diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwbase/statemanager.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwbase/statemanager.hpp
index 35435e1430..0ea4103163 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwbase/statemanager.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwbase/statemanager.hpp
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ namespace MWBase
         virtual void askLoadRecent() = 0;
 
         virtual void requestNewGame() = 0;
-        virtual void requestLoad(const std::filesystem::path& filepath) = 0;
+        virtual void requestLoad(const MWState::Character* character, const std::filesystem::path& filepath) = 0;
 
         virtual State getState() const = 0;
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwlua/menuscripts.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwlua/menuscripts.cpp
index c9134201d3..fa6be3b7b7 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwlua/menuscripts.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwlua/menuscripts.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ namespace MWLua
             const MWState::Slot* slot = findSlot(character, slotName);
             if (!slot)
                 throw std::runtime_error("Save game slot not found: " + std::string(dir) + "/" + std::string(slotName));
-            MWBase::Environment::get().getStateManager()->requestLoad(slot->mPath);
+            MWBase::Environment::get().getStateManager()->requestLoad(character, slot->mPath);
         };
 
         api["deleteGame"] = [](std::string_view dir, std::string_view slotName) {
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
index e47bf3e3e0..dbb4c46ee3 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ void MWState::StateManager::loadGame(const std::filesystem::path& filepath)
     {
         for (const auto& slot : character)
         {
-            if (slot.mPath == filepath)
+            if (std::filesystem::equivalent(slot.mPath, filepath))
             {
                 loadGame(&character, slot.mPath);
                 return;
@@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ void MWState::StateManager::quickLoad()
         if (currentCharacter->begin() == currentCharacter->end())
             return;
         // use requestLoad, otherwise we can crash by loading during the wrong part of the frame
-        requestLoad(currentCharacter->begin()->mPath);
+        requestLoad(currentCharacter, currentCharacter->begin()->mPath);
     }
 }
 
@@ -763,7 +763,14 @@ void MWState::StateManager::update(float duration)
     if (mLoadRequest)
     {
         MWBase::Environment::get().getWindowManager()->removeGuiMode(MWGui::GM_MainMenu);
-        loadGame(*mLoadRequest);
+        const Character* character = mLoadRequest->first;
+        // The character may have been deleted after the request was made
+        const bool validCharacter = std::ranges::find_if(mCharacterManager, [=](const Character& c) {
+            return &c == character;
+        }) != mCharacterManager.end();
+        if (!validCharacter)
+            character = getCurrentCharacter();
+        loadGame(character, mLoadRequest->second);
         mLoadRequest = std::nullopt;
     }
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.hpp
index b08584a817..4b8a9b04c0 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.hpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include <filesystem>
 #include <map>
+#include <utility>
 
 #include "../mwbase/statemanager.hpp"
 
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ namespace MWState
         bool mQuitRequest;
         bool mAskLoadRecent;
         bool mNewGameRequest = false;
-        std::optional<std::filesystem::path> mLoadRequest;
+        std::optional<std::pair<const Character*, std::filesystem::path>> mLoadRequest;
         State mState;
         CharacterManager mCharacterManager;
         double mTimePlayed;
@@ -42,7 +43,10 @@ namespace MWState
         void askLoadRecent() override;
 
         void requestNewGame() override { mNewGameRequest = true; }
-        void requestLoad(const std::filesystem::path& filepath) override { mLoadRequest = filepath; }
+        void requestLoad(const Character* character, const std::filesystem::path& filepath) override
+        {
+            mLoadRequest.emplace(character, filepath);
+        }
 
         State getState() const override;