diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/world/nestedcoladapterimp.hpp b/apps/opencs/model/world/nestedcoladapterimp.hpp
index 596341e029..0361187846 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/world/nestedcoladapterimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/world/nestedcoladapterimp.hpp
@@ -319,9 +319,7 @@ namespace CSMWorld
             switch (subColIndex)
             {
                 case 0:
-                    if (effect.mEffectID.empty())
-                        return QVariant();
-                    return QString::fromStdString(effect.mEffectID.getRefIdString());
+                    return ESM::MagicEffect::refIdToIndex(effect.mEffectID);
                 case 1:
                 {
                     if (effect.mEffectID == ESM::MagicEffect::DrainSkill
@@ -373,7 +371,7 @@ namespace CSMWorld
             {
                 case 0:
                 {
-                    effect.mEffectID = ESM::RefId::deserializeText(value.toString().toStdString());
+                    effect.mEffectID = ESM::MagicEffect::indexToRefId(value.toInt());
                     if (effect.mEffectID == ESM::MagicEffect::DrainSkill
                         || effect.mEffectID == ESM::MagicEffect::DamageSkill
                         || effect.mEffectID == ESM::MagicEffect::RestoreSkill
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/world/refidadapterimp.cpp b/apps/opencs/model/world/refidadapterimp.cpp
index 4d4ca1ab6a..87093934b3 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/world/refidadapterimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/world/refidadapterimp.cpp
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ QVariant CSMWorld::IngredEffectRefIdAdapter::getNestedData(
     switch (subColIndex)
     {
         case 0:
-            return effectId.empty() ? QVariant() : QString::fromStdString(effectId.getRefIdString());
+            return ESM::MagicEffect::refIdToIndex(effectId);
         case 1:
         {
             if (effectId == ESM::MagicEffect::DrainSkill || effectId == ESM::MagicEffect::DamageSkill
@@ -183,8 +183,7 @@ void CSMWorld::IngredEffectRefIdAdapter::setNestedData(
     if (subRowIndex < 0 || subRowIndex >= 4)
         throw std::runtime_error("index out of range");
 
-    ESM::RefId effectId
-        = value.toString().isEmpty() ? ESM::RefId() : ESM::RefId::deserializeText(value.toString().toStdString());
+    ESM::RefId effectId = ESM::MagicEffect::indexToRefId(value.toInt());
 
     switch (subColIndex)
     {
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/summoning.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/summoning.hpp
index 7818230fc4..88ab6d0e42 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/summoning.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwmechanics/summoning.hpp
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 namespace ESM
 {
     class RefId;
-    class StringRefId;
 }
 namespace MWWorld
 {
diff --git a/components/esm3/activespells.cpp b/components/esm3/activespells.cpp
index 2ddbc4265c..657808e60b 100644
--- a/components/esm3/activespells.cpp
+++ b/components/esm3/activespells.cpp
@@ -62,12 +62,8 @@ namespace ESM
                 MagicEffect::FortifySkill,
                 MagicEffect::AbsorbSkill,
             };
-            if (effectId.empty())
-                return false;
-            for (size_t i = 0; i < affectsSkillEffects.size(); ++i)
-                if (affectsSkillEffects[i] == effectId)
-                    return true;
-            return false;
+            return std::find(affectsSkillEffects.begin(), affectsSkillEffects.end(), effectId)
+                != affectsSkillEffects.end();
         }
 
         void saveImpl(ESMWriter& esm, const std::vector<ActiveSpells::ActiveSpellParams>& spells, NAME tag)
@@ -90,7 +86,7 @@ namespace ESM
 
                 for (auto& effect : params.mEffects)
                 {
-                    esm.writeHNT("MGEF", effect.mEffectId);
+                    esm.writeHNT("MGEF", ESM::MagicEffect::refIdToIndex(effect.mEffectId));
                     if (const ESM::RefId* id = std::get_if<ESM::RefId>(&effect.mArg))
                     {
                         if (!id->empty())
@@ -175,8 +171,10 @@ namespace ESM
 
                 while (esm.isNextSub("MGEF"))
                 {
+                    int32_t effectId;
                     ActiveEffect effect;
-                    esm.getHT(effect.mEffectId);
+                    esm.getHT(effectId);
+                    effect.mEffectId = ESM::MagicEffect::indexToRefId(effectId);
                     if (format <= MaxActorIdSaveGameFormatVersion)
                     {
                         int32_t arg = -1;
diff --git a/components/esm3/creaturestats.cpp b/components/esm3/creaturestats.cpp
index 5d30fbd07a..c034a6a0d1 100644
--- a/components/esm3/creaturestats.cpp
+++ b/components/esm3/creaturestats.cpp
@@ -121,8 +121,8 @@ namespace ESM
                 esm.getHNT(actorId, "ACID");
                 mSummonedCreatureMap[SummonKey(ESM::MagicEffect::indexToRefId(magicEffect), source, effectIndex)]
                     = actorId;
-                mSummonedCreatures.emplace(ESM::MagicEffect::indexToRefId(
-                    magicEffect), RefNum{ .mIndex = static_cast<uint32_t>(actorId), .mContentFile = -1 });
+                mSummonedCreatures.emplace(ESM::MagicEffect::indexToRefId(magicEffect),
+                    RefNum{ .mIndex = static_cast<uint32_t>(actorId), .mContentFile = -1 });
             }
         }
         else