diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/dialogue.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/dialogue.cpp
index 86cad0fa7a..1e740abe22 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/dialogue.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/dialogue.cpp
@@ -368,15 +368,15 @@ namespace MWGui
 
         const MWWorld::Store<ESM::GameSetting> &gmst = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getStore().get<ESM::GameSetting>();
 
-        const std::string sPersuasion = gmst.find("sPersuasion")->mValue.getString();
-        const std::string sCompanionShare = gmst.find("sCompanionShare")->mValue.getString();
-        const std::string sBarter = gmst.find("sBarter")->mValue.getString();
-        const std::string sSpells = gmst.find("sSpells")->mValue.getString();
-        const std::string sTravel = gmst.find("sTravel")->mValue.getString();
-        const std::string sSpellMakingMenuTitle = gmst.find("sSpellMakingMenuTitle")->mValue.getString();
-        const std::string sEnchanting = gmst.find("sEnchanting")->mValue.getString();
-        const std::string sServiceTrainingTitle = gmst.find("sServiceTrainingTitle")->mValue.getString();
-        const std::string sRepair = gmst.find("sRepair")->mValue.getString();
+        const std::string& sPersuasion = gmst.find("sPersuasion")->mValue.getString();
+        const std::string& sCompanionShare = gmst.find("sCompanionShare")->mValue.getString();
+        const std::string& sBarter = gmst.find("sBarter")->mValue.getString();
+        const std::string& sSpells = gmst.find("sSpells")->mValue.getString();
+        const std::string& sTravel = gmst.find("sTravel")->mValue.getString();
+        const std::string& sSpellMakingMenuTitle = gmst.find("sSpellMakingMenuTitle")->mValue.getString();
+        const std::string& sEnchanting = gmst.find("sEnchanting")->mValue.getString();
+        const std::string& sServiceTrainingTitle = gmst.find("sServiceTrainingTitle")->mValue.getString();
+        const std::string& sRepair = gmst.find("sRepair")->mValue.getString();
 
         if (topic != sPersuasion && topic != sCompanionShare && topic != sBarter 
          && topic != sSpells && topic != sTravel && topic != sSpellMakingMenuTitle 
@@ -605,10 +605,10 @@ namespace MWGui
             Goodbye* link = new Goodbye();
             link->eventActivated += MyGUI::newDelegate(this, &DialogueWindow::onGoodbyeActivated);
             mLinks.push_back(link);
-            std::string goodbye = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getStore().get<ESM::GameSetting>().find("sGoodbye")->mValue.getString();
+            const std::string& goodbye = MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->getStore().get<ESM::GameSetting>().find("sGoodbye")->mValue.getString();
             BookTypesetter::Style* questionStyle = typesetter->createHotStyle(body, textColours.answer, textColours.answerOver,
-                                                                              textColours.answerPressed,
-                                                                              TypesetBook::InteractiveId(link));
+                textColours.answerPressed,
+                TypesetBook::InteractiveId(link));
             typesetter->lineBreak();
             typesetter->write(questionStyle, to_utf8_span(goodbye.c_str()));
         }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/jailscreen.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/jailscreen.cpp
index a029fe54b6..53219a29d6 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/jailscreen.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/jailscreen.cpp
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ namespace MWGui
 
         for (const int& skill : skills)
         {
-            std::string skillName = gmst.find(ESM::Skill::sSkillNameIds[skill])->mValue.getString();
+            const std::string& skillName = gmst.find(ESM::Skill::sSkillNameIds[skill])->mValue.getString();
             int skillValue = player.getClass().getNpcStats(player).getSkill(skill).getBase();
             std::string skillMsg = gmst.find("sNotifyMessage44")->mValue.getString();
             if (skill == ESM::Skill::Sneak || skill == ESM::Skill::Security)
diff --git a/components/esm3/variant.cpp b/components/esm3/variant.cpp
index a0f6ca7b41..732d7e7f29 100644
--- a/components/esm3/variant.cpp
+++ b/components/esm3/variant.cpp
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ namespace
     };
 }
 
-std::string ESM::Variant::getString() const
+const std::string& ESM::Variant::getString() const
 {
     return std::get<std::string>(mData);
 }
diff --git a/components/esm3/variant.hpp b/components/esm3/variant.hpp
index f0a16d4d53..3d706c163f 100644
--- a/components/esm3/variant.hpp
+++ b/components/esm3/variant.hpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ namespace ESM
 
             VarType getType() const { return mType; }
 
-            std::string getString() const;
+            const std::string& getString() const;
             ///< Will throw an exception, if value can not be represented as a string.
 
             int getInteger() const;