diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 03dc98ae36..5a24702725 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     Bug #4127: Weapon animation looks choppy
     Bug #5057: Weapon swing sound plays at same pitch whether it hits or misses
     Bug #5129: Stuttering animation on Centurion Archer
+    Bug #5977: Fatigueless NPCs' corpse underwater changes animation on game load
 
 0.48.0
 ------
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
index 38789412fa..77a5a11220 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
@@ -764,16 +764,6 @@ void CharacterController::playDeath(float startpoint, CharacterState death)
 {
     mDeathState = death;
     mCurrentDeath = deathStateToAnimGroup(mDeathState);
-
-    // Make sure the character was swimming upon death for forward-compatibility
-    if (!MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->isSwimming(mPtr))
-    {
-        if (mDeathState == CharState_SwimDeathKnockDown)
-            mCurrentDeath = "deathknockdown";
-        else if (mDeathState == CharState_SwimDeathKnockOut)
-            mCurrentDeath = "deathknockout";
-    }
-
     mPtr.getClass().getCreatureStats(mPtr).setDeathAnimation(mDeathState - CharState_Death1);
 
     // For dead actors, refreshCurrentAnims is no longer called, so we need to disable the movement state manually.