diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/world/universalid.cpp b/apps/opencs/model/world/universalid.cpp
index 790a897df8..5a74ca57af 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/world/universalid.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/world/universalid.cpp
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ namespace
     {
         std::ostream& mStream;
 
-        void operator()(std::monostate) const {}
+        void operator()(std::monostate /*value*/) const {}
 
         template <class T>
         void operator()(const T& value) const
@@ -192,6 +192,19 @@ namespace
             mStream << ": " << value;
         }
     };
+
+    struct GetTypeData
+    {
+        const TypeData* operator()(std::monostate /*value*/) const { return sNoArg; }
+
+        const TypeData* operator()(int /*value*/) const { return sIndexArg; }
+
+        template <class T>
+        const TypeData* operator()(const T& /*value*/) const
+        {
+            return sIdArg;
+        }
+    };
 }
 
 CSMWorld::UniversalId::UniversalId(const std::string& universalId)
@@ -287,9 +300,17 @@ CSMWorld::UniversalId::UniversalId(Type type, const std::string& id)
     throw std::logic_error("invalid ID argument UniversalId type: " + std::to_string(type));
 }
 
-CSMWorld::UniversalId::UniversalId(Type type, const ESM::RefId& id)
-    : UniversalId(type, id.getRefIdString())
+CSMWorld::UniversalId::UniversalId(Type type, ESM::RefId id)
+    : mType(type)
+    , mValue(id)
 {
+    for (int i = 0; sIdArg[i].mName; ++i)
+        if (type == sIdArg[i].mType)
+        {
+            mClass = sIdArg[i].mClass;
+            return;
+        }
+    throw std::logic_error("invalid RefId argument UniversalId type: " + std::to_string(type));
 }
 
 CSMWorld::UniversalId::UniversalId(Type type, int index)
@@ -339,8 +360,7 @@ int CSMWorld::UniversalId::getIndex() const
 
 std::string CSMWorld::UniversalId::getTypeName() const
 {
-    const TypeData* typeData
-        = getArgumentType() == ArgumentType_None ? sNoArg : (getArgumentType() == ArgumentType_Id ? sIdArg : sIndexArg);
+    const TypeData* typeData = std::visit(GetTypeData{}, mValue);
 
     for (int i = 0; typeData[i].mName; ++i)
         if (typeData[i].mType == mType)
@@ -362,8 +382,7 @@ std::string CSMWorld::UniversalId::toString() const
 
 std::string CSMWorld::UniversalId::getIcon() const
 {
-    const TypeData* typeData
-        = getArgumentType() == ArgumentType_None ? sNoArg : (getArgumentType() == ArgumentType_Id ? sIdArg : sIndexArg);
+    const TypeData* typeData = std::visit(GetTypeData{}, mValue);
 
     for (int i = 0; typeData[i].mName; ++i)
         if (typeData[i].mType == mType)
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/world/universalid.hpp b/apps/opencs/model/world/universalid.hpp
index 38404f68eb..8ade978a5c 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/world/universalid.hpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/world/universalid.hpp
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ namespace CSMWorld
             ArgumentType_None,
             ArgumentType_Id,
             ArgumentType_Index,
+            ArgumentType_RefId,
         };
 
         /// \note A record list type must always be immediately followed by the matching
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ namespace CSMWorld
         UniversalId(Type type, const std::string& id);
         ///< Using a type for a non-ID-argument UniversalId will throw an exception.
 
-        UniversalId(Type type, const ESM::RefId& id);
+        UniversalId(Type type, ESM::RefId id);
 
         UniversalId(Type type, int index);
         ///< Using a type for a non-index-argument UniversalId will throw an exception.
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ namespace CSMWorld
     private:
         Class mClass;
         Type mType;
-        std::variant<std::monostate, std::string, int> mValue;
+        std::variant<std::monostate, std::string, int, ESM::RefId> mValue;
 
         friend bool operator==(const UniversalId& left, const UniversalId& right);
 
diff --git a/apps/opencs_tests/model/world/testuniversalid.cpp b/apps/opencs_tests/model/world/testuniversalid.cpp
index 93ddd6ce8f..960903c8de 100644
--- a/apps/opencs_tests/model/world/testuniversalid.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs_tests/model/world/testuniversalid.cpp
@@ -73,6 +73,13 @@ namespace CSMWorld
             std::string mIcon;
         };
 
+        std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& stream, const Params& value)
+        {
+            return stream << ".mType = " << value.mType << " .mClass = " << value.mClass
+                          << " .mArgumentType = " << value.mArgumentType << " .mTypeName = " << value.mTypeName
+                          << " .mString = " << value.mString << " .mIcon = " << value.mIcon;
+        }
+
         struct CSMWorldUniversalIdValidPerTypeTest : TestWithParam<Params>
         {
         };
@@ -152,8 +159,11 @@ namespace CSMWorld
                 UniversalId::ArgumentType_Id, "Instance", "Instance: f", ":./instance.png" },
 
             Params{ UniversalId(UniversalId::Type_Reference, ESM::RefId::stringRefId("g")), UniversalId::Type_Reference,
-                UniversalId::Class_SubRecord, UniversalId::ArgumentType_Id, "Instance", "Instance: g",
+                UniversalId::Class_SubRecord, UniversalId::ArgumentType_RefId, "Instance", "Instance: \"g\"",
                 ":./instance.png" },
+            Params{ UniversalId(UniversalId::Type_Reference, ESM::RefId::index(ESM::REC_SKIL, 42)),
+                UniversalId::Type_Reference, UniversalId::Class_SubRecord, UniversalId::ArgumentType_RefId, "Instance",
+                "Instance: Index:SKIL:0x2a", ":./instance.png" },
         };
 
         INSTANTIATE_TEST_SUITE_P(ValidParams, CSMWorldUniversalIdValidPerTypeTest, ValuesIn(validParams));