diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.cpp
index 097cc4042..b6b240833 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.cpp
@@ -114,8 +114,7 @@ void MWMechanics::AiPackage::evadeObstacles(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor, float dur
         }
         else // probably walking into another NPC
         {
-            movement.mPosition[0] = 1;
-            movement.mPosition[1] = 1;
+            mObstacleCheck.takeEvasiveAction(movement);
         }
     }
     else { //Not stuck, so reset things
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.cpp
index ce70fee77..67a9f766c 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.cpp
@@ -435,8 +435,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
             {
                 // TODO: diagonal should have same animation as walk forward
                 //       but doesn't seem to do that?
-                movement.mPosition[0] = 1;
-                movement.mPosition[1] = 0.1f;
+                mObstacleCheck.takeEvasiveAction(movement);
             }
             mStuckCount++;  // TODO: maybe no longer needed
         }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/obstacle.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/obstacle.cpp
index 25bd06301..fe3d68a58 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/obstacle.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/obstacle.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 #include "../mwworld/class.hpp"
 #include "../mwworld/cellstore.hpp"
 
+#include "movement.hpp"
+
 namespace MWMechanics
 {
     // NOTE: determined empirically but probably need further tweaking
@@ -67,6 +69,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
       , mStuckDuration(0)
       , mEvadeDuration(0)
       , mDistSameSpot(-1) // avoid calculating it each time
+      , mEvadeDirection(1.0f)
     {
     }
 
@@ -155,6 +158,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
                 /* FALL THROUGH */
             case State_Evade:
             {
+                chooseEvasionDirection(samePosition);
                 mEvadeDuration += duration;
                 if(mEvadeDuration < DURATION_TO_EVADE)
                     return true;
@@ -169,4 +173,20 @@ namespace MWMechanics
         }
         return false; // no obstacles to evade (yet)
     }
+
+    void ObstacleCheck::takeEvasiveAction(MWMechanics::Movement& actorMovement)
+    {
+        actorMovement.mPosition[0] = mEvadeDirection;
+        actorMovement.mPosition[1] = 0;
+    }
+
+    void ObstacleCheck::chooseEvasionDirection(bool samePosition)
+    {
+        // change direction if attempt didn't work
+        if (samePosition && (0 < mEvadeDuration))
+        {
+            mEvadeDirection = mEvadeDirection == 1.0f ? -1.0f : 1.0f;
+        }
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/obstacle.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/obstacle.hpp
index e0ae9203d..ef3e29e8b 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/obstacle.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/obstacle.hpp
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
 namespace MWMechanics
 {
+    struct Movement;
+
     /// NOTE: determined empirically based on in-game behaviour
     static const float MIN_DIST_TO_DOOR_SQUARED = 128*128;
 
@@ -36,6 +38,9 @@ namespace MWMechanics
             // should be taken
             bool check(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor, float duration);
 
+            // change direction to try to fix "stuck" actor
+            void takeEvasiveAction(MWMechanics::Movement& actorMovement);
+
         private:
 
             // for checking if we're stuck (ignoring Z axis)
@@ -53,6 +58,9 @@ namespace MWMechanics
             float mStuckDuration; // accumulate time here while in same spot
             float mEvadeDuration;
             float mDistSameSpot; // take account of actor's speed
+            float mEvadeDirection;
+
+            void chooseEvasionDirection(bool samePosition);
     };
 }