diff --git a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
index aadeb7f3a..fcfaed47d 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
@@ -427,12 +427,7 @@ void OMW::Engine::activate()
     if (MWBase::Environment::get().getWindowManager()->isGuiMode())
         return;
 
-    std::string handle = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getFacedHandle();
-
-    if (handle.empty())
-        return;
-
-    MWWorld::Ptr ptr = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->searchPtrViaHandle (handle);
+    MWWorld::Ptr ptr = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getFacedObject();
 
     if (ptr.isEmpty())
         return;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp
index cc625b306..6f7b6e61a 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp
@@ -199,8 +199,8 @@ namespace MWBase
 
             virtual void markCellAsUnchanged() = 0;
 
-            virtual std::string getFacedHandle() = 0;
-            ///< Return handle of the object the player is looking at
+            virtual MWWorld::Ptr  getFacedObject() = 0;
+            ///< Return pointer to the object the player is looking at, if it is within activation range
 
             virtual void deleteObject (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr) = 0;
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp
index 689baf488..5ea1d1338 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/hud.cpp
@@ -244,8 +244,7 @@ void HUD::onWorldClicked(MyGUI::Widget* _sender)
         if ( (mode != GM_Console) && (mode != GM_Container) && (mode != GM_Inventory) )
             return;
 
-        std::string handle = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getFacedHandle();
-        MWWorld::Ptr object = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->searchPtrViaHandle(handle);
+        MWWorld::Ptr object = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getFacedObject();
 
         if (mode == GM_Console)
             MWBase::Environment::get().getWindowManager()->getConsole()->setSelectedObject(object);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/tooltips.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/tooltips.cpp
index 97df211ac..c7acf568d 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/tooltips.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/tooltips.cpp
@@ -80,9 +80,8 @@ void ToolTips::onFrame(float frameDuration)
             || (mWindowManager->getMode() == GM_Container)
             || (mWindowManager->getMode() == GM_Inventory)))
         {
-            std::string handle = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getFacedHandle();
+            mFocusObject = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getFacedObject();
 
-            mFocusObject = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->searchPtrViaHandle(handle);
             if (mFocusObject.isEmpty ())
                 return;
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
index 002ffcd93..a893a6776 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
@@ -573,26 +573,24 @@ namespace MWWorld
         return mWorldScene->markCellAsUnchanged();
     }
 
-    std::string World::getFacedHandle()
+    MWWorld::Ptr World::getFacedObject()
     {
+        std::pair<float, std::string> result;
+
         if (!mRendering->occlusionQuerySupported())
-        {
-            std::pair<float, std::string> result = mPhysics->getFacedHandle (*this, 500);
-
-            if (result.second.empty() ||
-                    result.first>getStore().get<ESM::GameSetting>().find ("iMaxActivateDist")->getInt())
-                return "";
-
-            return result.second;
-        }
+            result = mPhysics->getFacedHandle (*this, 500);
         else
-        {
-            if (mFacedDistance > result.first>getStore().get<ESM::GameSetting>().find ("iMaxActivateDist")->getInt())
-                return "";
+            result = std::make_pair (mFacedDistance, mFacedHandle);
 
-            // updated every few frames in update()
-            return mFacedHandle;
-        }
+        if (result.second.empty())
+            return MWWorld::Ptr ();
+
+        float ActivationDistance = getStore().get<ESM::GameSetting>().find ("iMaxActivateDist")->getInt();
+
+        if (result.first > ActivationDistance)
+            return MWWorld::Ptr ();
+
+        return  searchPtrViaHandle (result.second);
     }
 
     void World::deleteObject (const Ptr& ptr)
@@ -904,7 +902,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
     void World::updateWindowManager ()
     {
         // inform the GUI about focused object
-        MWWorld::Ptr object = searchPtrViaHandle(mFacedHandle);
+        MWWorld::Ptr object = getFacedObject ();
 
         MWBase::Environment::get().getWindowManager()->setFocusObject(object);
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
index de6689deb..62fb1d89a 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
@@ -227,8 +227,8 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
             virtual void markCellAsUnchanged();
 
-            virtual std::string getFacedHandle();
-            ///< Return handle of the object the player is looking at
+            virtual MWWorld::Ptr getFacedObject();
+            ///< Return pointer to the object the player is looking at, if it is within activation range
 
             virtual void deleteObject (const Ptr& ptr);