diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 392bcf0846..93592dec41 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@
     Bug #4644: %Name should be available for all actors, not just for NPCs
     Bug #4648: Hud thinks that throwing weapons have condition
     Bug #4649: Levelup fully restores health
+    Bug #4653: Length of non-ASCII strings is handled incorrectly in ESM reader
     Feature #912: Editor: Add missing icons to UniversalId tables
     Feature #1617: Editor: Enchantment effect record verifier
     Feature #1645: Casting effects from objects
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/world/metadata.cpp b/apps/opencs/model/world/metadata.cpp
index 960fdc9e4e..b2fa3487cd 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/world/metadata.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/world/metadata.cpp
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ void CSMWorld::MetaData::blank()
 void CSMWorld::MetaData::load (ESM::ESMReader& esm)
 {
     mFormat = esm.getHeader().mFormat;
-    mAuthor = esm.getHeader().mData.author.toString();
-    mDescription = esm.getHeader().mData.desc.toString();
+    mAuthor = esm.getHeader().mData.author;
+    mDescription = esm.getHeader().mData.desc;
 }
 
 void CSMWorld::MetaData::save (ESM::ESMWriter& esm) const
diff --git a/components/esm/esmreader.hpp b/components/esm/esmreader.hpp
index 4772aeb6fc..6e84fa7d4f 100644
--- a/components/esm/esmreader.hpp
+++ b/components/esm/esmreader.hpp
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ public:
   int getVer() const { return mHeader.mData.version; }
   int getRecordCount() const { return mHeader.mData.records; }
   float getFVer() const { return (mHeader.mData.version == VER_12) ? 1.2f : 1.3f; }
-  const std::string getAuthor() const { return mHeader.mData.author.toString(); }
-  const std::string getDesc() const { return mHeader.mData.desc.toString(); }
+  const std::string getAuthor() const { return mHeader.mData.author; }
+  const std::string getDesc() const { return mHeader.mData.desc; }
   const std::vector<Header::MasterData> &getGameFiles() const { return mHeader.mMaster; }
   const Header& getHeader() const { return mHeader; }
   int getFormat() const;
diff --git a/components/esm/loadtes3.cpp b/components/esm/loadtes3.cpp
index b16145467c..d953f1dc23 100644
--- a/components/esm/loadtes3.cpp
+++ b/components/esm/loadtes3.cpp
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ void ESM::Header::load (ESMReader &esm)
       esm.getSubHeader();
       esm.getT(mData.version);
       esm.getT(mData.type);
-      mData.author.assign( esm.getString(mData.author.data_size()) );
-      mData.desc.assign( esm.getString(mData.desc.data_size()) );
+      mData.author.assign( esm.getString(32) );
+      mData.desc.assign( esm.getString(256) );
       esm.getT(mData.records);
     }
 
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ void ESM::Header::save (ESMWriter &esm)
     esm.startSubRecord("HEDR");
     esm.writeT(mData.version);
     esm.writeT(mData.type);
-    esm.writeFixedSizeString(mData.author.toString(), mData.author.data_size());
-    esm.writeFixedSizeString(mData.desc.toString(), mData.desc.data_size());
+    esm.writeFixedSizeString(mData.author, 32);
+    esm.writeFixedSizeString(mData.desc, 256);
     esm.writeT(mData.records);
     esm.endRecord("HEDR");
 
diff --git a/components/esm/loadtes3.hpp b/components/esm/loadtes3.hpp
index 896936cf5c..5b26ac7d2d 100644
--- a/components/esm/loadtes3.hpp
+++ b/components/esm/loadtes3.hpp
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ namespace ESM
         */
         unsigned int version;
         int type;           // 0=esp, 1=esm, 32=ess (unused)
-        NAME32 author;      // Author's name
-        NAME256 desc;       // File description
+        std::string author; // Author's name
+        std::string desc;   // File description
         int records;        // Number of records
     };