diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwphysics/actor.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwphysics/actor.cpp
index e1efe6d242..dec055d68f 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwphysics/actor.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwphysics/actor.cpp
@@ -102,11 +102,7 @@ namespace MWPhysics
         updateScaleUnsafe();
 
         if (!mRotationallyInvariant)
-        {
-            const SceneUtil::PositionAttitudeTransform* baseNode = mPtr.getRefData().getBaseNode();
-            if (baseNode)
-                mRotation = baseNode->getAttitude();
-        }
+            mRotation = mPtr.getRefData().getBaseNode()->getAttitude();
 
         addCollisionMask(getCollisionMask());
         updateCollisionObjectPositionUnsafe();
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwphysics/object.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwphysics/object.cpp
index 9c97ac7c32..53529ec729 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwphysics/object.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwphysics/object.cpp
@@ -110,9 +110,6 @@ namespace MWPhysics
         if (mShapeInstance->mAnimatedShapes.empty())
             return false;
 
-        if (!mPtr.getRefData().getBaseNode())
-            return false;
-
         assert(mShapeInstance->mCollisionShape->isCompound());
 
         btCompoundShape* compound = static_cast<btCompoundShape*>(mShapeInstance->mCollisionShape.get());
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp
index 72b2dc3022..d8875b513e 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp
@@ -115,7 +115,9 @@ namespace
         if (!refnum.hasContentFile() || !std::binary_search(pagedRefs.begin(), pagedRefs.end(), refnum))
             ptr.getClass().insertObjectRendering(ptr, model, rendering);
         else
-            ptr.getRefData().setBaseNode(nullptr);
+            ptr.getRefData().setBaseNode(
+                new SceneUtil::PositionAttitudeTransform); // FIXME remove this when physics code is fixed not to depend
+                                                           // on basenode
         setNodeRotation(ptr, rendering, rotation);
 
         if (ptr.getClass().useAnim())