diff --git a/components/detournavigator/asyncnavmeshupdater.cpp b/components/detournavigator/asyncnavmeshupdater.cpp
index 0683a43bc1..49339ebdff 100644
--- a/components/detournavigator/asyncnavmeshupdater.cpp
+++ b/components/detournavigator/asyncnavmeshupdater.cpp
@@ -38,8 +38,14 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
                 return stream << "failed";
             case UpdateNavMeshStatus::lost:
                 return stream << "lost";
+            case UpdateNavMeshStatus::cached:
+                return stream << "cached";
+            case UpdateNavMeshStatus::unchanged:
+                return stream << "unchanged";
+            case UpdateNavMeshStatus::restored:
+                return stream << "restored";
         }
-        return stream << "unknown";
+        return stream << "unknown(" << static_cast<unsigned>(value) << ")";
     }
 
     AsyncNavMeshUpdater::AsyncNavMeshUpdater(const Settings& settings, TileCachedRecastMeshManager& recastMeshManager,
diff --git a/components/detournavigator/makenavmesh.cpp b/components/detournavigator/makenavmesh.cpp
index beee95113c..7c7dcf1864 100644
--- a/components/detournavigator/makenavmesh.cpp
+++ b/components/detournavigator/makenavmesh.cpp
@@ -559,6 +559,7 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
         }
 
         auto cachedNavMeshData = navMeshTilesCache.get(agentHalfExtents, changedTile, *recastMesh, offMeshConnections);
+        bool cached = static_cast<bool>(cachedNavMeshData);
 
         if (!cachedNavMeshData)
         {
@@ -584,6 +585,7 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
             {
                 cachedNavMeshData = navMeshTilesCache.get(agentHalfExtents, changedTile, *recastMesh,
                                                           offMeshConnections);
+                cached = static_cast<bool>(cachedNavMeshData);
             }
 
             if (!cachedNavMeshData)
@@ -593,6 +595,8 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
             }
         }
 
-        return navMeshCacheItem->lock()->updateTile(changedTile, std::move(cachedNavMeshData));
+        const auto updateStatus = navMeshCacheItem->lock()->updateTile(changedTile, std::move(cachedNavMeshData));
+
+        return UpdateNavMeshStatusBuilder(updateStatus).cached(cached).getResult();
     }
 }
diff --git a/components/detournavigator/navmeshcacheitem.hpp b/components/detournavigator/navmeshcacheitem.hpp
index f133413971..76f74f2667 100644
--- a/components/detournavigator/navmeshcacheitem.hpp
+++ b/components/detournavigator/navmeshcacheitem.hpp
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
         replaced = removed | added,
         failed = 1 << 2,
         lost = removed | failed,
+        cached = 1 << 3,
+        unchanged = replaced | cached,
+        restored = added | cached,
     };
 
     inline bool isSuccess(UpdateNavMeshStatus value)
@@ -34,6 +37,9 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
     public:
         UpdateNavMeshStatusBuilder() = default;
 
+        explicit UpdateNavMeshStatusBuilder(UpdateNavMeshStatus value)
+            : mResult(value) {}
+
         UpdateNavMeshStatusBuilder removed(bool value)
         {
             if (value)
@@ -61,6 +67,15 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
             return *this;
         }
 
+        UpdateNavMeshStatusBuilder cached(bool value)
+        {
+            if (value)
+                set(UpdateNavMeshStatus::cached);
+            else
+                unset(UpdateNavMeshStatus::cached);
+            return *this;
+        }
+
         UpdateNavMeshStatus getResult() const
         {
             return mResult;
@@ -143,7 +158,7 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
 
         UpdateNavMeshStatus removeTile(const TilePosition& position)
         {
-            const auto removed = dtStatusSucceed(removeTileImpl(position));
+            const auto removed = removeTileImpl(position);
             if (removed)
                 removeUsedTile(position);
             return UpdateNavMeshStatusBuilder().removed(removed).getResult();
@@ -181,13 +196,15 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
             return mImpl->addTile(data, size, doNotTransferOwnership, lastRef, result);
         }
 
