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 75d501ff1..83931ba15 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>
 
@@ -1245,11 +1246,18 @@ 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/aiwander.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.cpp
index e230998eb..440814fb7 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "aiwander.hpp"
 
 #include <cfloat>
+#include <iostream>
 
 #include <components/misc/rng.hpp>
 
@@ -57,7 +58,6 @@ namespace MWMechanics
         bool mTurnActorGivingGreetingToFacePlayer;
         float mReaction; // update some actions infrequently
         
-        
         AiWander::GreetingState mSaidGreeting;
         int mGreetingTimer;
 
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ namespace MWMechanics
         AiWander::WanderState mState;
         
         unsigned short mIdleAnimation;
+        std::vector<unsigned short> mBadIdles; // Idle animations that when called cause errors
 
         PathFinder mPathFinder;
         
@@ -78,7 +79,8 @@ namespace MWMechanics
             mGreetingTimer(0),
             mCell(NULL),
             mState(AiWander::Wander_ChooseAction),
-            mIdleAnimation(0)
+            mIdleAnimation(0),
+            mBadIdles()
             {};
     };
     
@@ -394,15 +396,23 @@ namespace MWMechanics
         if (!idleAnimation && mDistance)
         {
             storage.mState = Wander_MoveNow;
+            return;
         }
-        else
+        if(idleAnimation)
         {
-            // Play idle animation and recreate vanilla (broken?) behavior of resetting start time of AIWander:
-            MWWorld::TimeStamp currentTime = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getTimeStamp();
-            mStartTime = currentTime;
-            playIdle(actor, idleAnimation);
-            storage.mState = Wander_IdleNow;
+            if(std::find(storage.mBadIdles.begin(), storage.mBadIdles.end(), idleAnimation)==storage.mBadIdles.end())
+            {
+                if(!playIdle(actor, idleAnimation))
+                {
+                    storage.mBadIdles.push_back(idleAnimation);
+                    storage.mState = Wander_ChooseAction;
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
         }
+        // Recreate vanilla (broken?) behavior of resetting start time of AIWander:
+        mStartTime = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getTimeStamp();
+        storage.mState = Wander_IdleNow;
     }
 
     void AiWander::evadeObstacles(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor, AiWanderStorage& storage, float duration)
@@ -621,12 +631,17 @@ namespace MWMechanics
         actor.getClass().getMovementSettings(actor).mPosition[1] = 0;
     }
 
-    void AiWander::playIdle(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor, unsigned short idleSelect)
+    bool AiWander::playIdle(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor, unsigned short idleSelect)
     {
         if ((GroupIndex_MinIdle <= idleSelect) && (idleSelect <= GroupIndex_MaxIdle))
         {
             const std::string& groupName = sIdleSelectToGroupName[idleSelect - GroupIndex_MinIdle];
-            MWBase::Environment::get().getMechanicsManager()->playAnimationGroup(actor, groupName, 0, 1);
+            return MWBase::Environment::get().getMechanicsManager()->playAnimationGroup(actor, groupName, 0, 1);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            std::cerr<< "Attempted to play out of range idle animation \""<<idleSelect<<"\" for " << actor.getCellRef().getRefId() << std::endl;
+            return false;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.hpp
index 8a489c783..27e6fe9fb 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/aiwander.hpp
@@ -75,7 +75,10 @@ namespace MWMechanics
             void init();
             
             void stopWalking(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor, AiWanderStorage& storage);
-            void playIdle(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor, unsigned short idleSelect);
+
+            /// Have the given actor play an idle animation
+            /// @return Success or error
+            bool playIdle(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor, unsigned short idleSelect);
             bool checkIdle(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor, unsigned short idleSelect);
             short unsigned getRandomIdle();
             void setPathToAnAllowedNode(const MWWorld::Ptr& actor, AiWanderStorage& storage, const ESM::Position& actorPos);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
index 44fcf1c57..22ddf1fb7 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.cpp
@@ -1871,10 +1871,13 @@ 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);
@@ -1899,6 +1902,7 @@ 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 3ada5e65e..98c181749 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/character.hpp
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ 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);