diff --git a/components/esm/esmreader.cpp b/components/esm/esmreader.cpp
index 4e7dce876..7aa8add48 100644
--- a/components/esm/esmreader.cpp
+++ b/components/esm/esmreader.cpp
@@ -97,13 +97,6 @@ void ESMReader::open(const std::string &file)
     open (Files::openConstrainedFileStream (file.c_str ()), file);
 }
 
-int64_t ESMReader::getHNLong(const char *name)
-{
-    int64_t val;
-    getHNT(val, name);
-    return val;
-}
-
 std::string ESMReader::getHNOString(const char* name)
 {
     if (isNextSub(name))
@@ -215,18 +208,6 @@ void ESMReader::getSubName()
     mCtx.leftRec -= subNameSize;
 }
 
-bool ESMReader::isEmptyOrGetName()
-{
-    if (mCtx.leftRec)
-    {
-        const size_t subNameSize = mCtx.subName.data_size();
-        getExact(mCtx.subName.rw_data(), subNameSize);
-        mCtx.leftRec -= subNameSize;
-        return false;
-    }
-    return true;
-}
-
 void ESMReader::skipHSub()
 {
     getSubHeader();
@@ -343,7 +324,7 @@ std::string ESMReader::getString(int size)
     mBuffer[s] = 0;
 
     // read ESM data
-    char *ptr = &mBuffer[0];
+    char *ptr = mBuffer.data();
     getExact(ptr, size);
 
     size = strnlen(ptr, size);
diff --git a/components/esm/esmreader.hpp b/components/esm/esmreader.hpp
index 761756e8f..ba24c79f8 100644
--- a/components/esm/esmreader.hpp
+++ b/components/esm/esmreader.hpp
@@ -128,8 +128,6 @@ public:
           getHT(x);
   }
 
-  int64_t getHNLong(const char *name);
-
   // Get data of a given type/size, including subrecord header
   template <typename X>
   void getHT(X &x)
@@ -193,9 +191,6 @@ public:
   // slightly.
   void getSubName();
 
-  // This is specially optimized for LoadINFO.
-  bool isEmptyOrGetName();
-
   // Skip current sub record, including header (but not including
   // name.)
   void skipHSub();
diff --git a/components/esm/globalscript.cpp b/components/esm/globalscript.cpp
index 239d162f2..016ea4f0c 100644
--- a/components/esm/globalscript.cpp
+++ b/components/esm/globalscript.cpp
@@ -13,8 +13,7 @@ void ESM::GlobalScript::load (ESMReader &esm)
     esm.getHNOT (mRunning, "RUN_");
 
     mTargetRef.unset();
-    if (esm.peekNextSub("TARG"))
-        mTargetId = esm.getHNString ("TARG");
+    mTargetId = esm.getHNOString ("TARG");
     if (esm.peekNextSub("FRMR"))
         mTargetRef.load(esm, true, "FRMR");
 }
diff --git a/components/esm/loadtes3.cpp b/components/esm/loadtes3.cpp
index d953f1dc2..f5cbcd62f 100644
--- a/components/esm/loadtes3.cpp
+++ b/components/esm/loadtes3.cpp
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ void ESM::Header::load (ESMReader &esm)
     {
         MasterData m;
         m.name = esm.getHString();
-        m.size = esm.getHNLong ("DATA");
+        esm.getHNT(m.size, "DATA");
         mMaster.push_back (m);
     }
 
@@ -54,14 +54,14 @@ void ESM::Header::load (ESMReader &esm)
         esm.getSubHeader();
         mSCRD.resize(esm.getSubSize());
         if (!mSCRD.empty())
-            esm.getExact(&mSCRD[0], mSCRD.size());
+            esm.getExact(mSCRD.data(), mSCRD.size());
     }
     if (esm.isNextSub("SCRS"))
     {
         esm.getSubHeader();
         mSCRS.resize(esm.getSubSize());
         if (!mSCRS.empty())
-            esm.getExact(&mSCRS[0], mSCRS.size());
+            esm.getExact(mSCRS.data(), mSCRS.size());
     }
 }
 
@@ -78,10 +78,9 @@ void ESM::Header::save (ESMWriter &esm)
     esm.writeT(mData.records);
     esm.endRecord("HEDR");
 
-    for (std::vector<Header::MasterData>::iterator iter = mMaster.begin();
-         iter != mMaster.end(); ++iter)
+    for (const Header::MasterData& data : mMaster)
     {
-        esm.writeHNCString ("MAST", iter->name);
-        esm.writeHNT ("DATA", iter->size);
+        esm.writeHNCString ("MAST", data.name);
+        esm.writeHNT ("DATA", data.size);
     }
 }
diff --git a/components/esm/weatherstate.cpp b/components/esm/weatherstate.cpp
index ff2528e58..3d94a445b 100644
--- a/components/esm/weatherstate.cpp
+++ b/components/esm/weatherstate.cpp
@@ -31,15 +31,15 @@ namespace ESM
         esm.getHNT(mNextWeather, nextWeatherRecord);
         esm.getHNT(mQueuedWeather, queuedWeatherRecord);
 
-        while(esm.peekNextSub(regionNameRecord))
+        while (esm.isNextSub(regionNameRecord))
         {
-            std::string regionID = esm.getHNString(regionNameRecord);
+            std::string regionID = esm.getHString();
             RegionWeatherState region;
             esm.getHNT(region.mWeather, regionWeatherRecord);
-            while(esm.peekNextSub(regionChanceRecord))
+            while (esm.isNextSub(regionChanceRecord))
             {
                 char chance;
-                esm.getHNT(chance, regionChanceRecord);
+                esm.getHT(chance);
                 region.mChances.push_back(chance);
             }