diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7e6dca6ca..5fd73a4e3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@
     Bug #4979: AiTravel maximum range depends on "actors processing range" setting
     Bug #4980: Drowning mechanics is applied for actors indifferently from distance to player
     Bug #4984: "Friendly hits" feature should be used only for player's followers
+    Bug #4989: Object dimension-dependent VFX scaling behavior is inconsistent
     Bug #4990: Dead bodies prevent you from hitting
     Feature #1774: Handle AvoidNode
     Feature #2229: Improve pathfinding AI
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/spellcasting.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/spellcasting.cpp
index 22cdeb2df..1e4ac96bc 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/spellcasting.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/spellcasting.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <limits>
 #include <iomanip>
 
+#include <components/misc/constants.hpp>
 #include <components/misc/rng.hpp>
 #include <components/settings/settings.hpp>
 
@@ -1085,41 +1086,18 @@ namespace MWMechanics
 
             std::string texture = effect->mParticle;
 
-            float scale = 1.0f;
             osg::Vec3f pos (mCaster.getRefData().getPosition().asVec3());
 
-            if (animation && mCaster.getClass().isNpc())
-            {
-                // For NPC we should take race height as scaling factor
-                const ESM::NPC *npc = mCaster.get<ESM::NPC>()->mBase;
-                const MWWorld::ESMStore &esmStore =
-                    MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getStore();
-
-                const ESM::Race *race =
-                    esmStore.get<ESM::Race>().find(npc->mRace);
-
-                scale = npc->isMale() ? race->mData.mHeight.mMale : race->mData.mHeight.mFemale;
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                osg::Vec3f halfExtents = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getHalfExtents(mCaster);
-
-                // TODO: take a size of particle or NPC with height and weight = 1.0 as scale = 1.0
-                float scaleX = halfExtents.x() * 2 / 60.f;
-                float scaleY = halfExtents.y() * 2 / 60.f;
-                float scaleZ = halfExtents.z() * 2 / 120.f;
-
-                scale = std::max({ scaleX, scaleY, scaleZ });
-            }
-
-            // If the caster has no animation, add the effect directly to the effectManager
             if (animation)
             {
-                animation->addEffect("meshes\\" + castStatic->mModel, effect->mIndex, false, "", texture, scale);
+                animation->addEffect("meshes\\" + castStatic->mModel, effect->mIndex, false, "", texture);
             }
             else
             {
-                // We should set scale for effect manager manually
+                // If the caster has no animation, add the effect directly to the effectManager
+                // We should scale it manually
+                osg::Vec3f bounds (MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getHalfExtents(mCaster) * 2.f / Constants::UnitsPerFoot);
+                float scale = std::max({ bounds.x()/3.f, bounds.y()/3.f, bounds.z()/6.f });
                 float meshScale = !mCaster.getClass().isActor() ? mCaster.getCellRef().getScale() : 1.0f;
                 MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->spawnEffect("meshes\\" + castStatic->mModel, effect->mParticle, pos, scale * meshScale);
             }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
index 96b377b10..1e8eb9f8e 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
@@ -1631,7 +1631,7 @@ namespace MWRender
         SceneUtil::addLight(parent, esmLight, Mask_ParticleSystem, Mask_Lighting, exterior);
     }
 
-    void Animation::addEffect (const std::string& model, int effectId, bool loop, const std::string& bonename, const std::string& texture, float scale)
+    void Animation::addEffect (const std::string& model, int effectId, bool loop, const std::string& bonename, const std::string& texture)
     {
         if (!mObjectRoot.get())
             return;
@@ -1663,7 +1663,12 @@ namespace MWRender
         }
 
         osg::ref_ptr<osg::PositionAttitudeTransform> trans = new osg::PositionAttitudeTransform;
-        trans->setScale(osg::Vec3f(scale, scale, scale));
+        if (!mPtr.getClass().isNpc())
+        {
+            osg::Vec3f bounds (MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getHalfExtents(mPtr) * 2.f / Constants::UnitsPerFoot);
+            float scale = std::max({ bounds.x()/3.f, bounds.y()/3.f, bounds.z()/6.f });
+            trans->setScale(osg::Vec3f(scale, scale, scale));
+        }
         parentNode->addChild(trans);
 
         osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> node = mResourceSystem->getSceneManager()->getInstance(model, trans);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
index f638a4db7..9b9092146 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ public:
      * @param texture override the texture specified in the model's materials - if empty, do not override
      * @note Will not add an effect twice.
      */
-    void addEffect (const std::string& model, int effectId, bool loop = false, const std::string& bonename = "", const std::string& texture = "", float scale = 1.0f);
+    void addEffect (const std::string& model, int effectId, bool loop = false, const std::string& bonename = "", const std::string& texture = "");
     void removeEffect (int effectId);
     void removeEffects ();
     void getLoopingEffects (std::vector<int>& out) const;