diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.cpp
index 6c00b949c..6e43b8dc2 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.cpp
@@ -367,4 +367,8 @@ namespace MWWorld
     {
         throw std::runtime_error("class does not support gore");
     }
+
+    void Class::readAdditionalState (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const ESM::ObjectState& state) const {}
+
+    void Class::writeAdditionalState (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, ESM::ObjectState& state) const {}
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.hpp
index ec22d0306..6e3a56907 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.hpp
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@
 
 #include "ptr.hpp"
 
+namespace ESM
+{
+    struct ObjectState;
+}
+
 namespace Ogre
 {
     class Vector3;
@@ -299,6 +304,14 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
             virtual int getSkill(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, int skill) const;
 
+            virtual void readAdditionalState (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const ESM::ObjectState& state)
+                const;
+            ///< Read additional state from \a state into \a ptr.
+
+            virtual void writeAdditionalState (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, ESM::ObjectState& state)
+                const;
+            ///< Write additional state from \a ptr into \a state.
+
             static const Class& get (const std::string& key);
             ///< If there is no class for this \a key, an exception is thrown.
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/livecellref.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/livecellref.cpp
index a12d20e6a..d71704fd7 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/livecellref.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/livecellref.cpp
@@ -3,16 +3,24 @@
 
 #include <components/esm/objectstate.hpp>
 
+#include "ptr.hpp"
+#include "class.hpp"
+
 void MWWorld::LiveCellRefBase::loadImp (const ESM::ObjectState& state)
 {
     mRef = state.mRef;
     mData = RefData (state);
+    Ptr ptr (this);
+    mClass->readAdditionalState (ptr, state);
 }
 
 void MWWorld::LiveCellRefBase::saveImp (ESM::ObjectState& state) const
 {
     state.mRef = mRef;
     mData.write (state);
+    /// \todo get rid of this cast once const-correct Ptr are available
+    Ptr ptr (const_cast<LiveCellRefBase *> (this));
+    mClass->writeAdditionalState (ptr, state);
 }
 
 bool MWWorld::LiveCellRefBase::checkStateImp (const ESM::ObjectState& state)