-        dtStatus removeTileImpl(const TilePosition& position)
+        bool removeTileImpl(const TilePosition& position)
         {
             const int layer = 0;
             const auto tileRef = mImpl->getTileRefAt(position.x(), position.y(), layer);
+            if (tileRef == 0)
+                return false;
             unsigned char** const data = nullptr;
             int* const dataSize = nullptr;
-            return mImpl->removeTile(tileRef, data, dataSize);
+            return dtStatusSucceed(mImpl->removeTile(tileRef, data, dataSize));
         }
     };
 
diff --git a/components/detournavigator/navmeshtilescache.cpp b/components/detournavigator/navmeshtilescache.cpp
index 466d2e708d..f554cd4143 100644
--- a/components/detournavigator/navmeshtilescache.cpp
+++ b/components/detournavigator/navmeshtilescache.cpp
@@ -9,42 +9,32 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
 {
     namespace
     {
-        inline std::string makeNavMeshKey(const RecastMesh& recastMesh,
+        inline std::vector<unsigned char> makeNavMeshKey(const RecastMesh& recastMesh,
             const std::vector<OffMeshConnection>& offMeshConnections)
         {
-            std::string result;
-            result.reserve(
-                recastMesh.getIndices().size() * sizeof(int)
-                + recastMesh.getVertices().size() * sizeof(float)
-                + recastMesh.getAreaTypes().size() * sizeof(AreaType)
-                + recastMesh.getWater().size() * sizeof(RecastMesh::Water)
-                + offMeshConnections.size() * sizeof(OffMeshConnection)
-            );
-            std::copy(
-                reinterpret_cast<const char*>(recastMesh.getIndices().data()),
-                reinterpret_cast<const char*>(recastMesh.getIndices().data() + recastMesh.getIndices().size()),
-                std::back_inserter(result)
-            );
-            std::copy(
-                reinterpret_cast<const char*>(recastMesh.getVertices().data()),
-                reinterpret_cast<const char*>(recastMesh.getVertices().data() + recastMesh.getVertices().size()),
-                std::back_inserter(result)
-            );
-            std::copy(
-                reinterpret_cast<const char*>(recastMesh.getAreaTypes().data()),
-                reinterpret_cast<const char*>(recastMesh.getAreaTypes().data() + recastMesh.getAreaTypes().size()),
-                std::back_inserter(result)
-            );
-            std::copy(
-                reinterpret_cast<const char*>(recastMesh.getWater().data()),
-                reinterpret_cast<const char*>(recastMesh.getWater().data() + recastMesh.getWater().size()),
-                std::back_inserter(result)
-            );
-            std::copy(
-                reinterpret_cast<const char*>(offMeshConnections.data()),
-                reinterpret_cast<const char*>(offMeshConnections.data() + offMeshConnections.size()),
-                std::back_inserter(result)
-            );
+            const std::size_t indicesSize = recastMesh.getIndices().size() * sizeof(int);
+            const std::size_t verticesSize = recastMesh.getVertices().size() * sizeof(float);
+            const std::size_t areaTypesSize = recastMesh.getAreaTypes().size() * sizeof(AreaType);
+            const std::size_t waterSize = recastMesh.getWater().size() * sizeof(RecastMesh::Water);
+            const std::size_t offMeshConnectionsSize = offMeshConnections.size() * sizeof(OffMeshConnection);
+
+            std::vector<unsigned char> result(indicesSize + verticesSize + areaTypesSize + waterSize + offMeshConnectionsSize);
+            unsigned char* dst = result.data();
+
+            std::memcpy(dst, recastMesh.getIndices().data(), indicesSize);
+            dst += indicesSize;
+
+            std::memcpy(dst, recastMesh.getVertices().data(), verticesSize);
+            dst += verticesSize;
+
+            std::memcpy(dst, recastMesh.getAreaTypes().data(), areaTypesSize);
+            dst += areaTypesSize;
+
+            std::memcpy(dst, recastMesh.getWater().data(), waterSize);
+            dst += waterSize;
+
+            std::memcpy(dst, offMeshConnections.data(), offMeshConnectionsSize);
+
             return result;
         }
     }
@@ -189,8 +179,8 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
     {
         struct CompareBytes
         {
-            const char* mRhsIt;
-            const char* mRhsEnd;
+            const unsigned char* mRhsIt;
+            const unsigned char* const mRhsEnd;
 
