diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/activatoranimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/activatoranimation.cpp
index f951307b6..7bc89b917 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/activatoranimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/activatoranimation.cpp
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ ActivatorAnimation::ActivatorAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr)
             ent->setVisibilityFlags(RV_Misc);
             ent->setRenderQueueGroup(transparent ? RQG_Alpha : RQG_Main);
         }
+        setAnimationSource(mesh);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
index 707aedcd9..160641eb0 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
@@ -46,45 +46,64 @@ Animation::~Animation()
 }
 
 
-Ogre::Bone *Animation::insertSkeletonSource(const std::string &name)
+void Animation::setAnimationSources(const std::vector<std::string> &names)
 {
     Ogre::SkeletonManager &skelMgr = Ogre::SkeletonManager::getSingleton();
-    Ogre::SkeletonPtr skel = skelMgr.getByName(name);
-    if(skel.isNull())
+
+    mCurrentAnim = NULL;
+    mCurrentKeys = NULL;
+    mAnimVelocity = 0.0f;
+    mAccumRoot = NULL;
+    mNonAccumRoot = NULL;
+    mSkeletonSources.clear();
+
+    std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator nameiter = names.begin();
+    while(nameiter != names.end())
     {
-        NifOgre::Loader::createSkeleton(name);
-        skel = skelMgr.getByName(name);
+        Ogre::SkeletonPtr skel = skelMgr.getByName(*nameiter);
         if(skel.isNull())
         {
-            std::cerr<< "Failed to get skeleton source "<<name <<std::endl;
-            return NULL;
+            NifOgre::Loader::createSkeleton(*nameiter);
+            skel = skelMgr.getByName(*nameiter);
+            if(skel.isNull())
+            {
+                std::cerr<< "Failed to get skeleton source "<<*nameiter <<std::endl;
+                nameiter++;
+                continue;
+            }
         }
-    }
-    skel->touch();
-    mSkeletonSources.push_back(skel);
+        skel->touch();
 
-    Ogre::Skeleton::BoneIterator boneiter = skel->getBoneIterator();
-    while(boneiter.hasMoreElements())
-    {
-        Ogre::Bone *bone = boneiter.getNext();
-        Ogre::UserObjectBindings &bindings = bone->getUserObjectBindings();
-        const Ogre::Any &data = bindings.getUserAny(NifOgre::sTextKeyExtraDataID);
-        if(data.isEmpty() || !Ogre::any_cast<bool>(data))
-            continue;
-
-        for(int i = 0;i < skel->getNumAnimations();i++)
+        Ogre::Skeleton::BoneIterator boneiter = skel->getBoneIterator();
+        while(boneiter.hasMoreElements())
         {
-            Ogre::Animation *anim = skel->getAnimation(i);
-            const Ogre::Any &groupdata = bindings.getUserAny(std::string(NifOgre::sTextKeyExtraDataID)+
-                                                             "@"+anim->getName());
-            if(!groupdata.isEmpty())
-                mTextKeys[anim->getName()] = Ogre::any_cast<NifOgre::TextKeyMap>(groupdata);
+            Ogre::Bone *bone = boneiter.getNext();
+            Ogre::UserObjectBindings &bindings = bone->getUserObjectBindings();
+            const Ogre::Any &data = bindings.getUserAny(NifOgre::sTextKeyExtraDataID);
+            if(data.isEmpty() || !Ogre::any_cast<bool>(data))
+                continue;
+
+            if(!mNonAccumRoot && mEntityList.mSkelBase)
+            {
+                mAccumRoot = mInsert;
+                mNonAccumRoot = mEntityList.mSkelBase->getSkeleton()->getBone(bone->getName());
+            }
+
+            mSkeletonSources.push_back(skel);
+            for(int i = 0;i < skel->getNumAnimations();i++)
+            {
+                Ogre::Animation *anim = skel->getAnimation(i);
+                const Ogre::Any &groupdata = bindings.getUserAny(std::string(NifOgre::sTextKeyExtraDataID)+
+                                                                "@"+anim->getName());
+                if(!groupdata.isEmpty())
+                    mTextKeys[anim->getName()] = Ogre::any_cast<NifOgre::TextKeyMap>(groupdata);
+            }
+
+            break;
         }
 
