diff --git a/components/nif/data.cpp b/components/nif/data.cpp
index 91b3beba4b..5b0b99c531 100644
--- a/components/nif/data.cpp
+++ b/components/nif/data.cpp
@@ -67,19 +67,18 @@ void NiGeometryData::read(NIFStream *nif)
     if (nif->getBoolean())
         nif->getVector4s(colors, verts);
 
-    // Only the first 6 bits are used as a count. I think the rest are
-    // flags of some sort.
     unsigned int numUVs = dataFlags;
     if (nif->getVersion() <= NIFStream::generateVersion(4,2,2,0))
-    {
         numUVs = nif->getUShort();
-        // In Morrowind this field only corresponds to the number of UV sets.
-        // NifTools research is inaccurate.
-        if (nif->getVersion() > NIFFile::NIFVersion::VER_MW)
-            numUVs &= 0x3f;
+
+    // In Morrowind this field only corresponds to the number of UV sets.
+    // In later games only the first 6 bits are used as a count and the rest are flags.
+    if (nif->getVersion() > NIFFile::NIFVersion::VER_MW)
+    {
+        numUVs &= 0x3f;
+        if (nif->getVersion() == NIFFile::NIFVersion::VER_BGS && nif->getBethVersion() > 0)
+            numUVs &= 0x1;
     }
-    if (nif->getVersion() == NIFFile::NIFVersion::VER_BGS && nif->getBethVersion() > 0)
-        numUVs &= 0x1;
 
     bool hasUVs = true;
     if (nif->getVersion() <= NIFFile::NIFVersion::VER_MW)
diff --git a/components/nif/niffile.cpp b/components/nif/niffile.cpp
index 8d65753d2d..5642dfebb1 100644
--- a/components/nif/niffile.cpp
+++ b/components/nif/niffile.cpp
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ void NIFFile::parse(Files::IStreamPtr stream)
         userVer = nif.getUInt();
 
     // Number of records
-    size_t recNum = nif.getUInt();
+    unsigned int recNum = nif.getUInt();
     records.resize(recNum);
 
     // Bethesda stream header
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ void NIFFile::parse(Files::IStreamPtr stream)
     }
 
     const bool hasRecordSeparators = ver >= NIFStream::generateVersion(10,0,0,0) && ver < NIFStream::generateVersion(10,2,0,0);
-    for(size_t i = 0;i < recNum;i++)
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < recNum; i++)
     {
         Record *r = nullptr;
 
@@ -253,11 +253,11 @@ void NIFFile::parse(Files::IStreamPtr stream)
         r->read(&nif);
     }
 
-    size_t rootNum = nif.getUInt();
+    unsigned int rootNum = nif.getUInt();
     roots.resize(rootNum);
 
     //Determine which records are roots
-    for(size_t i = 0;i < rootNum;i++)
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < rootNum; i++)
     {
         int idx = nif.getInt();
         if (idx >= 0 && idx < int(records.size()))
diff --git a/components/nif/record.hpp b/components/nif/record.hpp
index f9bb613a06..eb26b0cce2 100644
--- a/components/nif/record.hpp
+++ b/components/nif/record.hpp
@@ -116,11 +116,11 @@ enum RecordType
 struct Record
 {
     // Record type and type name
-    int recType;
+    int recType{RC_MISSING};
     std::string recName;
-    size_t recIndex;
+    unsigned int recIndex{~0u};
 
-    Record() : recType(RC_MISSING), recIndex(~(size_t)0) {}
+    Record() = default;
 
     /// Parses the record from file
     virtual void read(NIFStream *nif) = 0;
diff --git a/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp b/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp
index 0807abd112..7a592fb4a0 100644
--- a/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp
+++ b/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@
 #include <components/sceneutil/morphgeometry.hpp>
 
 #include "matrixtransform.hpp"
-#include "nodeindexholder.hpp"
 #include "particle.hpp"
 
 namespace
@@ -527,7 +526,7 @@ namespace NifOsg
             // - finding the correct emitter node for a particle system
             // - establishing connections to the animated collision shapes, which are handled in a separate loader
             // - finding a random child NiNode in NiBspArrayController
-            node->getOrCreateUserDataContainer()->addUserObject(new NodeIndexHolder(nifNode->recIndex));
+            node->setUserValue("recIndex", nifNode->recIndex);
 
