diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp
index 5219ab72cc..fc7bc21d8b 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwbase/world.hpp
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ namespace ESM
     struct ItemLevList;
     struct TimeStamp;
     struct RefId;
-    struct CellVariant;
+    class CellVariant;
 
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/fogmanager.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/fogmanager.hpp
index 258371bc9e..a0a2f71047 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/fogmanager.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/fogmanager.hpp
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 namespace MWWorld
 {
-    struct Cell;
+    class Cell;
 }
 
 namespace MWRender
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderingmanager.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderingmanager.hpp
index 70b40f6f67..62e546bdad 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderingmanager.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/renderingmanager.hpp
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ namespace ESM
 {
     struct Cell;
     struct RefNum;
-    struct CellVariant;
+    class CellVariant;
 }
 
 namespace Terrain
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
 namespace MWWorld
 {
     class GroundcoverStore;
-    struct Cell;
+    class Cell;
 }
 
 namespace Debug
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cell.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cell.hpp
index 902f2487e0..a052222005 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cell.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cell.hpp
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
     class Cell : public ESM::CellVariant
     {
-        friend MWWorld::CellStore;
         struct MoodData
         {
             uint32_t mAmbiantColor;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.cpp
index 35b6dc98f3..767c3c86d0 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.cpp
@@ -842,7 +842,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
     {
         std::map<ESM::RefNum, ESM::RefId> refNumToID; // used to detect refID modifications
 
-        std::visit([&refNumToID, this](auto&& cell) { this->loadRefs(*cell, refNumToID); }, mCellVariant.mVariant);
+        std::visit([&refNumToID, this](auto&& cell) { this->loadRefs(*cell, refNumToID); }, mCellVariant);
 
         updateMergedRefs();
     }
@@ -1099,7 +1099,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
     bool CellStore::operator==(const CellStore& right) const
     {
-        return std::visit(Visitor{}, this->mCellVariant.mVariant, right.mCellVariant.mVariant);
+        return std::visit(Visitor{}, this->mCellVariant, right.mCellVariant);
     }
 
     void CellStore::setFog(std::unique_ptr<ESM::FogState>&& fog)
diff --git a/components/esm/esmbridge.hpp b/components/esm/esmbridge.hpp
index 1439f271c1..7912e66cbe 100644
--- a/components/esm/esmbridge.hpp
+++ b/components/esm/esmbridge.hpp
@@ -35,10 +35,24 @@ namespace ESM
         }
 
         bool isEsm4() const { return std::holds_alternative<const ESM4::Cell*>(mVariant); }
-
         const ESM4::Cell& getEsm4() const;
-
         const ESM::Cell& getEsm3() const;
+
+        template <class F>
+        auto visit(F&& f) const
+        {
+            return std::visit(f, mVariant);
+        }
+        template <class F>
+        auto visit(F&& f)
+        {
+            return std::visit(f, mVariant);
+        }
+        template <class F>
+        auto visit(F&& f, const CellVariant& v2) const
+        {
+            return std::visit(f, mVariant, v2.mVariant);
+        }
     };
 
     struct ReferenceVariant
@@ -65,4 +79,22 @@ namespace ESM
     };
 }
 
+namespace std
+{
+    template <class F>
+    auto visit(F&& f, const ESM::CellVariant& v)
+    {
+        return v.visit(f);
+    }
+    template <class F>
+    auto visit(F&& f, ESM::CellVariant& v)
+    {
+        return v.visit(f);
+    }
+    template <class F>
+    auto visit(F&& f, const ESM::CellVariant& v1, const ESM::CellVariant& v2)
+    {
+        return v1.visit(f, v2);
+    }
+}
 #endif