diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.cpp
index c41ddd42c0..32f0fe0aef 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ MWState::Character* MWState::CharacterManager::getCurrentCharacter()
     return mCurrent;
 }
 
-void MWState::CharacterManager::deleteSlot(const MWState::Character* character, const MWState::Slot* slot)
+void MWState::CharacterManager::deleteSlot(const MWState::Slot* slot, const MWState::Character*& character)
 {
     std::list<Character>::iterator it = findCharacter(character);
 
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ void MWState::CharacterManager::deleteSlot(const MWState::Character* character,
         if (character == mCurrent)
             mCurrent = nullptr;
         mCharacters.erase(it);
+        character = nullptr;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.hpp
index dac189e68a..015144d820 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/charactermanager.hpp
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ namespace MWState
         Character* getCurrentCharacter();
         ///< @note May return null
 
-        void deleteSlot(const MWState::Character* character, const MWState::Slot* slot);
+        void deleteSlot(const MWState::Slot* slot, const Character*& character);
 
         Character* createCharacter(const std::string& name);
         ///< Create new character within saved game management
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
index f420589b70..b997d124c8 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
@@ -706,10 +706,10 @@ void MWState::StateManager::quickLoad()
 void MWState::StateManager::deleteGame(const MWState::Character* character, const MWState::Slot* slot)
 {
     const std::filesystem::path savePath = slot->mPath;
-    mCharacterManager.deleteSlot(character, slot);
+    mCharacterManager.deleteSlot(slot, character);
     if (mLastSavegame == savePath)
     {
-        if (character->begin() != character->end())
+        if (character != nullptr)
             mLastSavegame = character->begin()->mPath;
         else
             mLastSavegame.clear();