             for (Nif::ExtraPtr e = nifNode->extra; !e.empty(); e = e->next)
             {
diff --git a/components/nifosg/nodeindexholder.hpp b/components/nifosg/nodeindexholder.hpp
deleted file mode 100644
index e7d4f0db31..0000000000
--- a/components/nifosg/nodeindexholder.hpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef OPENMW_COMPONENTS_NIFOSG_NODEINDEXHOLDER_H
-#define OPENMW_COMPONENTS_NIFOSG_NODEINDEXHOLDER_H
-
-#include <osg/Object>
-
-namespace NifOsg
-{
-
-    class NodeIndexHolder : public osg::Object
-    {
-    public:
-        NodeIndexHolder() = default;
-        NodeIndexHolder(int index)
-            : mIndex(index)
-        {
-        }
-        NodeIndexHolder(const NodeIndexHolder& copy, const osg::CopyOp& copyop)
-            : Object(copy, copyop)
-            , mIndex(copy.mIndex)
-        {
-        }
-
-        META_Object(NifOsg, NodeIndexHolder)
-
-        int getIndex() const { return mIndex; }
-
-    private:
-
-        // NIF record index
-        int mIndex{0};
-    };
-
-}
-
-#endif
diff --git a/components/nifosg/particle.cpp b/components/nifosg/particle.cpp
index 0cbc3f22b5..b223b23e38 100644
--- a/components/nifosg/particle.cpp
+++ b/components/nifosg/particle.cpp
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@
 #include <components/nif/controlled.hpp>
 #include <components/nif/data.hpp>
 
-#include "nodeindexholder.hpp"
-
 namespace NifOsg
 {
 
@@ -357,7 +355,7 @@ void Emitter::emitParticles(double dt)
     }
 }
 
-FindGroupByRecIndex::FindGroupByRecIndex(int recIndex)
+FindGroupByRecIndex::FindGroupByRecIndex(unsigned int recIndex)
     : osg::NodeVisitor(TRAVERSE_ALL_CHILDREN)
     , mFound(nullptr)
     , mRecIndex(recIndex)
@@ -381,19 +379,16 @@ void FindGroupByRecIndex::apply(osg::Geometry &node)
 
 void FindGroupByRecIndex::applyNode(osg::Node &searchNode)
 {
-    if (searchNode.getUserDataContainer() && searchNode.getUserDataContainer()->getNumUserObjects())
+    unsigned int recIndex;
+    if (searchNode.getUserValue("recIndex", recIndex) && mRecIndex == recIndex)
     {
-        NodeIndexHolder* holder = dynamic_cast<NodeIndexHolder*>(searchNode.getUserDataContainer()->getUserObject(0));
-        if (holder && holder->getIndex() == mRecIndex)
-        {
-            osg::Group* group = searchNode.asGroup();
-            if (!group)
-                group = searchNode.getParent(0);
+        osg::Group* group = searchNode.asGroup();
+        if (!group)
+            group = searchNode.getParent(0);
 
-            mFound = group;
-            mFoundPath = getNodePath();
-            return;
-        }
+        mFound = group;
+        mFoundPath = getNodePath();
+        return;
     }
     traverse(searchNode);
 }
diff --git a/components/nifosg/particle.hpp b/components/nifosg/particle.hpp
index 724a8a721d..dd89f4501d 100644
--- a/components/nifosg/particle.hpp
+++ b/components/nifosg/particle.hpp
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ namespace NifOsg
     class FindGroupByRecIndex : public osg::NodeVisitor
     {
     public:
-        FindGroupByRecIndex(int recIndex);
+        FindGroupByRecIndex(unsigned int recIndex);
 
         void apply(osg::Node &node) override;
 
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ namespace NifOsg
         osg::Group* mFound;
         osg::NodePath mFoundPath;
     private:
-        int mRecIndex;
+        unsigned int mRecIndex;
     };
 
     // Subclass emitter to support randomly choosing one of the child node's transforms for the emit position of new particles.
diff --git a/components/sceneutil/serialize.cpp b/components/sceneutil/serialize.cpp
index 9e7aa83f69..d03612fc1d 100644
--- a/components/sceneutil/serialize.cpp
+++ b/components/sceneutil/serialize.cpp
@@ -144,7 +144,6 @@ void registerSerializers()
             "NifOsg::UpdateMorphGeometry",
             "NifOsg::UVController",
             "NifOsg::VisController",
-            "NifOsg::NodeIndexHolder",
             "osgMyGUI::Drawable",
             "osg::DrawCallback",
             "osgOQ::ClearQueriesCallback",