-        return bone;
+        nameiter++;
     }
-
-    return NULL;
 }
 
 void Animation::createEntityList(Ogre::SceneNode *node, const std::string &model)
@@ -111,31 +130,6 @@ void Animation::createEntityList(Ogre::SceneNode *node, const std::string &model
         Ogre::Skeleton::BoneIterator boneiter = skelinst->getBoneIterator();
         while(boneiter.hasMoreElements())
             boneiter.getNext()->setManuallyControlled(true);
-
-        Ogre::Bone *bone = insertSkeletonSource(skelinst->getName());
-        if(!bone)
-        {
-            for(std::vector<Ogre::SkeletonPtr>::const_iterator iter(mSkeletonSources.begin());
-                !bone && iter != mSkeletonSources.end();iter++)
-            {
-                Ogre::Skeleton::BoneIterator boneiter = (*iter)->getBoneIterator();
-                while(boneiter.hasMoreElements())
-                {
-                    bone = boneiter.getNext();
-                    Ogre::UserObjectBindings &bindings = bone->getUserObjectBindings();
-                    const Ogre::Any &data = bindings.getUserAny(NifOgre::sTextKeyExtraDataID);
-                    if(!data.isEmpty() && Ogre::any_cast<bool>(data))
-                        break;
-
-                    bone = NULL;
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        if(bone)
-        {
-            mAccumRoot = mInsert;
-            mNonAccumRoot = skelinst->getBone(bone->getName());
-        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
index c6e230670..130805a50 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
@@ -57,9 +57,15 @@ protected:
      * anything. If the marker is not found, it resets to the beginning. */
     void reset(const std::string &marker);
 
-    /* Inserts an additional skeleton into the animation source chain. Returns
-     * the bone representing the non-accum root from the base skeleton. */
-    Ogre::Bone *insertSkeletonSource(const std::string &name);
+    /* Specifies a list of skeleton names to use as animation sources. */
+    void setAnimationSources(const std::vector<std::string> &names);
+
+    /* Specifies a single skeleton name to use as an animation source. */
+    void setAnimationSource(const std::string &name)
+    {
+        std::vector<std::string> names(1, name);
+        setAnimationSources(names);
+    }
 
     void createEntityList(Ogre::SceneNode *node, const std::string &model);
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp
index 094281c46..b85c4dbbd 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp
@@ -23,10 +23,9 @@ CreatureAnimation::CreatureAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr)
     assert (ref->mBase != NULL);
     if(!ref->mBase->mModel.empty())
     {
-        if((ref->mBase->mFlags&ESM::Creature::Biped))
-            insertSkeletonSource("meshes\\base_anim.nif");
+        std::string model = "meshes\\"+ref->mBase->mModel;
 
-        createEntityList(mPtr.getRefData().getBaseNode(), "meshes\\"+ref->mBase->mModel);
+        createEntityList(mPtr.getRefData().getBaseNode(), model);
         for(size_t i = 0;i < mEntityList.mEntities.size();i++)
         {
             Ogre::Entity *ent = mEntityList.mEntities[i];
@@ -52,6 +51,12 @@ CreatureAnimation::CreatureAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr)
             }
             ent->setRenderQueueGroup(transparent ? RQG_Alpha : RQG_Main);
         }
+
+        std::vector<std::string> names;
+        if((ref->mBase->mFlags&ESM::Creature::Biped))
+            names.push_back("meshes\\base_anim.nif");
+        names.push_back(model);
+        setAnimationSources(names);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
index 4d8119c72..3f135b7f6 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
@@ -125,13 +125,14 @@ NpcAnimation::NpcAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, Ogre::SceneNode* node, MWWor
         base->setRenderQueueGroup(transparent ? RQG_Alpha : RQG_Main);
     }
 
+    std::vector<std::string> skelnames(1, smodel);
     if(!mNpc->isMale() && !isBeast)
-        insertSkeletonSource("meshes\\base_anim_female.nif");
+        skelnames.push_back("meshes\\base_anim_female.nif");
     else if(mBodyPrefix.find("argonian") != std::string::npos)
-        insertSkeletonSource("meshes\\argonian_swimkna.nif");
-
+        skelnames.push_back("meshes\\argonian_swimkna.nif");
     if(mNpc->mModel.length() > 0)
-        insertSkeletonSource("meshes\\"+Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase(mNpc->mModel));
+        skelnames.push_back("meshes\\"+Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase(mNpc->mModel));
+    setAnimationSources(skelnames);
 
     updateParts(true);
 }