diff --git a/apps/essimporter/converter.hpp b/apps/essimporter/converter.hpp
index 8194f2b431..550b7c0aed 100644
--- a/apps/essimporter/converter.hpp
+++ b/apps/essimporter/converter.hpp
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ public:
         bool isDeleted = false;
 
         faction.load(esm, isDeleted);
-        std::string id = Misc::StringUtils::toLower(faction.mId);
+        std::string id = Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase(faction.mId);
 
         for (std::map<std::string, int>::const_iterator it = faction.mReactions.begin(); it != faction.mReactions.end(); ++it)
         {
diff --git a/components/misc/stringops.hpp b/components/misc/stringops.hpp
index ce27d5fb2e..2fd9972853 100644
--- a/components/misc/stringops.hpp
+++ b/components/misc/stringops.hpp
@@ -94,22 +94,22 @@ public:
     }
 
     /// Transforms input string to lower case w/o copy
-    static std::string &toLower(std::string &inout) {
+    static void toLower(std::string &inout) {
         for (unsigned int i=0; i<inout.size(); ++i)
             inout[i] = toLower(inout[i]);
-        return inout;
     }
 
-    static std::string &toLowerStr(std::string &inout)
+    static void toLowerStr(std::string &inout)
     {
-        return toLower(inout);
+        toLower(inout);
     }
 
     /// Returns lower case copy of input string
     static std::string lowerCase(const std::string &in)
     {
         std::string out = in;
-        return toLower(out);
+        toLower(out);
+        return out;
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp b/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp
index c2629194d8..0489e07e62 100644
--- a/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp
+++ b/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ namespace
                     nextpos = std::distance(str.begin(), ++last);
                 }
                 std::string result = str.substr(pos, nextpos-pos);
-                textkeys.insert(std::make_pair(tk->list[i].time, Misc::StringUtils::toLower(result)));
+                textkeys.insert(std::make_pair(tk->list[i].time, Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase(result)));
 
                 pos = nextpos;
             }