diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwbase/statemanager.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwbase/statemanager.hpp
index 79ddbfa2a..48a95f029 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwbase/statemanager.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwbase/statemanager.hpp
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ namespace MWBase
             /** Used for quickload **/
             virtual void quickLoad()=0;
 
-            virtual MWState::Character *getCurrentCharacter (bool create = true) = 0;
-            ///< \param create Create a new character, if there is no current character.
+            virtual MWState::Character *getCurrentCharacter () = 0;
+            ///< @note May return null.
 
             virtual CharacterIterator characterBegin() = 0;
             ///< Any call to SaveGame and getCurrentCharacter can invalidate the returned
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/savegamedialog.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/savegamedialog.cpp
index 9de2374ad..946eac4d9 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/savegamedialog.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/savegamedialog.cpp
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ namespace MWGui
         if (mgr->characterBegin() == mgr->characterEnd())
             return;
 
-        mCurrentCharacter = mgr->getCurrentCharacter (false);
+        mCurrentCharacter = mgr->getCurrentCharacter();
 
         std::string directory =
             Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase (Settings::Manager::getString ("character", "Saves"));
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ namespace MWGui
 
         if (!load)
         {
-            mCurrentCharacter = MWBase::Environment::get().getStateManager()->getCurrentCharacter (false);
+            mCurrentCharacter = MWBase::Environment::get().getStateManager()->getCurrentCharacter();
         }
 
         center();
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.cpp
index f2d031576..90b25ab5a 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.cpp
@@ -32,11 +32,8 @@ MWState::CharacterManager::CharacterManager (const boost::filesystem::path& save
     }
 }
 
-MWState::Character *MWState::CharacterManager::getCurrentCharacter (bool create, const std::string& name)
+MWState::Character *MWState::CharacterManager::getCurrentCharacter ()
 {
-    if (!mCurrent && create)
-        createCharacter(name);
-
     return mCurrent;
 }
 
@@ -56,7 +53,7 @@ void MWState::CharacterManager::deleteSlot(const MWState::Character *character,
     }
 }
 
-void MWState::CharacterManager::createCharacter(const std::string& name)
+MWState::Character* MWState::CharacterManager::createCharacter(const std::string& name)
 {
     std::ostringstream stream;
 
@@ -82,8 +79,7 @@ void MWState::CharacterManager::createCharacter(const std::string& name)
     }
 
     mCharacters.push_back (Character (path, mGame));
-
-    mCurrent = &mCharacters.back();
+    return &mCharacters.back();
 }
 
 std::list<MWState::Character>::iterator MWState::CharacterManager::findCharacter(const MWState::Character* character)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.hpp
index 64f71af99..2daf73401 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.hpp
@@ -31,13 +31,12 @@ namespace MWState
 
             CharacterManager (const boost::filesystem::path& saves, const std::string& game);
 
-            Character *getCurrentCharacter (bool create, const std::string& name);
-            ///< \param create Create a new character, if there is no current character.
-            /// \param name The character name to use in case a new character is created.
+            Character *getCurrentCharacter ();
+            ///< @note May return null
 
             void deleteSlot(const MWState::Character *character, const MWState::Slot *slot);
 
-            void createCharacter(const std::string& name);
+            Character* createCharacter(const std::string& name);
             ///< Create new character within saved game management
             /// \param name Name for the character (does not need to be unique)
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
index 115b47a5d..e3c8f3df5 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ void MWState::StateManager::askLoadRecent()
 
     if( !mAskLoadRecent )
     {
-        const MWState::Character* character = getCurrentCharacter(false);
+        const MWState::Character* character = getCurrentCharacter();
         if(!character || character->begin() == character->end())//no saves
         {
             MWBase::Environment::get().getWindowManager()->pushGuiMode (MWGui::GM_MainMenu);
@@ -173,6 +173,16 @@ void MWState::StateManager::endGame()
 
 void MWState::StateManager::saveGame (const std::string& description, const Slot *slot)
 {
+    MWState::Character* character = getCurrentCharacter();
+    if (!character)
+    {
+        MWWorld::ConstPtr player = MWMechanics::getPlayer();
+        std::string name = player.get<ESM::NPC>()->mBase->mName;
+
+        character = mCharacterManager.createCharacter(name);
+        mCharacterManager.setCurrentCharacter(character);
+    }
+
     try
     {
         ESM::SavedGame profile;
@@ -204,9 +214,9 @@ void MWState::StateManager::saveGame (const std::string& description, const Slot
         writeScreenshot(profile.mScreenshot);
 
         if (!slot)
-            slot = getCurrentCharacter(true)->createSlot (profile);
+            slot = character->createSlot (profile);
         else
-            slot = getCurrentCharacter(true)->updateSlot (slot, profile);
+            slot = character->updateSlot (slot, profile);
 
