diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/livecellref.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/livecellref.cpp
index bfc708185..dcd6da431 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/livecellref.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/livecellref.cpp
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ MWWorld::LiveCellRefBase::LiveCellRefBase(std::string type, const ESM::CellRef &
 void MWWorld::LiveCellRefBase::loadImp (const ESM::ObjectState& state)
 {
     mRef = state.mRef;
-    mData = RefData (state);
+    mData = RefData (state, mData.isDeletedByContentFile());
 
     Ptr ptr (this);
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/refdata.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/refdata.cpp
index 997b3fc94..6a127085c 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/refdata.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/refdata.cpp
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ namespace MWWorld
     {
     }
 
-    RefData::RefData (const ESM::ObjectState& objectState)
-    : mBaseNode(0), mDeleted(false),
+    RefData::RefData (const ESM::ObjectState& objectState, bool deleted)
+    : mBaseNode(0), mDeleted(deleted),
       mEnabled (objectState.mEnabled != 0),
       mCount (objectState.mCount),
       mPosition (objectState.mPosition),
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/refdata.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/refdata.hpp
index 19c31a14b..fbb951c5a 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/refdata.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/refdata.hpp
@@ -30,10 +30,14 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
             MWScript::Locals mLocals;
 
-            bool mDeleted; // separate delete flag used for deletion by a content file
-            bool mEnabled;
-            int mCount; // 0: deleted
+            /// separate delete flag used for deletion by a content file
+            /// @note not stored in the save game file.
+            bool mDeleted;
 
+            bool mEnabled;
+
+            /// 0: deleted
+            int mCount;
 
             ESM::Position mPosition;
 
@@ -51,10 +55,10 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
             /// @param cellRef Used to copy constant data such as position into this class where it can
             /// be altered without affecting the original data. This makes it possible
-            /// to reset the position as the orignal data is still held in the CellRef
+            /// to reset the position as the original data is still held in the CellRef
             RefData (const ESM::CellRef& cellRef);
 
-            RefData (const ESM::ObjectState& objectState);
+            RefData (const ESM::ObjectState& objectState, bool deleted);
             ///< Ignores local variables and custom data (not enough context available here to
             /// perform these operations).