diff --git a/components/esm/loadtes3.cpp b/components/esm/loadtes3.cpp
index 87a8d1d57e..e5d6ec8370 100644
--- a/components/esm/loadtes3.cpp
+++ b/components/esm/loadtes3.cpp
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ void ESM::Header::blank()
 
 void ESM::Header::load (ESMReader &esm)
 {
-    esm.getHNT (mData, "HEDR", 300);
-
     if (esm.isNextSub ("FORM"))
     {
         esm.getHT (mFormat);
@@ -30,6 +28,8 @@ void ESM::Header::load (ESMReader &esm)
     else
         mFormat = 0;
 
+    esm.getHNT (mData, "HEDR", 300);
+
     while (esm.isNextSub ("MAST"))
     {
         MasterData m;
@@ -41,11 +41,11 @@ void ESM::Header::load (ESMReader &esm)
 
 void ESM::Header::save (ESMWriter &esm)
 {
-    esm.writeHNT ("HEDR", mData, 300);
-
     if (mFormat>0)
         esm.writeHNT ("FORM", mFormat);
 
+    esm.writeHNT ("HEDR", mData, 300);
+
     for (std::vector<Header::MasterData>::iterator iter = mMaster.begin();
          iter != mMaster.end(); ++iter)
     {