diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
index 6a780f2ca..b76d9eae5 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ void MWState::StateManager::loadGame (const Character *character, const std::str
 
         MWWorld::Ptr ptr = MWMechanics::getPlayer();
 
-        ESM::CellId cellId = ptr.getCell()->getCell()->getCellId();
+        const ESM::CellId& cellId = ptr.getCell()->getCell()->getCellId();
 
         // Use detectWorldSpaceChange=false, otherwise some of the data we just loaded would be cleared again
         MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->changeToCell (cellId, ptr.getRefData().getPosition(), false);
diff --git a/components/esm/loadcell.cpp b/components/esm/loadcell.cpp
index 8455daeac..eb9d6b8d8 100644
--- a/components/esm/loadcell.cpp
+++ b/components/esm/loadcell.cpp
@@ -91,6 +91,21 @@ namespace ESM
 
         if (!hasData)
             esm.fail("Missing DATA subrecord");
+
+        mCellId.mPaged = !(mData.mFlags & Interior);
+
+        if (mCellId.mPaged)
+        {
+            mCellId.mWorldspace = "sys::default";
+            mCellId.mIndex.mX = mData.mX;
+            mCellId.mIndex.mY = mData.mY;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            mCellId.mWorldspace = Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase (mName);
+            mCellId.mIndex.mX = 0;
+            mCellId.mIndex.mY = 0;
+        }
     }
 
     void Cell::loadCell(ESMReader &esm, bool saveContext)
@@ -266,25 +281,8 @@ namespace ESM
         mAmbi.mFogDensity = 0;
     }
 
-    CellId Cell::getCellId() const
+    const CellId& Cell::getCellId() const
     {
-        CellId id;
-
-        id.mPaged = !(mData.mFlags & Interior);
-
-        if (id.mPaged)
-        {
-            id.mWorldspace = "sys::default";
-            id.mIndex.mX = mData.mX;
-            id.mIndex.mY = mData.mY;
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            id.mWorldspace = Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase (mName);
-            id.mIndex.mX = 0;
-            id.mIndex.mY = 0;
-        }
-
-        return id;
+        return mCellId;
     }
 }
diff --git a/components/esm/loadcell.hpp b/components/esm/loadcell.hpp
index 2a7a78a54..f92e0b5b7 100644
--- a/components/esm/loadcell.hpp
+++ b/components/esm/loadcell.hpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "esmcommon.hpp"
 #include "defs.hpp"
 #include "cellref.hpp"
+#include "cellid.hpp"
 
 namespace MWWorld
 {
@@ -18,7 +19,6 @@ namespace ESM
 {
 class ESMReader;
 class ESMWriter;
-struct CellId;
 
 /* Moved cell reference tracking object. This mainly stores the target cell
         of the reference, so we can easily know where it has been moved when another
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ struct Cell
 
   std::vector<ESM_Context> mContextList; // File position; multiple positions for multiple plugin support
   DATAstruct mData;
+  CellId mCellId;
+
   AMBIstruct mAmbi;
 
   float mWater; // Water level
@@ -173,7 +175,7 @@ struct Cell
     void blank();
     ///< Set record to default state (does not touch the ID/index).
 
-    CellId getCellId() const;
+    const CellId& getCellId() const;
 };
 }
 #endif