diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/containerstore.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/containerstore.cpp
index 5dd380be05..6337ca440f 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/containerstore.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/containerstore.cpp
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ MWWorld::ContainerStoreIterator MWWorld::ContainerStore::add (const Ptr& itemPtr
     item.getCellRef().setOwner("");
     item.getCellRef().resetGlobalVariable();
     item.getCellRef().setFaction("");
-    item.getCellRef().setFactionRank(-1);
+    item.getCellRef().setFactionRank(-2);
 
     // must reset the RefNum on the copied item, so that the RefNum on the original item stays unique
     // maybe we should do this in the copy constructor instead?
diff --git a/components/esm/cellref.cpp b/components/esm/cellref.cpp
index ba2be7b457..69841528f1 100644
--- a/components/esm/cellref.cpp
+++ b/components/esm/cellref.cpp
@@ -153,13 +153,19 @@ void ESM::CellRef::save (ESMWriter &esm, bool wideRefNum, bool inInventory, bool
         esm.writeHNT("XSCL", scale);
     }
 
-    esm.writeHNOCString("ANAM", mOwner);
+    if (!inInventory)
+        esm.writeHNOCString("ANAM", mOwner);
+
     esm.writeHNOCString("BNAM", mGlobalVariable);
     esm.writeHNOCString("XSOL", mSoul);
 
-    esm.writeHNOCString("CNAM", mFaction);
-    if (mFactionRank != -2) {
-        esm.writeHNT("INDX", mFactionRank);
+    if (!inInventory)
+    {
+        esm.writeHNOCString("CNAM", mFaction);
+        if (mFactionRank != -2)
+        {
+            esm.writeHNT("INDX", mFactionRank);
+        }
     }
 
     if (mEnchantmentCharge != -1)