diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellview.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellview.cpp
index 668b239bc..eeadc1d81 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellview.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellview.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 namespace MWGui
 {
 
+    const char* SpellView::sSpellModelIndex = "SpellModelIndex";
+
     SpellView::SpellView()
         : mShowCostColumn(true)
         , mHighlightSelected(true)
@@ -113,10 +115,10 @@ namespace MWGui
                 group.push_back(costChance);
                 Gui::SharedStateButton::createButtonGroup(group);
 
-                mLines.push_back(std::make_pair(t, costChance));
+                mLines.push_back(boost::make_tuple(t, costChance, true));
             }
             else
-                mLines.push_back(std::make_pair(t, (MyGUI::Widget*)NULL));
+                mLines.push_back(boost::make_tuple(t, (MyGUI::Widget*)NULL, true));
 
             t->setStateSelected(spell.mSelected);
         }
@@ -124,30 +126,85 @@ namespace MWGui
         layoutWidgets();
     }
 
+    void SpellView::incrementalUpdate()
+    {
+        if (!mModel.get())
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        mModel->update();
+        bool fullUpdateRequired = false;
+        SpellModel::ModelIndex maxSpellIndexFound = -1;
+        for (std::vector< LineInfo >::iterator it = mLines.begin(); it != mLines.end(); ++it)
+        {
+            // only update the lines that are "updateable"
+            if (it->get<2>())
+            {
+                Gui::SharedStateButton* nameButton = reinterpret_cast<Gui::SharedStateButton*>(it->get<0>());
+
+                // match model against line
+                // if don't match, then major change has happened, so do a full update
+                SpellModel::ModelIndex spellIndex = getSpellModelIndex(nameButton);
+                if (mModel->getItemCount() <= static_cast<unsigned>(spellIndex))
+                {
+                    fullUpdateRequired = true;
+                    break;
+                }
+
+                // more checking for major change.
+                const Spell& spell = mModel->getItem(spellIndex);
+                if (nameButton->getCaption() != spell.mName)
+                {
+                    fullUpdateRequired = true;
+                    break;
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    maxSpellIndexFound = spellIndex;
+                    Gui::SharedStateButton* costButton = reinterpret_cast<Gui::SharedStateButton*>(it->get<1>());
+                    if ((costButton != NULL) && (costButton->getCaption() != spell.mCostColumn))
+                    {
+                        costButton->setCaption(spell.mCostColumn);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        // special case, look for spells added to model that are beyond last updatable item
+        SpellModel::ModelIndex topSpellIndex = mModel->getItemCount() - 1;
+        if (fullUpdateRequired ||
+            ((0 <= topSpellIndex) && (maxSpellIndexFound < topSpellIndex)))
+        {
+            update();
+        }
+    }
+
+
     void SpellView::layoutWidgets()
     {
         int height = 0;
-        for (std::vector< std::pair<MyGUI::Widget*, MyGUI::Widget*> >::iterator it = mLines.begin();
+        for (std::vector< LineInfo >::iterator it = mLines.begin();
              it != mLines.end(); ++it)
         {
-            height += (it->first)->getHeight();
+            height += (it->get<0>())->getHeight();
         }
 
         bool scrollVisible = height > mScrollView->getHeight();
         int width = mScrollView->getWidth() - (scrollVisible ? 18 : 0);
 
         height = 0;
-        for (std::vector< std::pair<MyGUI::Widget*, MyGUI::Widget*> >::iterator it = mLines.begin();
+        for (std::vector< LineInfo >::iterator it = mLines.begin();
              it != mLines.end(); ++it)
         {
-            int lineHeight = (it->first)->getHeight();
-            (it->first)->setCoord(4, height, width-8, lineHeight);
-            if (it->second)
+            int lineHeight = (it->get<0>())->getHeight();
+            (it->get<0>())->setCoord(4, height, width - 8, lineHeight);
+            if (it->get<1>())
             {
-                (it->second)->setCoord(4, height, width-8, lineHeight);
-                MyGUI::TextBox* second = (it->second)->castType<MyGUI::TextBox>(false);
+                (it->get<1>())->setCoord(4, height, width - 8, lineHeight);
+                MyGUI::TextBox* second = (it->get<1>())->castType<MyGUI::TextBox>(false);
                 if (second)
-                    (it->first)->setSize(width-8-second->getTextSize().width, lineHeight);
+                    (it->get<0>())->setSize(width - 8 - second->getTextSize().width, lineHeight);
             }
 
             height += lineHeight;
@@ -167,7 +224,7 @@ namespace MWGui
                 MyGUI::IntCoord(0, 0, mScrollView->getWidth(), 18),
                 MyGUI::Align::Left | MyGUI::Align::Top);
             separator->setNeedMouseFocus(false);
-            mLines.push_back(std::make_pair(separator, (MyGUI::Widget*)NULL));
+            mLines.push_back(boost::make_tuple(separator, (MyGUI::Widget*)NULL, false));
         }
 
