diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
index 99067a6b7..2a077abc7 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
@@ -178,6 +178,12 @@ void CharacterController::refreshCurrentAnims(CharacterState idle, CharacterStat
                     mHitState = CharState_Hit;
                     int iHit = rand() % (sHitListSize-1);
                     mCurrentHit = sHitList[iHit];
+                    if(mPtr.getRefData().getHandle()=="player" && !mAnimation->hasAnimation(mCurrentHit))
+                    {
+                        //only 3 different hit animations if player is in 1st person
+                        int iHit = rand() % (sHitListSize-3);
+                        mCurrentHit = sHitList[iHit];
+                    }
                     mAnimation->play(mCurrentHit, Priority_Hit, MWRender::Animation::Group_All, true, 1, "start", "stop", 0.0f, 0);
                 }
             }
@@ -482,7 +488,7 @@ bool CharacterController::updateNpcState(bool onground, bool inwater, bool isrun
     const bool isWerewolf = stats.isWerewolf();
 
     bool forcestateupdate = false;
-    if(weaptype != mWeaponType)
+    if(weaptype != mWeaponType && mHitState != CharState_KnockDown)
     {
         forcestateupdate = true;
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
index ca188e204..d4a3533a1 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
@@ -388,7 +388,6 @@ Ogre::Node *Animation::getNode(const std::string &name)
     return NULL;
 }
 
-
 NifOgre::TextKeyMap::const_iterator Animation::findGroupStart(const NifOgre::TextKeyMap &keys, const std::string &groupname)
 {
     NifOgre::TextKeyMap::const_iterator iter(keys.begin());
@@ -1009,14 +1008,16 @@ void Animation::detachObjectFromBone(Ogre::MovableObject *obj)
     mSkelBase->detachObjectFromBone(obj);
 }
 
-bool Animation::isPlaying(Group group) const
+bool Animation::allowSwitchViewMode() const
 {
     for (AnimStateMap::const_iterator stateiter = mStates.begin(); stateiter != mStates.end(); ++stateiter)
     {
-        if(stateiter->second.mGroups == group)
-            return true;
+        if(stateiter->second.mGroups == Group_UpperBody 
+                || (stateiter->first.size()==4 && stateiter->first.find("hit") != std::string::npos)
+                || (stateiter->first.find("knock") != std::string::npos) )
+            return false;
     }
-    return false;
+    return true;
 }
 
 void Animation::addEffect(const std::string &model, int effectId, bool loop, const std::string &bonename, std::string texture)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
index 79e7b500e..1400cb9a2 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
@@ -258,7 +258,8 @@ public:
     /** Returns true if the named animation group is playing. */
     bool isPlaying(const std::string &groupname) const;
 
-    bool isPlaying(Group group) const;
+    //Checks if playing any animation which shouldn't be stopped when switching camera view modes
+    bool allowSwitchViewMode() const;
 
     /** Gets info about the given animation group.
      * \param groupname Animation group to check.
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/camera.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/camera.cpp
index dda9797ef..b99b38e41 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/camera.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/camera.cpp
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ namespace MWRender
 
     void Camera::update(float duration, bool paused)
     {
-        if (!mAnimation->isPlaying(MWRender::Animation::Group_UpperBody))
+        if (mAnimation->allowSwitchViewMode())
         {
             // Now process the view changes we queued earlier
             if (mVanityToggleQueued)
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ namespace MWRender
     {
         // Changing the view will stop all playing animations, so if we are playing
         // anything important, queue the view change for later
-        if (mAnimation->isPlaying(MWRender::Animation::Group_UpperBody))
+        if (!mAnimation->allowSwitchViewMode())
         {
             mViewModeToggleQueued = true;
             return;
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ namespace MWRender
     {
         // Changing the view will stop all playing animations, so if we are playing
         // anything important, queue the view change for later
-        if (mAnimation->isPlaying(MWRender::Animation::Group_UpperBody))
+        if (!mPreviewMode)
         {
             mVanityToggleQueued = true;
             return false;
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ namespace MWRender
 
     void Camera::togglePreviewMode(bool enable)
     {
-        if (mAnimation->isPlaying(MWRender::Animation::Group_UpperBody))
+        if (mFirstPersonView && !mAnimation->allowSwitchViewMode())
             return;
 
         if(mPreviewMode == enable)
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ namespace MWRender
             Ogre::TagPoint *tag = mAnimation->attachObjectToBone("Head", mCamera);
             tag->setInheritOrientation(false);
         }
-        else
+        else 
         {
             mAnimation->setViewMode(NpcAnimation::VM_Normal);
             mCameraNode->attachObject(mCamera);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
index 75744af38..497279bd8 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
@@ -141,6 +141,9 @@ NpcAnimation::NpcAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, Ogre::SceneNode* node, int v
 void NpcAnimation::setViewMode(NpcAnimation::ViewMode viewMode)
 {
     assert(viewMode != VM_HeadOnly);
+    if(mViewMode == viewMode) 
+        return;
+
     mViewMode = viewMode;
     rebuild();
 }