diff --git a/irr/include/SkinnedMesh.h b/irr/include/SkinnedMesh.h
index ef6624c13..b4283dbaf 100644
--- a/irr/include/SkinnedMesh.h
+++ b/irr/include/SkinnedMesh.h
@@ -349,8 +349,11 @@ public:
 		// The .x and .gltf formats pre-calculate this
 		std::optional<core::matrix4> GlobalInversedMatrix;
 
-		// TODO friends?
-		u16 JointID; // TODO refactor away: pointers -> IDs
+		void setParent(SJoint *parent) {
+			ParentJointID = parent ? parent->JointID : std::optional<u16>{};
+		}
+
+		u16 JointID; // TODO refactor away: pointers -> IDs (problem: .x loader abuses SJoint)
 		std::optional<u16> ParentJointID;
 	};
 
diff --git a/irr/src/CXMeshFileLoader.cpp b/irr/src/CXMeshFileLoader.cpp
index 59455a3cf..90a376134 100644
--- a/irr/src/CXMeshFileLoader.cpp
+++ b/irr/src/CXMeshFileLoader.cpp
@@ -514,8 +514,7 @@ bool CXMeshFileLoader::parseDataObjectFrame(SkinnedMesh::SJoint *Parent)
 		if (n.has_value()) {
 			JointID = *n;
 			joint = AnimatedMesh->getAllJoints()[JointID];
-			if (Parent)
-				joint->ParentJointID = Parent->JointID;
+			joint->setParent(Parent);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/irr/src/SkinnedMesh.cpp b/irr/src/SkinnedMesh.cpp
index cc2cfbb45..83a2c0788 100644
--- a/irr/src/SkinnedMesh.cpp
+++ b/irr/src/SkinnedMesh.cpp
@@ -509,8 +509,7 @@ void SkinnedMeshBuilder::addMeshBuffer(SSkinMeshBuffer *meshbuf)
 SkinnedMesh::SJoint *SkinnedMeshBuilder::addJoint(SJoint *parent)
 {
 	SJoint *joint = new SJoint;
-	if (parent)
-		joint->ParentJointID = parent->JointID;
+	joint->setParent(parent);
 
 	joint->JointID = AllJoints.size();
 	AllJoints.push_back(joint);