diff --git a/components/esm/cellref.cpp b/components/esm/cellref.cpp
index 23a95a4ab1..bdb0e23de4 100644
--- a/components/esm/cellref.cpp
+++ b/components/esm/cellref.cpp
@@ -1,12 +1,80 @@
 
 #include "cellref.hpp"
 
+#include "esmreader.hpp"
 #include "esmwriter.hpp"
 
+void ESM::CellRef::load (ESMReader& esm, bool wideRefNum)
+{
+    // NAM0 sometimes appears here, sometimes further on
+    mNam0 = 0;
+    if (esm.isNextSub ("NAM0"))
+        esm.getHT (mNam0);
+
+    if (wideRefNum)
+        esm.getHNT (mRefNum, "FRMR", 8);
+    else
+        esm.getHNT (mRefNum.mIndex, "FRMR");
+
+    mRefID = esm.getHNString ("NAME");
+
+    mScale = 1.0;
+    esm.getHNOT (mScale, "XSCL");
+
+    mOwner = esm.getHNOString ("ANAM");
+    mGlob = esm.getHNOString ("BNAM");
+    mSoul = esm.getHNOString ("XSOL");
+
+    mFaction = esm.getHNOString ("CNAM");
+    mFactIndex = -2;
+    esm.getHNOT (mFactIndex, "INDX");
+
+    mGoldValue = 1;
+    mCharge = -1;
+    mEnchantmentCharge = -1;
+
+    esm.getHNOT (mEnchantmentCharge, "XCHG");
+
+    esm.getHNOT (mCharge, "INTV");
+
+    esm.getHNOT (mGoldValue, "NAM9");
+
+    // Present for doors that teleport you to another cell.
+    if (esm.isNextSub ("DODT"))
+    {
+        mTeleport = true;
+        esm.getHT (mDoorDest);
+        mDestCell = esm.getHNOString ("DNAM");
+    }
+    else
+        mTeleport = false;
+
+    mLockLevel = -1;
+    esm.getHNOT (mLockLevel, "FLTV");
+    mKey = esm.getHNOString ("KNAM");
+    mTrap = esm.getHNOString ("TNAM");
+
+    mReferenceBlocked = -1;
+    mFltv = 0;
+    esm.getHNOT (mReferenceBlocked, "UNAM");
+    esm.getHNOT (mFltv, "FLTV");
+
+    esm.getHNOT(mPos, "DATA", 24);
+
+    // Number of references in the cell? Maximum once in each cell,
+    // but not always at the beginning, and not always right. In other
+    // words, completely useless.
+    // Update: Well, maybe not completely useless. This might actually be
+    //  number_of_references + number_of_references_moved_here_Across_boundaries,
+    //  and could be helpful for collecting these weird moved references.
+    if (esm.isNextSub ("NAM0"))
+        esm.getHT (mNam0);
+}
+
 void ESM::CellRef::save(ESMWriter &esm) const
 {
     esm.writeHNT("FRMR", mRefNum.mIndex);
-    /// \todo read content file index (if present)
+
     esm.writeHNCString("NAME", mRefID);
 
     if (mScale != 1.0) {
diff --git a/components/esm/cellref.hpp b/components/esm/cellref.hpp
index 60c2bc625a..3d80a51bd4 100644
--- a/components/esm/cellref.hpp
+++ b/components/esm/cellref.hpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 namespace ESM
 {
     class ESMWriter;
+    class ESMReader;
 
     /* Cell reference. This represents ONE object (of many) inside the
     cell. The cell references are not loaded as part of the normal
@@ -86,6 +87,8 @@ namespace ESM
             // Position and rotation of this object within the cell
             Position mPos;
 
+            void load (ESMReader& esm, bool wideRefNum = false);
+
             void save(ESMWriter &esm) const;
 
             void blank();
diff --git a/components/esm/loadcell.cpp b/components/esm/loadcell.cpp
index 1fe92ffb1e..efd6979b48 100644
--- a/components/esm/loadcell.cpp
+++ b/components/esm/loadcell.cpp
@@ -177,78 +177,11 @@ bool Cell::getNextRef(ESMReader &esm, CellRef &ref, bool& deleted)
         // That should be it, I haven't seen any other fields yet.
     }
 
-    // NAM0 sometimes appears here, sometimes further on
-    ref.mNam0 = 0;
-    if (esm.isNextSub("NAM0"))
-    {
-        esm.getHT(ref.mNam0);
-        //esm.getHNOT(NAM0, "NAM0");
-    }
-
-    esm.getHNT (ref.mRefNum.mIndex, "FRMR");
-    ref.mRefID = esm.getHNString("NAME");
+    ref.load (esm);
 
     // Identify references belonging to a parent file and adapt the ID accordingly.
     adjustRefNum (ref.mRefNum, esm);
 
-    // getHNOT will not change the existing value if the subrecord is
-    // missing
-    ref.mScale = 1.0;
-    esm.getHNOT(ref.mScale, "XSCL");
-
-    ref.mOwner = esm.getHNOString("ANAM");
-    ref.mGlob = esm.getHNOString("BNAM");
-    ref.mSoul = esm.getHNOString("XSOL");
-
-    ref.mFaction = esm.getHNOString("CNAM");
-    ref.mFactIndex = -2;
-    esm.getHNOT(ref.mFactIndex, "INDX");
-
-    ref.mGoldValue = 1;
-    ref.mCharge = -1;
-    ref.mEnchantmentCharge = -1;
-
-    esm.getHNOT(ref.mEnchantmentCharge, "XCHG");
-
-    esm.getHNOT(ref.mCharge, "INTV");
-
-    esm.getHNOT(ref.mGoldValue, "NAM9");
-
-    // Present for doors that teleport you to another cell.
-    if (esm.isNextSub("DODT"))
-    {
-        ref.mTeleport = true;
-        esm.getHT(ref.mDoorDest);
-        ref.mDestCell = esm.getHNOString("DNAM");
-    } else {
-        ref.mTeleport = false;
-    }
-
-    // Integer, despite the name suggesting otherwise
-    ref.mLockLevel = -1;
-    esm.getHNOT(ref.mLockLevel, "FLTV");
-    ref.mKey = esm.getHNOString("KNAM");
-    ref.mTrap = esm.getHNOString("TNAM");
-
-    ref.mReferenceBlocked = -1;
-    ref.mFltv = 0;
-    esm.getHNOT(ref.mReferenceBlocked, "UNAM");
-    esm.getHNOT(ref.mFltv, "FLTV");
-
-    esm.getHNOT(ref.mPos, "DATA", 24);
-
-    // Number of references in the cell? Maximum once in each cell,
-    // but not always at the beginning, and not always right. In other
-    // words, completely useless.
-    // Update: Well, maybe not completely useless. This might actually be
-    //  number_of_references + number_of_references_moved_here_Across_boundaries,
-    //  and could be helpful for collecting these weird moved references.
-    if (esm.isNextSub("NAM0"))
-    {
-        esm.getHT(ref.mNam0);
-        //esm.getHNOT(NAM0, "NAM0");
-    }
-
     if (esm.isNextSub("DELE"))
     {
         esm.skipHSub();