diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/activatoranimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/activatoranimation.cpp
index 7bc89b9179..0dc16ecb6f 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/activatoranimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/activatoranimation.cpp
@@ -31,20 +31,18 @@ ActivatorAnimation::ActivatorAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr)
             Ogre::Entity *ent = mEntityList.mEntities[i];
 
             bool transparent = false;
-            for (unsigned int j=0;j < ent->getNumSubEntities() && !transparent; ++j)
+            for(unsigned int j=0;!transparent && j < ent->getNumSubEntities(); ++j)
             {
                 Ogre::MaterialPtr mat = ent->getSubEntity(j)->getMaterial();
                 Ogre::Material::TechniqueIterator techIt = mat->getTechniqueIterator();
-                while (techIt.hasMoreElements() && !transparent)
+                while(!transparent && techIt.hasMoreElements())
                 {
                     Ogre::Technique* tech = techIt.getNext();
                     Ogre::Technique::PassIterator passIt = tech->getPassIterator();
-                    while (passIt.hasMoreElements() && !transparent)
+                    while(!transparent && passIt.hasMoreElements())
                     {
                         Ogre::Pass* pass = passIt.getNext();
-
-                        if (pass->getDepthWriteEnabled() == false)
-                            transparent = true;
+                        transparent = pass->isTransparent();
                     }
                 }
             }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp
index b85c4dbbda..73bb80547d 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp
@@ -32,20 +32,18 @@ CreatureAnimation::CreatureAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr)
             ent->setVisibilityFlags(RV_Actors);
 
             bool transparent = false;
-            for (unsigned int j=0;j < ent->getNumSubEntities() && !transparent; ++j)
+            for(unsigned int j=0;!transparent && j < ent->getNumSubEntities(); ++j)
             {
                 Ogre::MaterialPtr mat = ent->getSubEntity(j)->getMaterial();
                 Ogre::Material::TechniqueIterator techIt = mat->getTechniqueIterator();
-                while (techIt.hasMoreElements() && !transparent)
+                while(!transparent && techIt.hasMoreElements())
                 {
                     Ogre::Technique* tech = techIt.getNext();
                     Ogre::Technique::PassIterator passIt = tech->getPassIterator();
-                    while (passIt.hasMoreElements() && !transparent)
+                    while(!transparent && passIt.hasMoreElements())
                     {
                         Ogre::Pass* pass = passIt.getNext();
-
-                        if (pass->getDepthWriteEnabled() == false)
-                            transparent = true;
+                        transparent = pass->isTransparent();
                     }
                 }
             }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
index 809e3f6d29..1f1cd0530b 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/npcanimation.cpp
@@ -107,19 +107,18 @@ NpcAnimation::NpcAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, Ogre::SceneNode* node, MWWor
         base->setVisibilityFlags(mVisibilityFlags);
 
         bool transparent = false;
-        for(unsigned int j=0;j < base->getNumSubEntities();++j)
+        for(unsigned int j=0;!transparent && j < base->getNumSubEntities();++j)
         {
             Ogre::MaterialPtr mat = base->getSubEntity(j)->getMaterial();
             Ogre::Material::TechniqueIterator techIt = mat->getTechniqueIterator();
-            while (techIt.hasMoreElements())
+            while(!transparent && techIt.hasMoreElements())
             {
                 Ogre::Technique* tech = techIt.getNext();
                 Ogre::Technique::PassIterator passIt = tech->getPassIterator();
-                while (passIt.hasMoreElements())
+                while(!transparent && passIt.hasMoreElements())
                 {
                     Ogre::Pass* pass = passIt.getNext();
-                    if (pass->getDepthWriteEnabled() == false)
-                        transparent = true;
+                    transparent = pass->isTransparent();
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -322,8 +321,26 @@ NifOgre::EntityList NpcAnimation::insertBoundedPart(const std::string &mesh, int
     std::vector<Ogre::Entity*> &parts = entities.mEntities;
     for(size_t i = 0;i < parts.size();i++)
     {
-        parts[i]->setVisibilityFlags(mVisibilityFlags);
         parts[i]->getUserObjectBindings().setUserAny(Ogre::Any(group));
+        parts[i]->setVisibilityFlags(mVisibilityFlags);
+
+        bool transparent = false;
+        for(unsigned int j=0;!transparent && j < parts[i]->getNumSubEntities();++j)
+        {
+            Ogre::MaterialPtr mat = parts[i]->getSubEntity(j)->getMaterial();
+            Ogre::Material::TechniqueIterator techIt = mat->getTechniqueIterator();
+            while(!transparent && techIt.hasMoreElements())
+            {
+                Ogre::Technique* tech = techIt.getNext();
+                Ogre::Technique::PassIterator passIt = tech->getPassIterator();
+                while(!transparent && passIt.hasMoreElements())
+                {
+                    Ogre::Pass* pass = passIt.getNext();
+                    transparent = pass->isTransparent();
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        parts[i]->setRenderQueueGroup(transparent ? RQG_Alpha : RQG_Main);
     }
     if(entities.mSkelBase)
     {
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/objects.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/objects.cpp
index e8ee3f95f5..e91180a42c 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/objects.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/objects.cpp
@@ -130,23 +130,21 @@ void Objects::insertMesh (const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& mesh, bool
     mBounds[ptr.getCell()].merge(bounds);
 
     bool transparent = false;
-    for(size_t i = 0;i < entities.mEntities.size();i++)
+    for(size_t i = 0;!transparent && i < entities.mEntities.size();i++)
     {
         Ogre::Entity *ent = entities.mEntities[i];
-        for (unsigned int i=0; i<ent->getNumSubEntities(); ++i)
+        for(unsigned int i=0;!transparent && i < ent->getNumSubEntities(); ++i)
         {
             Ogre::MaterialPtr mat = ent->getSubEntity(i)->getMaterial();
             Ogre::Material::TechniqueIterator techIt = mat->getTechniqueIterator();
-            while (techIt.hasMoreElements())
+            while(!transparent && techIt.hasMoreElements())
             {
                 Ogre::Technique* tech = techIt.getNext();
                 Ogre::Technique::PassIterator passIt = tech->getPassIterator();
-                while (passIt.hasMoreElements())
+                while(!transparent && passIt.hasMoreElements())
                 {
                     Ogre::Pass* pass = passIt.getNext();
-
-                    if (pass->getDepthWriteEnabled() == false)
-                        transparent = true;
+                    transparent = pass->isTransparent();
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/components/nifogre/ogre_nif_loader.cpp b/components/nifogre/ogre_nif_loader.cpp
index 85fbfea264..0b53177e13 100644
--- a/components/nifogre/ogre_nif_loader.cpp
+++ b/components/nifogre/ogre_nif_loader.cpp
@@ -710,8 +710,6 @@ static Ogre::String getMaterial(const Nif::NiTriShape *shape, const Ogre::String
         blend_mode += getBlendFactor((alphaFlags>>1)&0xf);
         blend_mode += " ";
         blend_mode += getBlendFactor((alphaFlags>>5)&0xf);
-
-        instance->setProperty("depth_write", sh::makeProperty(new sh::StringValue("off")));
         instance->setProperty("scene_blend", sh::makeProperty(new sh::StringValue(blend_mode)));
     }
     else
@@ -729,6 +727,7 @@ static Ogre::String getMaterial(const Nif::NiTriShape *shape, const Ogre::String
     instance->setProperty("transparent_sorting", sh::makeProperty(new sh::StringValue(((alphaFlags>>13)&1) ?
                                                                                       "off" : "on")));
 
+    sh::Factory::getInstance()._ensureMaterial(matname, "Default");
     return matname;
 }