diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/quickkeysmenu.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/quickkeysmenu.cpp
index fb41b3b679..51e24e29c8 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/quickkeysmenu.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/quickkeysmenu.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 #include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
 
+#include <components/esm/quickkeys.hpp>
+
 #include "../mwworld/inventorystore.hpp"
 #include "../mwworld/class.hpp"
 
@@ -385,39 +387,41 @@ namespace MWGui
 
     void QuickKeysMenu::write(ESM::ESMWriter &writer)
     {
-        const std::string recKey = "KEY_";
         writer.startRecord(ESM::REC_KEYS);
 
+        ESM::QuickKeys keys;
+
         for (int i=0; i<10; ++i)
         {
-            writer.startSubRecord(recKey);
-
             MyGUI::Button* button = mQuickKeyButtons[i];
 
             int type = *button->getUserData<QuickKeyType>();
-            writer.writeHNT("TYPE", type);
+
+            ESM::QuickKeys::QuickKey key;
+            key.mType = type;
 
             switch (type)
             {
                 case Type_Unassigned:
-                    writer.writeHNString("ID__", "");
                     break;
                 case Type_Item:
                 case Type_MagicItem:
                 {
                     MWWorld::Ptr item = *button->getChildAt(0)->getUserData<MWWorld::Ptr>();
-                    writer.writeHNString("ID__", item.getCellRef().mRefID);
+                    key.mId = item.getCellRef().mRefID;
                     break;
                 }
                 case Type_Magic:
                     std::string spellId = button->getChildAt(0)->getUserString("Spell");
-                    writer.writeHNString("ID__", spellId);
+                    key.mId = spellId;
                     break;
             }
 
-            writer.endRecord(recKey);
+            keys.mKeys.push_back(key);
         }
 
+        keys.save(writer);
+
         writer.endRecord(ESM::REC_KEYS);
     }
 
@@ -426,17 +430,18 @@ namespace MWGui
         if (type != ESM::REC_KEYS)
             return;
 
+        ESM::QuickKeys keys;
+        keys.load(reader);
+
         int i=0;
-        while (reader.isNextSub("KEY_"))
+        for (std::vector<ESM::QuickKeys::QuickKey>::const_iterator it = keys.mKeys.begin(); it != keys.mKeys.end(); ++it)
         {
-            reader.getSubHeader();
-            int keyType;
-            reader.getHNT(keyType, "TYPE");
-            std::string id;
-            id = reader.getHNString("ID__");
+            if (i >= 10)
+                return;
 
             mSelectedIndex = i;
-
+            int keyType = it->mType;
+            std::string id = it->mId;
             MyGUI::Button* button = mQuickKeyButtons[i];
 
             switch (keyType)
@@ -480,6 +485,7 @@ namespace MWGui
                 unassign(button, i);
                 break;
             }
+
             ++i;
         }
     }
diff --git a/components/CMakeLists.txt b/components/CMakeLists.txt
index 38be5b11a6..1c60dfb831 100644
--- a/components/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/components/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ add_component_dir (esm
     loadnpc loadpgrd loadrace loadregn loadscpt loadskil loadsndg loadsoun loadspel loadsscr loadstat
     loadweap records aipackage effectlist spelllist variant variantimp loadtes3 cellref filter
     savedgame journalentry queststate locals globalscript player objectstate cellid cellstate globalmap lightstate inventorystate containerstate npcstate creaturestate dialoguestate statstate
-    npcstats creaturestats weatherstate
+    npcstats creaturestats weatherstate quickkeys
     )
 
 add_component_dir (misc
diff --git a/components/esm/quickkeys.cpp b/components/esm/quickkeys.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ad2b671aab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/esm/quickkeys.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+#include "quickkeys.hpp"
+
+#include "esmwriter.hpp"
+#include "esmreader.hpp"
+
+namespace ESM
+{
+
+    void QuickKeys::load(ESMReader &esm)
+    {
+        while (esm.isNextSub("KEY_"))
+        {
+            esm.getSubHeader();
+            int keyType;
+            esm.getHNT(keyType, "TYPE");
+            std::string id;
+            id = esm.getHNString("ID__");
+
+            QuickKey key;
+            key.mType = keyType;
+            key.mId = id;
+
+            mKeys.push_back(key);
+        }
+    }
+
+    void QuickKeys::save(ESMWriter &esm) const
+    {
+        const std::string recKey = "KEY_";
+
+        for (std::vector<QuickKey>::const_iterator it = mKeys.begin(); it != mKeys.end(); ++it)
+        {
+            esm.startSubRecord(recKey);
+
+            esm.writeHNT("TYPE", it->mType);
+            esm.writeHNString("ID__", it->mId);
+
+            esm.endRecord(recKey);
+        }
+    }
+
+
+}
diff --git a/components/esm/quickkeys.hpp b/components/esm/quickkeys.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c52466b13e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/esm/quickkeys.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#ifndef OPENMW_COMPONENTS_ESM_QUICKKEYS_H
+#define OPENMW_COMPONENTS_ESM_QUICKKEYS_H
+
+#include <vector>
+#include <string>
+
+namespace ESM
+{
+    class ESMReader;
+    class ESMWriter;
+
+    struct QuickKeys
+    {
+        struct QuickKey
+        {
+            int mType;
+            std::string mId; // Spell or Item ID
+        };
+
+        std::vector<QuickKey> mKeys;
+
+        void load (ESMReader &esm);
+        void save (ESMWriter &esm) const;
+    };
+
+}
+
+#endif