RQG_Alpha : RQG_Main);
         }
-        base->setRenderQueueGroup(transparent ? RQG_Alpha : RQG_Main);
     }
 
     std::vector<std::string> skelnames(1, smodel);
@@ -326,23 +314,11 @@ NifOgre::EntityList NpcAnimation::insertBoundedPart(const std::string &mesh, int
         if (mVisibilityFlags != 0)
             parts[i]->setVisibilityFlags(mVisibilityFlags);
 
-        bool transparent = false;
-        for(unsigned int j=0;!transparent && j < parts[i]->getNumSubEntities();++j)
+        for(unsigned int j=0; j < parts[i]->getNumSubEntities(); ++j)
         {
-            Ogre::MaterialPtr mat = parts[i]->getSubEntity(j)->getMaterial();
-            Ogre::Material::TechniqueIterator techIt = mat->getTechniqueIterator();
-            while(!transparent && techIt.hasMoreElements())
-            {
-                Ogre::Technique* tech = techIt.getNext();
-                Ogre::Technique::PassIterator passIt = tech->getPassIterator();
-                while(!transparent && passIt.hasMoreElements())
-                {
-                    Ogre::Pass* pass = passIt.getNext();
-                    transparent = pass->isTransparent();
-                }
-            }
+            Ogre::SubEntity* subEnt = parts[i]->getSubEntity(j);
+            subEnt->setRenderQueueGroup(subEnt->getMaterial()->isTransparent() ? RQG_Alpha : RQG_Main);
         }
-        parts[i]->setRenderQueueGroup(transparent ? RQG_Alpha : RQG_Main);
     }
     if(entities.mSkelBase)
     {
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/objects.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/objects.cpp
index 525dcdcc4..cb1dfa75b 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/objects.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/objects.cpp
@@ -129,36 +129,28 @@ void Objects::insertMesh (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& mesh, bool
         mBounds[ptr.getCell()] = Ogre::AxisAlignedBox::BOX_NULL;
     mBounds[ptr.getCell()].merge(bounds);
 
-    bool transparent = false;
-    for(size_t i = 0;!transparent && i < entities.mEntities.size();i++)
+    bool anyTransparency = false;
+    for(size_t i = 0;!anyTransparency && i < entities.mEntities.size();i++)
     {
         Ogre::Entity *ent = entities.mEntities[i];
-        for(unsigned int i=0;!transparent && i < ent->getNumSubEntities(); ++i)
+        for(unsigned int i=0;!anyTransparency && i < ent->getNumSubEntities(); ++i)
         {
-            Ogre::MaterialPtr mat = ent->getSubEntity(i)->getMaterial();
-            Ogre::Material::TechniqueIterator techIt = mat->getTechniqueIterator();
-            while(!transparent && techIt.hasMoreElements())
-            {
-                Ogre::Technique* tech = techIt.getNext();
-                Ogre::Technique::PassIterator passIt = tech->getPassIterator();
-                while(!transparent && passIt.hasMoreElements())
-                {
-                    Ogre::Pass* pass = passIt.getNext();
-                    transparent = pass->isTransparent();
-                }
-            }
+            anyTransparency = ent->getSubEntity(i)->getMaterial()->isTransparent();
         }
     }
 
-    if(!mIsStatic || !Settings::Manager::getBool("use static geometry", "Objects") || transparent)
+    if(!mIsStatic || !Settings::Manager::getBool("use static geometry", "Objects") || anyTransparency)
     {
         for(size_t i = 0;i < entities.mEntities.size();i++)
         {
             Ogre::Entity *ent = entities.mEntities[i];
-
+            for(unsigned int i=0; i < ent->getNumSubEntities(); ++i)
+            {
+                Ogre::SubEntity* subEnt = ent->getSubEntity(i);
+                subEnt->setRenderQueueGroup(subEnt->getMaterial()->isTransparent() ? RQG_Alpha : RQG_Main);
+            }
             ent->setRenderingDistance(small ? Settings::Manager::getInt("small object distance", "Viewing distance") : 0);
             ent->setVisibilityFlags(mIsStatic ? (small ? RV_StaticsSmall : RV_Statics) : RV_Misc);
-            ent->setRenderQueueGroup(transparent ? RQG_Alpha : RQG_Main);
         }
     }
     else
@@ -203,7 +195,7 @@ void Objects::insertMesh (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& mesh, bool
 
         sg->setCastShadows(true);
 
-        sg->setRenderQueueGroup(transparent ? RQG_Alpha : RQG_Main);
+        sg->setRenderQueueGroup(RQG_Main);
 
         std::vector<Ogre::Entity*>::reverse_iterator iter = entities.mEntities.rbegin();
         while(iter != entities.mEntities.rend())
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderingmanager.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderingmanager.cpp
index 382ec6557..3f559c9fd 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderingmanager.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderingmanager.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,8 @@ RenderingManager::RenderingManager (OEngine::Render::OgreRenderer& _rend, const
     mFactory->loadAllFiles();
 
     // Set default mipmap level (NB some APIs ignore this)
-    TextureManager::getSingleton().setDefaultNumMipmaps(Settings::Manager::getInt("num mipmaps", "General"));
+    // Mipmap generation is currently disabled because it causes issues on Intel/AMD
+    //TextureManager::getSingleton().setDefaultNumMipmaps(Settings::Manager::getInt("num mipmaps", "General"));
 
     // Set default texture filtering options
     TextureFilterOptions tfo;
diff --git a/files/settings-default.cfg b/files/settings-default.cfg
index 6ff7fb432..69aa20883 100644
--- a/files/settings-default.cfg
+++ b/files/settings-default.cfg
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ texture filtering = anisotropic
 anisotropy = 4
 
 # Number of texture mipmaps to generate
-num mipmaps = 5
+# This setting is currently ignored due to mipmap generation problems on Intel/AMD
+#num mipmaps = 5
 
 shader mode =