             template <class T>
             int operator ()(const std::vector<T>& lhs)
@@ -225,7 +215,7 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
         };
     }
 
-    int NavMeshTilesCache::RecastMeshKeyView::compare(const std::string& other) const
+    int NavMeshTilesCache::RecastMeshKeyView::compare(const std::vector<unsigned char>& other) const
     {
         CompareBytes compareBytes {other.data(), other.data() + other.size()};
 
diff --git a/components/detournavigator/navmeshtilescache.hpp b/components/detournavigator/navmeshtilescache.hpp
index 57f57a56f8..064d9e185b 100644
--- a/components/detournavigator/navmeshtilescache.hpp
+++ b/components/detournavigator/navmeshtilescache.hpp
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 #include <list>
 #include <mutex>
 #include <cassert>
+#include <cstring>
+#include <vector>
 
 namespace osg
 {
@@ -33,10 +35,10 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
             std::atomic<std::int64_t> mUseCount;
             osg::Vec3f mAgentHalfExtents;
             TilePosition mChangedTile;
-            std::string mNavMeshKey;
+            std::vector<unsigned char> mNavMeshKey;
             NavMeshData mNavMeshData;
 
-            Item(const osg::Vec3f& agentHalfExtents, const TilePosition& changedTile, std::string navMeshKey)
+            Item(const osg::Vec3f& agentHalfExtents, const TilePosition& changedTile, std::vector<unsigned char>&& navMeshKey)
                 : mUseCount(0)
                 , mAgentHalfExtents(agentHalfExtents)
                 , mChangedTile(changedTile)
@@ -120,19 +122,32 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
 
             virtual ~KeyView() = default;
 
-            KeyView(const std::string& value)
+            KeyView(const std::vector<unsigned char>& value)
                 : mValue(&value) {}
 
-            const std::string& getValue() const
+            const std::vector<unsigned char>& getValue() const
             {
                 assert(mValue);
                 return *mValue;
             }
 
-            virtual int compare(const std::string& other) const
+            virtual int compare(const std::vector<unsigned char>& other) const
             {
                 assert(mValue);
-                return mValue->compare(other);
+
+                const auto valueSize = mValue->size();
+                const auto otherSize = other.size();
+
+                if (const auto result = std::memcmp(mValue->data(), other.data(), std::min(valueSize, otherSize)))
+                    return result;
+
+                if (valueSize < otherSize)
+                    return -1;
+
+                if (valueSize > otherSize)
+                    return 1;
+
+                return 0;
             }
 
             virtual bool isLess(const KeyView& other) const
@@ -147,7 +162,7 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
             }
 
         private:
-            const std::string* mValue = nullptr;
+            const std::vector<unsigned char>* mValue = nullptr;
         };
 
         class RecastMeshKeyView : public KeyView
@@ -156,7 +171,7 @@ namespace DetourNavigator
             RecastMeshKeyView(const RecastMesh& recastMesh, const std::vector<OffMeshConnection>& offMeshConnections)
                 : mRecastMesh(recastMesh), mOffMeshConnections(offMeshConnections) {}
 
-            int compare(const std::string& other) const override;
+            int compare(const std::vector<unsigned char>& other) const override;
 
             bool isLess(const KeyView& other) const override
             {