diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/doc/savingstages.cpp b/apps/opencs/model/doc/savingstages.cpp
index 27b31251e5..8c17a3b8c1 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/doc/savingstages.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/doc/savingstages.cpp
@@ -342,8 +342,12 @@ void CSMDoc::WriteCellCollectionStage::perform (int stage, Messages& messages)
 
                 CSMWorld::CellRef refRecord = ref.get();
 
+                CSMWorld::RefIdData::LocalIndex localIndex = refIdData.searchId(refRecord.mRefID);
                 unsigned int recordFlags = refIdData.getRecordFlags(refRecord.mRefID);
-                bool isPersistent = ((recordFlags & 0x00000400) != 0) || refRecord.mTeleport;
+                bool isPersistent = ((recordFlags & ESM::FLAG_Persistent) != 0)
+                    || refRecord.mTeleport
+                    || localIndex.second == CSMWorld::UniversalId::Type_Creature
+                    || localIndex.second == CSMWorld::UniversalId::Type_Npc;
 
                 if (isPersistent)
                     persistentRefs.push_back(*iter);
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/world/refidadapterimp.hpp b/apps/opencs/model/world/refidadapterimp.hpp
index 210deca69b..1d1b5a94a6 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/world/refidadapterimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/world/refidadapterimp.hpp
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ namespace CSMWorld
             return QString::fromUtf8 (record.get().mModel.c_str());
 
         if (column==mModel.mPersistence)
-            return (record.get().mRecordFlags & 0x00000400) != 0;
+            return (record.get().mRecordFlags & ESM::FLAG_Persistent) != 0;
 
         return BaseRefIdAdapter<RecordT>::getData (column, data, index);
     }
@@ -171,9 +171,9 @@ namespace CSMWorld
         else if (column==mModel.mPersistence)
         {
             if (value.toInt() != 0)
-                record2.mRecordFlags |= 0x00000400;
+                record2.mRecordFlags |= ESM::FLAG_Persistent;
             else
-                record2.mRecordFlags &= ~0x00000400;
+                record2.mRecordFlags &= ~ESM::FLAG_Persistent;
         }
         else
         {
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwclass/creature.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwclass/creature.cpp
index 0a40139d36..141bf99e92 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwclass/creature.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwclass/creature.cpp
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ namespace MWClass
     bool Creature::isPersistent(const MWWorld::ConstPtr &actor) const
     {
         const MWWorld::LiveCellRef<ESM::Creature>* ref = actor.get<ESM::Creature>();
-        return (ref->mBase->mRecordFlags & 0x0400) != 0;
+        return (ref->mBase->mRecordFlags & ESM::FLAG_Persistent) != 0;
     }
 
     std::string Creature::getSoundIdFromSndGen(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr, const std::string &name) const
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.cpp
index 1951f964bc..6131f86269 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.cpp
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ namespace MWClass
     bool Npc::isPersistent(const MWWorld::ConstPtr &actor) const
     {
         const MWWorld::LiveCellRef<ESM::NPC>* ref = actor.get<ESM::NPC>();
-        return (ref->mBase->mRecordFlags & 0x0400) != 0;
+        return (ref->mBase->mRecordFlags & ESM::FLAG_Persistent) != 0;
     }
 
     std::string Npc::getModel(const MWWorld::ConstPtr &ptr) const
diff --git a/components/esm/esmcommon.hpp b/components/esm/esmcommon.hpp
index 749e9a85d6..10e05de905 100644
--- a/components/esm/esmcommon.hpp
+++ b/components/esm/esmcommon.hpp
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ enum Version
     VER_13 = 0x3fa66666
   };
 
+enum RecordFlag
+  {
+    FLAG_Persistent = 0x00000400,
+    FLAG_Blocked    = 0x00002000
+  };
 
 // CRTP for FIXED_STRING class, a structure used for holding fixed-length strings
 template< template<size_t> class DERIVED, size_t SIZE>
diff --git a/components/esm/loadstat.cpp b/components/esm/loadstat.cpp
index 0c97662d7e..543e76bc85 100644
--- a/components/esm/loadstat.cpp
+++ b/components/esm/loadstat.cpp
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ namespace ESM
     {
         isDeleted = false;
         mRecordFlags = esm.getRecordFlags();
-        //bool isBlocked = (mRecordFlags & 0x00002000) != 0;
-        //bool isPersistent = (mRecordFlags & 0x00000400) != 0;
+        //bool isBlocked = (mRecordFlags & ESM::FLAG_Blocked) != 0;
+        //bool isPersistent = (mRecordFlags & ESM::FLAG_Persistent) != 0;
 
         bool hasName = false;
         while (esm.hasMoreSubs())