diff --git a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
index 372378f312..abc9517269 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ OMW::Engine::Engine(Files::ConfigurationManager& configurationManager)
   , mFpsLevel(0)
   , mDebug (false)
   , mVerboseScripts (false)
+  , mNewGame (false)
   , mUseSound (true)
   , mCompileAll (false)
   , mScriptContext (0)
@@ -277,6 +278,11 @@ void OMW::Engine::setScriptsVerbosity(bool scriptsVerbosity)
     mVerboseScripts = scriptsVerbosity;
 }
 
+void OMW::Engine::setNewGame(bool newGame)
+{
+    mNewGame = newGame;
+}
+
 std::string OMW::Engine::loadSettings (Settings::Manager & settings)
 {
     // Create the settings manager and load default settings file
@@ -375,6 +381,8 @@ void OMW::Engine::prepareEngine (Settings::Manager & settings)
     mEnvironment.setWindowManager (new MWGui::WindowManager(
         mExtensions, mFpsLevel, mOgre, mCfgMgr.getLogPath().string() + std::string("/"),
         mCfgMgr.getCachePath ().string(), mScriptConsoleMode, mTranslationDataStorage));
+    if (mNewGame)
+        mEnvironment.getWindowManager()->setNewGame(true);
 
     // Create sound system
     mEnvironment.setSoundManager (new MWSound::SoundManager(mUseSound));
@@ -403,24 +411,29 @@ void OMW::Engine::prepareEngine (Settings::Manager & settings)
         MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getPlayer(),
          *MWBase::Environment::get().getWindowManager(), mDebug, *this, keybinderUser, keybinderUserExists));
 
-    // load cell
-    ESM::Position pos;
-    pos.rot[0] = pos.rot[1] = pos.rot[2] = 0;
-    pos.pos[2] = 0;
-
     mEnvironment.getWorld()->renderPlayer();
 
-    if (const ESM::Cell *exterior = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getExterior (mCellName))
+    if (!mNewGame)
     {
-        MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->indexToPosition (exterior->mData.mX, exterior->mData.mY,
-            pos.pos[0], pos.pos[1], true);
-        MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->changeToExteriorCell (pos);
+        // load cell
+        ESM::Position pos;
+        pos.rot[0] = pos.rot[1] = pos.rot[2] = 0;
+        pos.pos[2] = 0;
+
+        if (const ESM::Cell *exterior = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getExterior (mCellName))
+        {
+            MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->indexToPosition (exterior->mData.mX, exterior->mData.mY,
+                pos.pos[0], pos.pos[1], true);
+            MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->changeToExteriorCell (pos);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            pos.pos[0] = pos.pos[1] = 0;
+            MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->changeToInteriorCell (mCellName, pos);
+        }
     }
     else
-    {
-        pos.pos[0] = pos.pos[1] = 0;
-        MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->changeToInteriorCell (mCellName, pos);
-    }
+        mEnvironment.getWorld()->startNewGame();
 
     Ogre::FrameEvent event;
     event.timeSinceLastEvent = 0;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/main.cpp b/apps/openmw/main.cpp
index 6742372d89..1fa461c2fb 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/main.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/main.cpp
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
         ("script-run", bpo::value<std::string>()->default_value(""),
             "select a file containing a list of console commands that is executed on startup")
 
+        ("new-game", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)
+            ->default_value(false), "activate char gen/new game mechanics")
+
         ("fs-strict", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)
             ->default_value(false), "strict file system handling (no case folding)")
 
@@ -237,6 +240,7 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
 
     // startup-settings
     engine.setCell(variables["start"].as<std::string>());
+    engine.setNewGame(variables["new-game"].as<bool>());
 
     // other settings
     engine.setDebugMode(variables["debug"].as<bool>());
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cells.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cells.cpp
index 564f62c8f1..cb2e49ca08 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cells.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cells.cpp
@@ -40,10 +40,7 @@ void MWWorld::Cells::clear()
 {
     mInteriors.clear();
     mExteriors.clear();
-
-    mIdCache  = std::vector<std::pair<std::string, MWWorld::CellStore *> >(
-                40, std::pair<std::string, MWWorld::Ptr::CellStore *> ("", (MWWorld::Ptr::CellStore*)0)), /// \todo make cache size configurable
-
+    std::fill(mIdCache.begin(), mIdCache.end(), std::make_pair("", (MWWorld::Ptr::CellStore*)0));
     mIdCacheIndex = 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/esmstore.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/esmstore.hpp
index 49458c9b90..d86faf7663 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/esmstore.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/esmstore.hpp
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ namespace MWWorld
         std::map<std::string, int> mIds;
         std::map<int, StoreBase *> mStores;
 
+        ESM::NPC mPlayerTemplate;
+
         unsigned int mDynamicCount;
 
     public:
@@ -143,19 +145,17 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
         void clearDynamic ()
         {
-            ESM::NPC playerNpc = *mNpcs.find("player");
-
             for (std::map<int, StoreBase *>::iterator it = mStores.begin(); it != mStores.end(); ++it)
                 it->second->clearDynamic();
 
-            mNpcs.insert(playerNpc);
+            mNpcs.insert(mPlayerTemplate);
         }
 
         void movePlayerRecord ()
         {
-            ESM::NPC playerNpc = *mNpcs.find("player");
-            mNpcs.eraseStatic(playerNpc.mId);
-            mNpcs.insert(playerNpc);
+            mPlayerTemplate = *mNpcs.find("player");
+            mNpcs.eraseStatic(mPlayerTemplate.mId);
+            mNpcs.insert(mPlayerTemplate);
         }
 
         void load(ESM::ESMReader &esm);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
index e8b68d2667..d7304f2b05 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
@@ -225,7 +225,6 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
     void World::startNewGame()
     {
-
         mWorldScene->changeToVoid();
 
         mStore.clearDynamic();
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
index 205361ef36..1baf3d4ba2 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
             World (OEngine::Render::OgreRenderer& renderer,
                 const Files::Collections& fileCollections,
                 const std::vector<std::string>& master, const std::vector<std::string>& plugins,
-            const boost::filesystem::path& resDir, const boost::filesystem::path& cacheDir,
+                const boost::filesystem::path& resDir, const boost::filesystem::path& cacheDir,
                 ToUTF8::Utf8Encoder* encoder, const std::map<std::string,std::string>& fallbackMap, int mActivationDistanceOverride);
 
             virtual ~World();