diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwscript/miscextensions.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwscript/miscextensions.cpp
index e3664c7f6d..5b819a0f6a 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwscript/miscextensions.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwscript/miscextensions.cpp
@@ -576,10 +576,11 @@ namespace MWScript
                     return;
                 }
 
-                long key = 0;
+                long key;
 
-                if (const auto k = ::Misc::StringUtils::toNumeric<long>(effect.data()); k.value() >= 0 && k.value() <= 32767)
-                    key = k.value();
+                if (const auto k = ::Misc::StringUtils::toNumeric<long>(effect.data());
+                    k.has_value() && *k >= 0 && *k <= 32767)
+                    key = *k;
                 else
                     key = ESM::MagicEffect::effectStringToId({ effect });
 
diff --git a/components/misc/strings/conversion.hpp b/components/misc/strings/conversion.hpp
index 4b0edacb8b..1dcd15910c 100644
--- a/components/misc/strings/conversion.hpp
+++ b/components/misc/strings/conversion.hpp
@@ -63,9 +63,9 @@ namespace Misc::StringUtils
     template <typename T>
     inline T toNumeric(std::string_view s, T defaultValue)
     {
-        if (auto conversion = toNumeric<T>(s) ; conversion)
+        if (auto numeric = toNumeric<T>(s))
         {
-            return conversion.value();
+            return *numeric;
         }
 
         return defaultValue;