diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderBuildingTurreted.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderBuildingTurreted.cs
index 32ab9550ac..58b051a231 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderBuildingTurreted.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderBuildingTurreted.cs
@@ -15,12 +15,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Traits
 
 		public void BuildingComplete( Actor self )
 		{
-			PlayTurretAnim( self, "idle" );
-		}
-
-		void PlayTurretAnim( Actor self, string a )
-		{
-			anim.PlayFacing( a, () => self.traits.Get<Turreted>().turretFacing );
+			anim.Play( "idle" );
 		}
 
 		public override void Damaged(Actor self, AttackInfo e)
@@ -30,10 +25,10 @@ namespace OpenRa.Traits
 			switch (e.DamageState)
 			{
 				case DamageState.Normal:
-					PlayTurretAnim(self, "idle");
+					anim.Play( "idle" );
 					break;
 				case DamageState.Half:
-					PlayTurretAnim(self, "damaged-idle");
+					anim.Play( "damaged-idle" );
 					Sound.Play("kaboom1.aud");
 					break;
 			}
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderInfantry.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderInfantry.cs
index c8d711d44c..e47b64e7e2 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderInfantry.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderInfantry.cs
@@ -13,8 +13,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Traits
 		public RenderInfantry(Actor self)
 			: base(self, () => self.traits.Get<Unit>().Facing)
 		{
-			anim.PlayFacing("stand", 
-				() => self.traits.Get<Unit>().Facing);
+			anim.Play("stand");
 		}
 
 		bool ChooseMoveAnim(Actor self)
@@ -63,8 +62,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Traits
 			if (IsProne(self))
 				anim.PlayFetchIndex("crawl", () => 0);			/* what a hack. */
 			else
-				anim.PlayFacing("stand",
-					() => self.traits.Get<Unit>().Facing);
+				anim.Play("stand");
 		}
 
 		public void Damaged(Actor self, AttackInfo e)
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderUnit.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderUnit.cs
index 259f48f8eb..3160a5522a 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderUnit.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderUnit.cs
@@ -15,20 +15,14 @@ namespace OpenRa.Traits
 		public RenderUnit(Actor self)
 			: base(self, () => self.traits.Get<Unit>().Facing)
 		{
-			PlayFacingAnim(self);
+			anim.Play("idle");
 
 			anims.Add( "smoke", new AnimationWithOffset( new Animation( "smoke_m" ), null, () => !isSmoking ) );
 		}
 
-		void PlayFacingAnim(Actor self)
-		{
-			var unit = self.traits.Get<Unit>();
-			anim.PlayFacing("idle", () => unit.Facing);
-		}
-
 		public void PlayCustomAnimation(Actor self, string newAnim, Action after)
 		{
-			anim.PlayThen(newAnim, () => { PlayFacingAnim(self); if (after != null) after(); });
+			anim.PlayThen(newAnim, () => { anim.Play("idle"); if (after != null) after(); });
 		}
 
 		bool isSmoking;
diff --git a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderUnitTurreted.cs b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderUnitTurreted.cs
index 315d00ff15..d0740b746a 100644
--- a/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderUnitTurreted.cs
+++ b/OpenRa.Game/Traits/Render/RenderUnitTurreted.cs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ namespace OpenRa.Traits
 			var attackInfo = self.Info.Traits.Get<AttackBaseInfo>();
 
 			var turretAnim = new Animation(GetImage(self), () => turreted.turretFacing );
-			turretAnim.PlayFacing( "turret", () => turreted.turretFacing );
+			turretAnim.Play( "turret" );
 
