diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
index d0cbf04776..83326d25af 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
@@ -61,8 +61,9 @@ static void getStateInfo(CharacterState state, std::string *group, Ogre::Vector3
     throw std::runtime_error("Failed to find character state "+Ogre::StringConverter::toString(state));
 }
 
+
 CharacterController::CharacterController(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr, MWRender::Animation *anim, CharacterState state, bool loop)
-  : mPtr(ptr), mAnimation(anim), mDirection(Ogre::Vector3::ZERO), mState(state), mSkipAnim(false), mLoop(loop)
+  : mPtr(ptr), mAnimation(anim), mDirection(Ogre::Vector3::ZERO), mState(state), mSkipAnim(false)
 {
     if(!mAnimation)
         return;
@@ -73,13 +74,13 @@ CharacterController::CharacterController(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr, MWRender::Anim
     getStateInfo(mState, &mCurrentGroup, &accum);
     mAnimation->setAccumulation(accum);
     if(mAnimation->hasAnimation(mCurrentGroup))
-        mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "stop");
+        mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "stop", loop);
 }
 
 CharacterController::CharacterController(const CharacterController &rhs)
   : mPtr(rhs.mPtr), mAnimation(rhs.mAnimation), mAnimQueue(rhs.mAnimQueue)
   , mCurrentGroup(rhs.mCurrentGroup), mDirection(rhs.mDirection)
-  , mState(rhs.mState), mSkipAnim(rhs.mSkipAnim), mLoop(rhs.mLoop)
+  , mState(rhs.mState), mSkipAnim(rhs.mSkipAnim)
 {
     if(!mAnimation)
         return;
@@ -103,32 +104,12 @@ void CharacterController::markerEvent(float time, const std::string &evt)
         return;
     }
 
-    if(evt == "loop stop")
-    {
-        if(mAnimQueue.size() == 0)
-        {
-            if(time > 0.0f && mLoop)
-                mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "loop start");
-        }
-        else if(mAnimQueue.size() >= 2 && mAnimQueue[0] == mAnimQueue[1])
-        {
-            mAnimQueue.pop_front();
-            mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "loop start");
-        }
-        return;
-    }
-
     if(evt == "stop")
     {
-        if(mAnimQueue.size() == 0)
-        {
-            if(time > 0.0f && mLoop)
-                mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "loop start");
-        }
-        else if(mAnimQueue.size() >= 2 && mAnimQueue[0] == mAnimQueue[1])
+        if(mAnimQueue.size() >= 2 && mAnimQueue[0] == mAnimQueue[1])
         {
             mAnimQueue.pop_front();
-            mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "loop start");
+            mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "loop start", false);
         }
         else if(mAnimQueue.size() > 0)
         {
@@ -136,7 +117,7 @@ void CharacterController::markerEvent(float time, const std::string &evt)
             if(mAnimQueue.size() > 0)
             {
                 mCurrentGroup = mAnimQueue.front();
-                mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "start");
+                mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "start", false);
             }
         }
         return;
@@ -185,9 +166,8 @@ void CharacterController::playGroup(const std::string &groupname, int mode, int
                 mAnimQueue.push_back(groupname);
             mCurrentGroup = groupname;
             mState = CharState_Idle;
-            mLoop = false;
             mAnimation->setAccumulation(Ogre::Vector3::ZERO);
-            mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, ((mode==2) ? "loop start" : "start"));
+            mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, ((mode==2) ? "loop start" : "start"), false);
         }
         else if(mode == 0)
         {
@@ -208,11 +188,7 @@ void CharacterController::setState(CharacterState state, bool loop)
 {
     if(mState == state)
         return;
-    else
-    {
-        mState = state;
-        mLoop = loop;
-    }
+    mState = state;
 
     if(!mAnimation)
         return;
@@ -225,7 +201,7 @@ void CharacterController::setState(CharacterState state, bool loop)
     {
         mCurrentGroup = anim;
         mAnimation->setAccumulation(accum);
-        mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "start");
+        mAnimation->play(mCurrentGroup, "start", loop);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp
index ec9102f9f6..53349c841e 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ class CharacterController
     std::string mCurrentGroup;
     CharacterState mState;
     bool mSkipAnim;
-    bool mLoop;
 
 protected:
     /* Called by the animation whenever a new text key is reached. */
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
index 75a441a9c9..45f7ab2e44 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ Animation::Animation(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr)
     , mLastPosition(0.0f)
     , mCurrentKeys(NULL)
     , mAnimState(NULL)
+    , mLooping(false)
     , mAnimSpeedMult(1.0f)
 {
 }
@@ -173,7 +174,7 @@ float Animation::findStart(const std::string &groupname, const std::string &star
 }
 
 
-void Animation::play(const std::string &groupname, const std::string &start)
+void Animation::play(const std::string &groupname, const std::string &start, bool loop)
 {
     try {
         if(mAnimState)
@@ -181,6 +182,7 @@ void Animation::play(const std::string &groupname, const std::string &start)
         mAnimState = mEntityList.mSkelBase->getAnimationState(groupname);
         mAnimState->setEnabled(true);
         mCurrentKeys = &mTextKeys[groupname];
+        mLooping = loop;
 
         resetPosition(findStart(groupname, start));
     }
@@ -209,6 +211,33 @@ Ogre::Vector3 Animation::runAnimation(float timepassed)
         movement += updatePosition(time);
         timepassed = targetTime - time;
 
+        if(evt == "start" || evt == "loop start")
+        {
+            /* Do nothing */
+            continue;
+        }
+        if(evt == "loop stop")
+        {
+            if(mLooping)
+            {
+                resetPosition(findStart(mAnimState->getAnimationName(), "loop start"));
+                if(mAnimState->getTimePosition() >= time)
+                    break;
+            }
+            continue;
+        }
+        if(evt == "stop")
+        {
+            if(mLooping)
+            {
+                resetPosition(findStart(mAnimState->getAnimationName(), "loop start"));
+                if(mAnimState->getTimePosition() >= time)
+                    break;
+            }
+            else if(mController)
+                mController->markerEvent(time, evt);
+            continue;
+        }
         if(mController)
             mController->markerEvent(time, evt);
     }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
index 50ddc34d5c..8398135764 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.hpp
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ protected:
     NifOgre::TextKeyMap *mCurrentKeys;
     NifOgre::TextKeyMap::const_iterator mNextKey;
     Ogre::AnimationState *mAnimState;
+    bool mLooping;
+
     float mAnimSpeedMult;
 
     /* Updates the animation to the specified time, and returns the movement
@@ -59,7 +61,7 @@ public:
     void setSpeedMult(float speedmult)
     { mAnimSpeedMult = speedmult; }
 
-    void play(const std::string &groupname, const std::string &start);
+    void play(const std::string &groupname, const std::string &start, bool loop);
     virtual Ogre::Vector3 runAnimation(float timepassed);
 };
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/characterpreview.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/characterpreview.cpp
index cbee9c8659..5a1a93311b 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/characterpreview.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/characterpreview.cpp
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ namespace MWRender
     {
         mSelectionBuffer = new OEngine::Render::SelectionBuffer(mCamera, 512, 1024, RV_PlayerPreview);
 
-        mAnimation->play("inventoryhandtohand", "start");
+        mAnimation->play("inventoryhandtohand", "start", false);
     }
 
     // --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------