diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ae65cbcc36..9f1b76ccc8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@
     Bug #8299: Crash while smoothing landscape
     Bug #8364: Crash when clicking scrollbar without handle (divide by zero)
     Bug #8378: Korean bitmap fonts are unusable
+    Bug #8439: Creatures without models can crash the game
     Feature #1415: Infinite fall failsafe
     Feature #2566: Handle NAM9 records for manual cell references
     Feature #3501: OpenMW-CS: Instance Editing - Shortcuts for axial locking
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/actoranimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/actoranimation.cpp
index f4bafdb48b..05c722f486 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/actoranimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/actoranimation.cpp
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ namespace MWRender
 
     bool ActorAnimation::updateCarriedLeftVisible(const int weaptype) const
     {
-        if (Settings::game().mShieldSheathing)
+        if (Settings::game().mShieldSheathing && mObjectRoot)
         {
             const MWWorld::Class& cls = mPtr.getClass();
             MWMechanics::CreatureStats& stats = cls.getCreatureStats(mPtr);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
index 0a2ef7bef8..f07a325f7c 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
@@ -1695,7 +1695,7 @@ namespace MWRender
                 mGlowUpdater->setColor(color);
                 mGlowUpdater->setDuration(glowDuration);
             }
-            else
+            else if (mObjectRoot)
                 mGlowUpdater = SceneUtil::addEnchantedGlow(mObjectRoot, mResourceSystem, color, glowDuration);
         }
     }
@@ -1869,7 +1869,7 @@ namespace MWRender
 
     void Animation::setAlpha(float alpha)
     {
-        if (alpha == mAlpha)
+        if (alpha == mAlpha || !mObjectRoot)
             return;
         mAlpha = alpha;
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp
index f84e58e4bc..fb839cfa3a 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/creatureanimation.cpp
@@ -259,7 +259,8 @@ namespace MWRender
     void CreatureWeaponAnimation::addControllers()
     {
         Animation::addControllers();
-        WeaponAnimation::addControllers(mNodeMap, mActiveControllers, mObjectRoot.get());
+        if (mObjectRoot)
+            WeaponAnimation::addControllers(mNodeMap, mActiveControllers, mObjectRoot.get());
     }
 
     osg::Vec3f CreatureWeaponAnimation::runAnimation(float duration)