diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp
index f9239d32d4..5db2e6ca29 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp
@@ -2083,7 +2083,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
             for (const auto& package : stats.getAiSequence())
             {
                 if (excludeInfighting && !sameActor && package->getTypeId() == AiPackageTypeId::Combat
-                    && package->getTarget() == actorPtr)
+                    && package->targetIs(actorPtr))
                     break;
                 if (package->sideWithTarget() && !package->getTarget().isEmpty())
                 {
@@ -2103,7 +2103,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
                         }
                         list.push_back(package->getTarget());
                     }
-                    else if (package->getTarget() == actorPtr)
+                    else if (package->targetIs(actorPtr))
                     {
                         list.push_back(iteratedActor);
                     }
@@ -2122,7 +2122,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
         std::vector<MWWorld::Ptr> list;
         forEachFollowingPackage(
             mActors, actorPtr, getPlayer(), [&](const Actor& actor, const std::shared_ptr<AiPackage>& package) {
-                if (package->followTargetThroughDoors() && package->getTarget() == actorPtr)
+                if (package->followTargetThroughDoors() && package->targetIs(actorPtr))
                     list.push_back(actor.getPtr());
                 else if (package->getTypeId() != AiPackageTypeId::Combat
                     && package->getTypeId() != AiPackageTypeId::Wander)
@@ -2154,7 +2154,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
         std::vector<int> list;
         forEachFollowingPackage(
             mActors, actor, getPlayer(), [&](const Actor&, const std::shared_ptr<AiPackage>& package) {
-                if (package->followTargetThroughDoors() && package->getTarget() == actor)
+                if (package->followTargetThroughDoors() && package->targetIs(actor))
                 {
                     list.push_back(static_cast<const AiFollow*>(package.get())->getFollowIndex());
                     return false;
@@ -2172,7 +2172,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
         std::map<int, MWWorld::Ptr> map;
         forEachFollowingPackage(
             mActors, actor, getPlayer(), [&](const Actor& otherActor, const std::shared_ptr<AiPackage>& package) {
-                if (package->followTargetThroughDoors() && package->getTarget() == actor)
+                if (package->followTargetThroughDoors() && package->targetIs(actor))
                 {
                     const int index = static_cast<const AiFollow*>(package.get())->getFollowIndex();
                     map[index] = otherActor.getPtr();
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.cpp
index fe83ce11ab..4bcfc7dedd 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.cpp
@@ -98,6 +98,26 @@ MWWorld::Ptr MWMechanics::AiPackage::getTarget() const
     return mCachedTarget;
 }
 
+bool MWMechanics::AiPackage::targetIs(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr) const
+{
+    if (mTargetActorId == -2)
+        return ptr.isEmpty();
+    else if (mTargetActorId == -1)
+    {
+        if (mTargetActorRefId.empty())
+        {
+            mTargetActorId = -2;
+            return ptr.isEmpty();
+        }
+        if (!ptr.isEmpty() && ptr.getCellRef().getRefId() == mTargetActorRefId)
+            return getTarget() == ptr;
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (ptr.isEmpty() || !ptr.getClass().isActor())
+        return false;
+    return ptr.getClass().getCreatureStats(ptr).getActorId() == mTargetActorId;
+}
+
 void MWMechanics::AiPackage::reset()
 {
     // reset all members
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.hpp
index 9e13ee9cd5..29a9f9c9ad 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aipackage.hpp
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ namespace MWMechanics
 
         /// Get the target actor the AI is targeted at (not applicable to all AI packages, default return empty Ptr)
         virtual MWWorld::Ptr getTarget() const;
+        /// Optimized version of getTarget() == ptr
+        virtual bool targetIs(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr) const;
 
         /// Get the destination point of the AI package (not applicable to all AI packages, default return (0, 0, 0))
         virtual osg::Vec3f getDestination(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor) const { return osg::Vec3f(0, 0, 0); }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aisequence.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aisequence.cpp
index 5d6f25ecb8..82c4b1c0bd 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aisequence.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aisequence.cpp
@@ -176,11 +176,11 @@ namespace MWMechanics
         if (!isInCombat())
             return false;
 
-        for (auto it = mPackages.begin(); it != mPackages.end(); ++it)
+        for (const auto& package : mPackages)
         {
-            if ((*it)->getTypeId() == AiPackageTypeId::Combat)
+            if (package->getTypeId() == AiPackageTypeId::Combat)
             {
-                if ((*it)->getTarget() == actor)
+                if (package->targetIs(actor))
                     return true;
             }
         }