diff --git a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
index 08e24b5d6..2299053cd 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ OMW::Engine::Engine(Files::ConfigurationManager& configurationManager)
   , mFpsLevel(0)
   , mDebug (false)
   , mVerboseScripts (false)
+  , mNewGame (false)
   , mUseSound (true)
   , mCompileAll (false)
   , mScriptContext (0)
@@ -236,6 +237,11 @@ void OMW::Engine::setScriptsVerbosity(bool scriptsVerbosity)
     mVerboseScripts = scriptsVerbosity;
 }
 
+void OMW::Engine::setNewGame(bool newGame)
+{
+    mNewGame = newGame;
+}
+
 // Initialise and enter main loop.
 
 void OMW::Engine::go()
@@ -326,13 +332,13 @@ void OMW::Engine::go()
 
     // Create the world
     mEnvironment.setWorld (new MWWorld::World (*mOgre, mFileCollections, mMaster,
-        mResDir, mCfgMgr.getCachePath(), mEncoding, mFallbackMap));
+        mResDir, mCfgMgr.getCachePath(), mNewGame, mEncoding, mFallbackMap));
 
     // Create window manager - this manages all the MW-specific GUI windows
     MWScript::registerExtensions (mExtensions);
 
     mEnvironment.setWindowManager (new MWGui::WindowManager(
-        mExtensions, mFpsLevel, mOgre, mCfgMgr.getLogPath().string() + std::string("/"),
+        mExtensions, mFpsLevel, mNewGame, mOgre, mCfgMgr.getLogPath().string() + std::string("/"),
         mCfgMgr.getCachePath ().string(), mScriptConsoleMode));
 
     // Create sound system
diff --git a/apps/openmw/engine.hpp b/apps/openmw/engine.hpp
index b13ec4368..57402c91e 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/engine.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/engine.hpp
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ namespace OMW
             int mFpsLevel;
             bool mDebug;
             bool mVerboseScripts;
+            bool mNewGame;
             bool mUseSound;
             bool mCompileAll;
             std::string mFocusName;
@@ -137,6 +138,9 @@ namespace OMW
             /// Disable or enable all sounds
             void setSoundUsage(bool soundUsage);
 
+            /// Start as a new game.
+            void setNewGame(bool newGame);
+
             /// Initialise and enter main loop.
             void go();
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/main.cpp b/apps/openmw/main.cpp
index 6b31f3ade..0563fdbbb 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/main.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/main.cpp
@@ -133,6 +133,9 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
         ("script-run", bpo::value<std::string>()->default_value(""),
             "select a file containing a list of console commands that is executed on startup")
 
+        ("new-game", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)
+            ->default_value(false), "activate char gen/new game mechanics")
+
         ("fs-strict", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)
             ->default_value(false), "strict file system handling (no case folding)")
 
@@ -235,6 +238,7 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
 
     // startup-settings
     engine.setCell(variables["start"].as<std::string>());
+    engine.setNewGame(variables["new-game"].as<bool>());
 
     // other settings
     engine.setDebugMode(variables["debug"].as<bool>());
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp
index 9df75870d..c177912d4 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp
@@ -79,8 +79,6 @@ namespace MWBase
              */
             virtual void update() = 0;
 
-            virtual void newGame() = 0;
-
             virtual void pushGuiMode (MWGui::GuiMode mode) = 0;
             virtual void popGuiMode() = 0;
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/mainmenu.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/mainmenu.cpp
index 0f74f6e14..b19f3de6d 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/mainmenu.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/mainmenu.cpp
@@ -94,7 +94,6 @@ namespace MWGui
     void MainMenu::newGameConfirmed()
     {
         MWBase::Environment::get().getWindowManager ()->removeGuiMode (GM_MainMenu);
-        MWBase::Environment::get().getWindowManager ()->newGame ();
         MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld ()->newGame();
     }
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
index 1f5966f72..627f8f339 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 using namespace MWGui;
 
 WindowManager::WindowManager(
-    const Compiler::Extensions& extensions, int fpsLevel, OEngine::Render::OgreRenderer *mOgre,
+    const Compiler::Extensions& extensions, int fpsLevel, bool newGame, OEngine::Render::OgreRenderer *mOgre,
         const std::string& logpath, const std::string& cacheDir, bool consoleOnlyScripts)
   : mGuiManager(NULL)
   , mHud(NULL)
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@ WindowManager::WindowManager(
   , mGui(NULL)
   , mGarbageDialogs()
   , mShown(GW_ALL)
-  , mAllowed(GW_ALL)
-  , mRestAllowed(true)
+  , mAllowed(newGame ? GW_None : GW_ALL)
+  , mRestAllowed(newGame ? false : true)
   , mShowFPSLevel(fpsLevel)
   , mFPS(0.0f)
   , mTriangleCount(0)
@@ -1041,9 +1041,3 @@ void WindowManager::startTraining(MWWorld::Ptr actor)
 {
     mTrainingWindow->startTraining(actor);
 }
-
-void WindowManager::newGame ()
-{
-    mAllowed = GW_None;
-    mRestAllowed = false;
-}
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp
index db5c22348..2e684b5da 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ namespace MWGui
     typedef std::pair<std::string, int> Faction;
     typedef std::vector<Faction> FactionList;
 
-    WindowManager(const Compiler::Extensions& extensions, int fpsLevel,
+    WindowManager(const Compiler::Extensions& extensions, int fpsLevel, bool newGame,
                   OEngine::Render::OgreRenderer *mOgre, const std::string& logpath,
                   const std::string& cacheDir, bool consoleOnlyScripts);
     virtual ~WindowManager();
@@ -86,8 +86,6 @@ namespace MWGui
      */
     virtual void update();
 
-    virtual void newGame();
-
     virtual void pushGuiMode(GuiMode mode);
     virtual void popGuiMode();
     virtual void removeGuiMode(GuiMode mode); ///< can be anywhere in the stack
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
index afcdb8d39..f1fb67632 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
     World::World (OEngine::Render::OgreRenderer& renderer,
         const Files::Collections& fileCollections,
-        const std::string& master, const boost::filesystem::path& resDir, const boost::filesystem::path& cacheDir,
+        const std::string& master, const boost::filesystem::path& resDir, const boost::filesystem::path& cacheDir, bool newGame,
         const std::string& encoding, std::map<std::string,std::string> fallbackMap)
     : mPlayer (0), mLocalScripts (mStore), mGlobalVariables (0),
       mSky (true), mCells (mStore, mEsm), mNewGameStarted(false),
@@ -197,6 +197,12 @@ namespace MWWorld
         // global variables
         mGlobalVariables = new Globals (mStore);
 
+        if (newGame)
+        {
+            // set new game mark
+            mGlobalVariables->setInt ("chargenstate", 1);
+        }
+
         mGlobalVariables->setInt ("pcrace", 3);
 
         mWorldScene = new Scene(*mRendering, mPhysics);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
index 8f89ecff3..a58e70d12 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.hpp
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
             World (OEngine::Render::OgreRenderer& renderer,
                 const Files::Collections& fileCollections,
-                const std::string& master, const boost::filesystem::path& resDir, const boost::filesystem::path& cacheDir,
+                const std::string& master, const boost::filesystem::path& resDir, const boost::filesystem::path& cacheDir, bool newGame,
                 const std::string& encoding, std::map<std::string,std::string> fallbackMap);
 
             virtual ~World();