diff --git a/apps/opencs/editor.cpp b/apps/opencs/editor.cpp
index 02b494d3db..9161072f80 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/editor.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/editor.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ CS::Editor::Editor() : mViewManager (mDocumentManager), mNewDocumentIndex (0)
 
     connect (&mStartup, SIGNAL (createDocument()), this, SLOT (createDocument ()));
     connect (&mStartup, SIGNAL (loadDocument()), this, SLOT (loadDocument ()));
-    
+
     connect (&mOpenDialog, SIGNAL(accepted()), this, SLOT(openFiles()));
 }
 
@@ -50,23 +50,7 @@ void CS::Editor::openFiles()
     std::vector<boost::filesystem::path> paths;
     mOpenDialog.getFileList(paths);
     CSMDoc::Document *document = mDocumentManager.addDocument(paths, false);
-    
-    static const char *sGlobals[] =
-    {
-        "Day", "DaysPassed", "GameHour", "Month", "PCRace", "PCVampire", "PCWerewolf", "PCYear", 0
-    };
-    
-    for (int i=0; sGlobals[i]; ++i)
-    {
-        ESM::Global record;
-        record.mId = sGlobals[i];
-        record.mValue = i==0 ? 1 : 0;
-        record.mType = ESM::VT_Float;
-        document->getData().getGlobals().add (record);
-    }
-    
-    document->getData().merge(); /// \todo remove once proper ESX loading is implemented
-    
+
     mViewManager.addView (document);
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/world/data.cpp b/apps/opencs/model/world/data.cpp
index 5d4e63b277..9b89533a64 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/world/data.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/world/data.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 #include <QAbstractTableModel>
 
+#include <components/esm/esmreader.hpp>
 #include <components/esm/loadglob.hpp>
 
 #include "idtable.hpp"
@@ -63,5 +64,26 @@ void CSMWorld::Data::merge()
 
 void CSMWorld::Data::loadFile (const boost::filesystem::path& path, bool base)
 {
-    std::cout << "pretending to load " << path.string() << std::endl;
+    ESM::ESMReader reader;
+    /// \todo set encoder
+    reader.open (path.string());
+
+    // Note: We do not need to send update signals here, because at this point the model is not connected
+    // to any view.
+    while (reader.hasMoreRecs())
+    {
+        ESM::NAME n = reader.getRecName();
+        reader.getRecHeader();
+
+        switch (n.val)
+        {
+            case ESM::REC_GLOB: mGlobals.load (reader, base); break;
+
+
+            default:
+
+                /// \todo throw an exception instead, once all records are implemented
+                reader.skipRecord();
+        }
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/world/idcollection.cpp b/apps/opencs/model/world/idcollection.cpp
index fc4bb1ef65..5ea9532790 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/world/idcollection.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/world/idcollection.cpp
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
 
 CSMWorld::IdCollectionBase::IdCollectionBase() {}
 
-CSMWorld::IdCollectionBase::~IdCollectionBase() {}
\ No newline at end of file
+CSMWorld::IdCollectionBase::~IdCollectionBase() {}
diff --git a/apps/opencs/model/world/idcollection.hpp b/apps/opencs/model/world/idcollection.hpp
index 963997924a..dd8fbcb382 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/model/world/idcollection.hpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/model/world/idcollection.hpp
@@ -11,9 +11,12 @@
 
 #include <QVariant>
 
-#include "columnbase.hpp"
+#include <components/esm/esmreader.hpp>
+
 #include <components/misc/stringops.hpp>
 
+#include "columnbase.hpp"
+
 namespace CSMWorld
 {
     class IdCollectionBase
@@ -67,9 +70,11 @@ namespace CSMWorld
             virtual std::string getId (const RecordBase& record) const = 0;
             ///< Return ID for \a record.
             ///
-            /// \attention Throw san exception, if the type of \a record does not match.
+            /// \attention Throws an exception, if the type of \a record does not match.
 
             virtual const RecordBase& getRecord (const std::string& id) const = 0;
+
+            virtual void load (ESM::ESMReader& reader, bool base) = 0;
     };
 
     ///< \brief Collection of ID-based records
@@ -136,6 +141,8 @@ namespace CSMWorld
 
             virtual const RecordBase& getRecord (const std::string& id) const;
 
+            virtual void load (ESM::ESMReader& reader, bool base);
+
             void addColumn (Column<ESXRecordT> *column);
     };
 
@@ -309,6 +316,40 @@ namespace CSMWorld
         return (record2.isModified() ? record2.mModified : record2.mBase).mId;
     }
 
+    template<typename ESXRecordT>
+    void IdCollection<ESXRecordT>::load (ESM::ESMReader& reader, bool base)
+    {
+        std::string id = reader.getHNOString ("NAME");
+
+        /// \todo deal with deleted flag
+
+        ESXRecordT record;
+        record.mId = id;
+        record.load (reader);
+
+        int index = searchId (id);
+
+        if (index==-1)
+        {
+            // new record
+            Record<ESXRecordT> record2;
+            record2.mState = base ? RecordBase::State_BaseOnly : RecordBase::State_ModifiedOnly;
+            (base ? record2.mBase : record2.mModified) = record;
+
+            appendRecord (record2);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            // old record
+            Record<ESXRecordT>& record2 = mRecords[index];
+
+            if (base)
+                record2.mBase = record;
+            else
+                record2.setModified (record);
+        }
+    }
+
     template<typename ESXRecordT>
     const RecordBase& IdCollection<ESXRecordT>::getRecord (const std::string& id) const
     {