diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwbase/mechanicsmanager.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwbase/mechanicsmanager.hpp
index 2c4a22c07..63ad1d32f 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwbase/mechanicsmanager.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwbase/mechanicsmanager.hpp
@@ -160,12 +160,13 @@ namespace MWBase
             virtual void forceStateUpdate(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr) = 0;
             ///< Forces an object to refresh its animation state.
 
-            virtual void playAnimationGroup(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& groupName, int mode, int number=1) = 0;
+            virtual bool playAnimationGroup(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& groupName, int mode, int number=1) = 0;
             ///< Run animation for a MW-reference. Calls to this function for references that are currently not
             /// in the scene should be ignored.
             ///
             /// \param mode 0 normal, 1 immediate start, 2 immediate loop
             /// \param count How many times the animation should be run
+            /// \return Success or error
 
             virtual void skipAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr) = 0;
             ///< Skip the animation for the given MW-reference for one frame. Calls to this function for
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp
index c135811dd..dd2fe3cad 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "actors.hpp"
 
 #include <typeinfo>
+#include <iostream>
 
 #include <osg/PositionAttitudeTransform>
 
@@ -1241,11 +1242,18 @@ namespace MWMechanics
             iter->second->getCharacterController()->forceStateUpdate();
     }
 
-    void Actors::playAnimationGroup(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& groupName, int mode, int number)
+    bool Actors::playAnimationGroup(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& groupName, int mode, int number)
     {
         PtrActorMap::iterator iter = mActors.find(ptr);
         if(iter != mActors.end())
-            iter->second->getCharacterController()->playGroup(groupName, mode, number);
+        {
+            return iter->second->getCharacterController()->playGroup(groupName, mode, number);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            std::cerr<< "Error in Actors::playAnimationGroup:  Unable to find " << ptr.getTypeName() << std::endl;
+            return false;
+        }
     }
     void Actors::skipAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr)
     {
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.hpp
index 4baaea28d..a16b80884 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/actors.hpp
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
 
         void forceStateUpdate(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr);
 
-        void playAnimationGroup(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& groupName, int mode, int number);
+        bool playAnimationGroup(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& groupName, int mode, int number);
         void skipAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr);
         bool checkAnimationPlaying(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& groupName);
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
index 9d5f7137f..1bd12b53f 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
@@ -1866,10 +1866,13 @@ void CharacterController::update(float duration)
 }
 
 
-void CharacterController::playGroup(const std::string &groupname, int mode, int count)
+bool CharacterController::playGroup(const std::string &groupname, int mode, int count)
 {
     if(!mAnimation || !mAnimation->hasAnimation(groupname))
+    {
         std::cerr<< "Animation "<<groupname<<" not found for " << mPtr.getCellRef().getRefId() << std::endl;
+        return false;
+    }
     else
     {
         count = std::max(count, 1);
@@ -1894,6 +1897,7 @@ void CharacterController::playGroup(const std::string &groupname, int mode, int
             mAnimQueue.push_back(std::make_pair(groupname, count-1));
         }
     }
+    return true;
 }
 
 void CharacterController::skipAnim()
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp
index d647cae22..71cd7a981 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ public:
 
     void update(float duration);
 
-    void playGroup(const std::string &groupname, int mode, int count);
+    bool playGroup(const std::string &groupname, int mode, int count);
     void skipAnim();
     bool isAnimPlaying(const std::string &groupName);
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp
index 07fa6d592..b2cd8414e 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.cpp
@@ -843,12 +843,12 @@ namespace MWMechanics
             mActors.forceStateUpdate(ptr);
     }
 
-    void MechanicsManager::playAnimationGroup(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& groupName, int mode, int number)
+    bool MechanicsManager::playAnimationGroup(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& groupName, int mode, int number)
     {
         if(ptr.getClass().isActor())
-            mActors.playAnimationGroup(ptr, groupName, mode, number);
+            return mActors.playAnimationGroup(ptr, groupName, mode, number);
         else
-            mObjects.playAnimationGroup(ptr, groupName, mode, number);
+            return mObjects.playAnimationGroup(ptr, groupName, mode, number);
     }
     void MechanicsManager::skipAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr)
     {
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.hpp
index 6386b4a2a..f0d1cc2a0 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/mechanicsmanagerimp.hpp
@@ -137,7 +137,9 @@ namespace MWMechanics
 
             virtual void forceStateUpdate(const MWWorld::Ptr &ptr);
 
-            virtual void playAnimationGroup(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& groupName, int mode, int number);
+            /// Attempt to play an animation group
+            /// @return Success or error
+            virtual bool playAnimationGroup(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& groupName, int mode, int number);
             virtual void skipAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr);
             virtual bool checkAnimationPlaying(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string &groupName);
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/objects.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/objects.cpp
index 4949d9b12..a0e9cd242 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/objects.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/objects.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #include "objects.hpp"
 
+#include <iostream>
+
 #include "movement.hpp"
 
 #include "../mwbase/environment.hpp"
@@ -77,11 +79,18 @@ void Objects::update(float duration, bool paused)
     }
 }
 
-void Objects::playAnimationGroup(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& groupName, int mode, int number)
+bool Objects::playAnimationGroup(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& groupName, int mode, int number)
 {
     PtrControllerMap::iterator iter = mObjects.find(ptr);
     if(iter != mObjects.end())
-        iter->second->playGroup(groupName, mode, number);
+    {
+        return iter->second->playGroup(groupName, mode, number);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        std::cerr<< "Error in Objects::playAnimationGroup:  Unable to find " << ptr.getTypeName() << std::endl;
+        return false;
+    }
 }
 void Objects::skipAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr)
 {
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/objects.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/objects.hpp
index 6e22c0582..07e00675c 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/objects.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/objects.hpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
         void update(float duration, bool paused);
         ///< Update object animations
 
-        void playAnimationGroup(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& groupName, int mode, int number);
+        bool playAnimationGroup(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, const std::string& groupName, int mode, int number);
         void skipAnimation(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr);
 
         void getObjectsInRange (const osg::Vec3f& position, float radius, std::vector<MWWorld::Ptr>& out);