         // Write to a memory stream first. If there is an exception during the save process, we don't want to trash the
         // existing save file we are overwriting.
@@ -290,7 +300,10 @@ void MWState::StateManager::saveGame (const std::string& description, const Slot
 
         // If no file was written, clean up the slot
         if (slot && !boost::filesystem::exists(slot->mPath))
-            getCurrentCharacter(true)->deleteSlot(slot);
+        {
+            character->deleteSlot(slot);
+            character->cleanup();
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -306,13 +319,16 @@ void MWState::StateManager::quickSave (std::string name)
     }
 
     const Slot* slot = NULL;
-    Character* mCurrentCharacter = getCurrentCharacter(true); //Get current character
+    Character* currentCharacter = getCurrentCharacter(); //Get current character
 
     //Find quicksave slot
-    for (Character::SlotIterator it = mCurrentCharacter->begin(); it != mCurrentCharacter->end(); ++it)
+    if (currentCharacter)
     {
-        if (it->mProfile.mDescription == name)
-            slot = &*it;
+        for (Character::SlotIterator it = currentCharacter->begin(); it != currentCharacter->end(); ++it)
+        {
+            if (it->mProfile.mDescription == name)
+                slot = &*it;
+        }
     }
 
     saveGame(name, slot);
@@ -334,7 +350,7 @@ void MWState::StateManager::loadGame(const std::string& filepath)
         }
     }
 
-    MWState::Character* character = getCurrentCharacter(false);
+    MWState::Character* character = getCurrentCharacter();
     loadGame(character, filepath);
 }
 
@@ -506,7 +522,7 @@ void MWState::StateManager::loadGame (const Character *character, const std::str
 
 void MWState::StateManager::quickLoad()
 {
-    if (Character* currentCharacter = getCurrentCharacter (false))
+    if (Character* currentCharacter = getCurrentCharacter ())
     {
         if (currentCharacter->begin() == currentCharacter->end())
             return;
@@ -519,12 +535,9 @@ void MWState::StateManager::deleteGame(const MWState::Character *character, cons
     mCharacterManager.deleteSlot(character, slot);
 }
 
-MWState::Character *MWState::StateManager::getCurrentCharacter (bool create)
+MWState::Character *MWState::StateManager::getCurrentCharacter ()
 {
-    MWWorld::ConstPtr player = MWMechanics::getPlayer();
-    std::string name = player.get<ESM::NPC>()->mBase->mName;
-
-    return mCharacterManager.getCurrentCharacter (create, name);
+    return mCharacterManager.getCurrentCharacter();
 }
 
 MWState::StateManager::CharacterIterator MWState::StateManager::characterBegin()
@@ -545,7 +558,7 @@ void MWState::StateManager::update (float duration)
     if (mAskLoadRecent)
     {
         int iButton = MWBase::Environment::get().getWindowManager()->readPressedButton();
-        MWState::Character *curCharacter = getCurrentCharacter(false);
+        MWState::Character *curCharacter = getCurrentCharacter();
         if(iButton==0 && curCharacter)
         {
             mAskLoadRecent = false;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.hpp
index 44ee98be7..5defcdea3 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.hpp
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ namespace MWState
             virtual void loadGame (const Character *character, const std::string &filepath);
             ///< Load a saved game file belonging to the given character.
 
-            virtual Character *getCurrentCharacter (bool create);
-            ///< \param create Create a new character, if there is no current character.
+            virtual Character *getCurrentCharacter ();
+            ///< @note May return null.
 
             virtual CharacterIterator characterBegin();
             ///< Any call to SaveGame and getCurrentCharacter can invalidate the returned