diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/characterpreview.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/characterpreview.cpp
index f7219959af..15cc638936 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/characterpreview.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/characterpreview.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <osgUtil/LineSegmentIntersector>
 
 #include <components/sceneutil/lightmanager.hpp>
+#include <components/sceneutil/shadow.hpp>
 
 #include "../mwbase/environment.hpp"
 #include "../mwbase/world.hpp"
@@ -150,6 +151,15 @@ namespace MWRender
         defaultMat->setSpecular(osg::Material::FRONT_AND_BACK, osg::Vec4f(0.f, 0.f, 0.f, 0.f));
         stateset->setAttribute(defaultMat);
 
+        osg::ref_ptr<osg::Image> fakeShadowMapImage = new osg::Image();
+        fakeShadowMapImage->allocateImage(1, 1, 1, GL_DEPTH_COMPONENT, GL_FLOAT);
+        *(float*)fakeShadowMapImage->data() = std::numeric_limits<float>::infinity();
+        osg::ref_ptr<osg::Texture> fakeShadowMapTexture = new osg::Texture2D(fakeShadowMapImage);
+        fakeShadowMapTexture->setShadowComparison(true);
+        fakeShadowMapTexture->setShadowCompareFunc(osg::Texture::ShadowCompareFunc::ALWAYS);
+        for (int i = SceneUtil::MWShadow::baseShadowTextureUnit; i < SceneUtil::MWShadow::baseShadowTextureUnit + SceneUtil::MWShadow::numberOfShadowMapsPerLight; ++i)
+            stateset->setTextureAttributeAndModes(i, fakeShadowMapTexture, osg::StateAttribute::ON | osg::StateAttribute::OVERRIDE | osg::StateAttribute::PROTECTED);
+
         // assign large value to effectively turn off fog
         // shaders don't respect glDisable(GL_FOG)
         osg::ref_ptr<osg::Fog> fog (new osg::Fog);