 			if( attackInfo.PrimaryOffset != null )
 				anims.Add("turret_1", new AnimationWithOffset(
diff --git a/mods/aftermath/sequences.xml b/mods/aftermath/sequences.xml
index bc6a605b24..23c779e151 100644
--- a/mods/aftermath/sequences.xml
+++ b/mods/aftermath/sequences.xml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
     <sequence name="turret" start="38" facings="32" />
   </unit>
   <unit name="shok">
-    <sequence name="stand" start="0" length="8" />
+    <sequence name="stand" start="0" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="stand2" start="8" length="8" />
     <sequence name="run" start="16" length="6" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="shoot" start="64" length="16" facings="8" />
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
     <sequence name="die6" start="0" length="14" src="electro" />
   </unit>
   <unit name="mech">
-    <sequence name="stand" start="0" length="8" />
+    <sequence name="stand" start="0" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="run" start="8" length="6" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="crawl" start="130" length="4" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="die1" start="193" length="8" />
diff --git a/mods/ra/sequences.xml b/mods/ra/sequences.xml
index ee99c16f21..b115cf6ff1 100644
--- a/mods/ra/sequences.xml
+++ b/mods/ra/sequences.xml
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@
   </unit>
   <!-- rifle infantry -->
   <unit name="e1">
-    <sequence name="stand" start="0" length="8" />
+    <sequence name="stand" start="0" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="stand2" start="8" length="8" />
     <sequence name="stand3" start="128" length="16" />
     <sequence name="run" start="16" length="6" facings="8" />
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@
     <sequence name="idle" start="0" length="1" />
   </unit>
   <unit name="e3">
-    <sequence name="stand" start="0" length="8" />
+    <sequence name="stand" start="0" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="stand2" start="8" length="8" />
     <sequence name="run" start="16" length="6" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="shoot" start="64" length="8" facings="8" />
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@
     <sequence name="prone-shoot" start="192" length="10" facings="8" />
   </unit>
   <unit name="e6">
-    <sequence name="stand" start="0" length="8" />
+    <sequence name="stand" start="0" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="stand2" start="8" length="8" />
     <sequence name="run" start="16" length="6" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="die1" start="146" length="8" />
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@
     <sequence name="turret" start="0" facings="32" src="mgun" />
   </unit>
   <unit name="medi">
-    <sequence name="stand" start="0" length="8" />
+    <sequence name="stand" start="0" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="run" start="8" length="6" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="heal" start="56" length="58" />
     <sequence name="standup" start="114" length="2" facings="8" />
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@
     <sequence name="idle" start="0" length="7" />
   </unit>
   <unit name="e2">
-    <sequence name="stand" start="0" length="8" />
+    <sequence name="stand" start="0" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="stand2" start="8" length="8" />
     <sequence name="run" start="16" length="6" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="shoot" start="64" length="20" facings="8" />
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@
     <sequence name="idle" start="0" length="8" />
   </unit>
   <unit name="dog">
-    <sequence name="stand" start="0" length="8" />
+    <sequence name="stand" start="0" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="run" start="8" length="6" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="die1" start="236" length="6" />
     <sequence name="die2" start="242" length="9" />
@@ -642,7 +642,7 @@
     <sequence name="idle" start="0" length="32" />
   </unit>
   <unit name="spy">
-    <sequence name="stand" start="0" length="8" />
+    <sequence name="stand" start="0" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="stand2" start="8" length="8" />
     <sequence name="run" start="16" length="6" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="shoot" start="64" length="8" facings="8" />
@@ -660,7 +660,7 @@
     <sequence name="dim" start="4" length="4" />
   </unit>
   <unit name="e7">
-    <sequence name="stand" start="0" length="8" />
+    <sequence name="stand" start="0" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="run" start="8" length="6" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="shoot" start="56" length="7" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="die1" start="262" length="8" />
@@ -673,7 +673,7 @@
     <sequence name="prone-shoot" start="176" length="7" facings="8" />
   </unit>
   <unit name="e4">
-    <sequence name="stand" start="0" length="8" />
+    <sequence name="stand" start="0" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="stand2" start="8" length="8" />
     <sequence name="run" start="16" length="6" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="shoot" start="64" length="16" facings="8" />
@@ -690,7 +690,7 @@
     <sequence name="idle" start="0" length="8" />
   </unit>
   <unit name="thf">
-    <sequence name="stand" start="0" length="8" />
+    <sequence name="stand" start="0" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="run" start="8" length="6" facings="8" />
     <sequence name="die1" start="139" length="8" />
     <sequence name="die2" start="147" length="8" />