diff --git a/apps/esmtool/record.cpp b/apps/esmtool/record.cpp
index a732f1938..929201417 100644
--- a/apps/esmtool/record.cpp
+++ b/apps/esmtool/record.cpp
@@ -713,9 +713,7 @@ void Record<ESM::Faction>::print()
 template<>
 void Record<ESM::Global>::print()
 {
-    // nothing to print (well, nothing that's correct anyway)
-    std::cout << "  Type: " << mData.mType << std::endl;
-    std::cout << "  Value: " << mData.mValue << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "  " << mData.mValue << std::endl;
 }
 
 template<>
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/doc/document.cpp b/apps/opencs/model/doc/document.cpp
index b361577be..f6df1f499 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/doc/document.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/doc/document.cpp
@@ -154,8 +154,7 @@ void CSMDoc::Document::addOptionalGlobals()
     {
         ESM::Global global;
         global.mId = sGlobals[i];
-        global.mType = ESM::VT_Int;
-        global.mValue = 0;
+        global.mValue.setType (ESM::VT_Int);
         addOptionalGlobal (global);
     }
 }
@@ -192,9 +191,14 @@ void CSMDoc::Document::createBase()
     for (int i=0; sGlobals[i]; ++i)
     {
         ESM::Global record;
+
         record.mId = sGlobals[i];
-        record.mValue = i==0 ? 1 : 0;
-        record.mType = ESM::VT_Float;
+
+        record.mValue.setType (i==2 ? ESM::VT_Float : ESM::VT_Int);
+
+        if (i==0)
+            record.mValue.setInteger (1);
+
         getData().getGlobals().add (record);
     }
 }
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/world/columns.hpp b/apps/opencs/model/world/columns.hpp
index 2d81a24e9..8855edc46 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/world/columns.hpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/world/columns.hpp
@@ -12,13 +12,13 @@ namespace CSMWorld
 
         virtual QVariant get (const Record<ESXRecordT>& record) const
         {
-            return record.get().mValue;
+            return record.get().mValue.getFloat();
         }
 
         virtual void set (Record<ESXRecordT>& record, const QVariant& data)
         {
             ESXRecordT record2 = record.get();
-            record2.mValue = data.toFloat();
+            record2.mValue.setFloat (data.toFloat());
             record.setModified (record2);
         }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.cpp
index 8742dd892..9e57910ee 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.cpp
@@ -47,27 +47,24 @@ namespace MWWorld
             char type = ' ';
             Data value;
 
-            switch (iter->mType)
+            switch (iter->mValue.getType())
             {
                 case ESM::VT_Short:
 
                     type = 's';
-                    value.mShort = *reinterpret_cast<const Interpreter::Type_Float *> (
-                        &iter->mValue);
+                    value.mShort = iter->mValue.getInteger();
                     break;
 
                 case ESM::VT_Long:
 
                     type = 'l';
-                    value.mLong = *reinterpret_cast<const Interpreter::Type_Float *> (
-                        &iter->mValue);
+                    value.mLong = iter->mValue.getInteger();
                     break;
 
                 case ESM::VT_Float:
 
                     type = 'f';
-                    value.mFloat = *reinterpret_cast<const Interpreter::Type_Float *> (
-                        &iter->mValue);
+                    value.mFloat = iter->mValue.getFloat();
                     break;
 
                 default:
diff --git a/components/esm/loadglob.cpp b/components/esm/loadglob.cpp
index 9e20578ce..0cb6d0a41 100644
--- a/components/esm/loadglob.cpp
+++ b/components/esm/loadglob.cpp
@@ -6,60 +6,23 @@
 namespace ESM
 {
 
-void Global::load(ESMReader &esm)
-{
-    std::string tmp = esm.getHNString("FNAM");
-    if (tmp == "s")
-        mType = VT_Short;
-    else if (tmp == "l")
-        mType = VT_Long;
-    else if (tmp == "f")
-        mType = VT_Float;
-    else
-        esm.fail("Illegal global variable type " + tmp);
-
-    // Note: Both floats and longs are represented as floats.
-    esm.getHNT(mValue, "FLTV");
-
-    if (mType==VT_Short)
+    void Global::load(ESMReader &esm)
     {
-        if (mValue!=mValue)
-            mValue = 0; // nan
-        else
-            mValue = static_cast<short> (mValue);
+        mValue.read (esm, ESM::Variant::Format_Global);
     }
-}
 
-void Global::save(ESMWriter &esm)
-{
-    switch(mType)
+    void Global::save(ESMWriter &esm)
     {
-    case VT_Short:
-        esm.writeHNString("FNAM", "s");
-        break;
-
-    case VT_Long:
-        esm.writeHNString("FNAM", "l");
-        break;
-
-    case VT_Float:
-        esm.writeHNString("FNAM", "f");
-        break;
-
-    default:
-        return;
+        mValue.write (esm, ESM::Variant::Format_Global);
     }
-    esm.writeHNT("FLTV", mValue);
-}
 
     void Global::blank()
     {
-        mValue = 0;
-        mType = VT_Float;
+        mValue.setType (ESM::VT_None);
     }
 
     bool operator== (const Global& left, const Global& right)
     {
-        return left.mId==right.mId && left.mValue==right.mValue && left.mType==right.mType;
+        return left.mId==right.mId && left.mValue==right.mValue;
     }
 }
diff --git a/components/esm/loadglob.hpp b/components/esm/loadglob.hpp
index 96d2fcaf4..72e16c0ce 100644
--- a/components/esm/loadglob.hpp
+++ b/components/esm/loadglob.hpp
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 #include <string>
 
-#include "defs.hpp"
 #include "variant.hpp"
 
 namespace ESM
@@ -19,8 +18,7 @@ class ESMWriter;
 struct Global
 {
     std::string mId;
-    float mValue;
-    VarType mType;
+    Variant mValue;
 
     void load(ESMReader &esm);
     void save(ESMWriter &esm);