diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.cpp
index dcd7924a22..ed6eb821be 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.cpp
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
 {
     Globals::Collection::const_iterator Globals::find (const std::string& name) const
     {
-        Collection::const_iterator iter = mVariables.find (name);
+        Collection::const_iterator iter = mVariables.find (Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase (name));
 
         if (iter==mVariables.end())
             throw std::runtime_error ("unknown global variable: " + name);
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
     Globals::Collection::iterator Globals::find (const std::string& name)
     {
-        Collection::iterator iter = mVariables.find (name);
+        Collection::iterator iter = mVariables.find (Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase (name));
 
         if (iter==mVariables.end())
             throw std::runtime_error ("unknown global variable: " + name);
@@ -40,28 +40,28 @@ namespace MWWorld
         for (MWWorld::Store<ESM::Global>::iterator iter = globals.begin(); iter!=globals.end();
             ++iter)
         {
-            mVariables.insert (std::make_pair (iter->mId, iter->mValue));
+            mVariables.insert (std::make_pair (Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase (iter->mId), *iter));
         }
     }
 
     const ESM::Variant& Globals::operator[] (const std::string& name) const
     {
-        return find (name)->second;
+        return find (Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase (name))->second.mValue;
     }
 
     ESM::Variant& Globals::operator[] (const std::string& name)
     {
-        return find (name)->second;
+        return find (Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase (name))->second.mValue;
     }
 
     char Globals::getType (const std::string& name) const
     {
-        Collection::const_iterator iter = mVariables.find (name);
+        Collection::const_iterator iter = mVariables.find (Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase (name));
 
         if (iter==mVariables.end())
             return ' ';
 
-        switch (iter->second.getType())
+        switch (iter->second.mValue.getType())
         {
             case ESM::VT_Short: return 's';
             case ESM::VT_Long: return 'l';
@@ -81,8 +81,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
         for (Collection::const_iterator iter (mVariables.begin()); iter!=mVariables.end(); ++iter)
         {
             writer.startRecord (ESM::REC_GLOB);
-            writer.writeHNString ("NAME", iter->first);
-            iter->second.write (writer, ESM::Variant::Format_Global);
+            iter->second.save (writer);
             writer.endRecord (ESM::REC_GLOB);
         }
     }
@@ -91,14 +90,13 @@ namespace MWWorld
     {
         if (type==ESM::REC_GLOB)
         {
-            std::string id = reader.getHNString ("NAME");
+            ESM::Global global;
+            global.load(reader);
 
-            Collection::iterator iter = mVariables.find (Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase (id));
+            Collection::iterator iter = mVariables.find (Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase (global.mId));
 
             if (iter!=mVariables.end())
-                iter->second.read (reader, ESM::Variant::Format_Global);
-            else
-                reader.skipRecord();
+                iter->second = global;
 
             return true;
         }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.hpp
index bb4ab13d92..3468c2e719 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.hpp
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 
 #include <components/interpreter/types.hpp>
-#include <components/esm/variant.hpp>
+#include <components/esm/loadglob.hpp>
 
 namespace ESM
 {
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
     {
         private:
 
-            typedef std::map<std::string, ESM::Variant> Collection;
+            typedef std::map<std::string, ESM::Global> Collection;
 
             Collection mVariables; // type, value