diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
index f068093a00..4b1d9e0f6e 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
@@ -67,10 +67,13 @@ void MWState::StateManager::saveGame (const Slot *slot)
     else
         slot = mCharacterManager.getCurrentCharacter()->updateSlot (slot, profile);
 
+    std::ofstream stream (slot->mPath.string().c_str());
     ESM::ESMWriter writer;
 //    writer.setFormat ();
-    writer.save (slot->mPath.string());
+    writer.save (stream);
+    writer.startRecord ("SAVE");
     slot->mProfile.save (writer);
+    writer.endRecord ("SAVE");
     writer.close();
 }
 
diff --git a/components/esm/esmwriter.cpp b/components/esm/esmwriter.cpp
index c9ef61b635..069d75c7bb 100644
--- a/components/esm/esmwriter.cpp
+++ b/components/esm/esmwriter.cpp
@@ -51,12 +51,6 @@ namespace ESM
         mHeader.mMaster.push_back(d);
     }
 
-    void ESMWriter::save(const std::string& file)
-    {
-        std::ofstream fs(file.c_str(), std::ios_base::out | std::ios_base::trunc);
-        save(fs);
-    }
-
     void ESMWriter::save(std::ostream& file)
     {
         mRecordCount = 0;
diff --git a/components/esm/esmwriter.hpp b/components/esm/esmwriter.hpp
index 104f97f909..d6646471b8 100644
--- a/components/esm/esmwriter.hpp
+++ b/components/esm/esmwriter.hpp
@@ -36,9 +36,6 @@ class ESMWriter
 
         void addMaster(const std::string& name, uint64_t size);
 
-        void save(const std::string& file);
-        ///< Start saving a file by writing the TES3 header.
-
         void save(std::ostream& file);
         ///< Start saving a file by writing the TES3 header.