         MyGUI::TextBox* groupWidget = mScrollView->createWidget<MyGUI::TextBox>("SandBrightText",
@@ -186,10 +243,10 @@ namespace MWGui
             groupWidget2->setTextAlign(MyGUI::Align::Right);
             groupWidget2->setNeedMouseFocus(false);
 
-            mLines.push_back(std::make_pair(groupWidget, groupWidget2));
+            mLines.push_back(boost::make_tuple(groupWidget, groupWidget2, false));
         }
         else
-            mLines.push_back(std::make_pair(groupWidget, (MyGUI::Widget*)NULL));
+            mLines.push_back(boost::make_tuple(groupWidget, (MyGUI::Widget*)NULL, false));
     }
 
 
@@ -222,16 +279,20 @@ namespace MWGui
             widget->setUserString("Spell", spell.mId);
         }
 
-        widget->setUserString("SpellModelIndex", MyGUI::utility::toString(index));
+        widget->setUserString(sSpellModelIndex, MyGUI::utility::toString(index));
 
         widget->eventMouseWheel += MyGUI::newDelegate(this, &SpellView::onMouseWheel);
         widget->eventMouseButtonClick += MyGUI::newDelegate(this, &SpellView::onSpellSelected);
     }
 
+    SpellModel::ModelIndex SpellView::getSpellModelIndex(MyGUI::Widget* widget)
+    {
+        return MyGUI::utility::parseInt(widget->getUserString(sSpellModelIndex));
+    }
+
     void SpellView::onSpellSelected(MyGUI::Widget* _sender)
     {
-        SpellModel::ModelIndex i = MyGUI::utility::parseInt(_sender->getUserString("SpellModelIndex"));
-        eventSpellClicked(i);
+        eventSpellClicked(getSpellModelIndex(_sender));
     }
 
     void SpellView::onMouseWheel(MyGUI::Widget* _sender, int _rel)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellview.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellview.hpp
index 005d206f4..2f6ff2624 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellview.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellview.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef OPENMW_GUI_SPELLVIEW_H
 #define OPENMW_GUI_SPELLVIEW_H
 
+#include <boost/tuple/tuple.hpp>
+
 #include <MyGUI_Widget.h>
 
 #include "spellmodel.hpp"
@@ -37,6 +39,9 @@ namespace MWGui
 
         void update();
 
+        /// simplified update called each frame
+        void incrementalUpdate();
+
         typedef MyGUI::delegates::CMultiDelegate1<SpellModel::ModelIndex> EventHandle_ModelIndex;
         /// Fired when a spell was clicked
         EventHandle_ModelIndex eventSpellClicked;
@@ -51,7 +56,13 @@ namespace MWGui
 
         std::auto_ptr<SpellModel> mModel;
 
-        std::vector< std::pair<MyGUI::Widget*, MyGUI::Widget*> > mLines;
+        /// tracks an item in the spell view
+        /// element<0> is the left column GUI object (usually holds the name)
+        /// element<1> is the right column (charge or cost info)
+        /// element<2> is if line needs to be checked during incremental update
+        typedef boost::tuple<MyGUI::Widget*, MyGUI::Widget*, bool> LineInfo;
+
+        std::vector< LineInfo > mLines;
 
         bool mShowCostColumn;
         bool mHighlightSelected;
@@ -62,6 +73,10 @@ namespace MWGui
 
         void onSpellSelected(MyGUI::Widget* _sender);
         void onMouseWheel(MyGUI::Widget* _sender, int _rel);
+
+        SpellModel::ModelIndex getSpellModelIndex(MyGUI::Widget* _sender);
+
+        static const char* sSpellModelIndex;
     };
 
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellwindow.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellwindow.cpp
index 4fdeb91cf..ca5ec20bd 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellwindow.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellwindow.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ namespace MWGui
         : WindowPinnableBase("openmw_spell_window.layout")
         , NoDrop(drag, mMainWidget)
         , mSpellView(NULL)
+        , mUpdateTimer(0.0f)
     {
         mSpellIcons = new SpellIcons();
 
@@ -60,6 +61,20 @@ namespace MWGui
         updateSpells();
     }
 
+    void SpellWindow::onFrame(float dt) 
+    { 
+        if (mMainWidget->getVisible())
+        {
+            NoDrop::onFrame(dt);
+            mUpdateTimer += dt;
+            if (0.5f < mUpdateTimer)
+            {
+                mUpdateTimer = 0;
+                mSpellView->incrementalUpdate();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     void SpellWindow::updateSpells()
     {
         mSpellIcons->updateWidgets(mEffectBox, false);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellwindow.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellwindow.hpp
index 8b5474f58..dcce10f9d 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellwindow.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/spellwindow.hpp
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ namespace MWGui
 
         void updateSpells();
 
-        void onFrame(float dt) { NoDrop::onFrame(dt); }
+        void onFrame(float dt);
 
         /// Cycle to next/previous spell
         void cycle(bool next);
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ namespace MWGui
 
         SpellView* mSpellView;
         SpellIcons* mSpellIcons;
+
+    private:
+        float mUpdateTimer;
     };
 }