diff --git a/apps/openmw/main.cpp b/apps/openmw/main.cpp
index e96b6e5959..f54905a2c7 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/main.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/main.cpp
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
 {
     // Create a local alias for brevity
     namespace bpo = boost::program_options;
-    typedef std::vector<Files::EscapeHashString> EscapeStringsVector;
     typedef std::vector<std::string> StringsVector;
 
     bpo::options_description desc("Syntax: openmw <options>\nAllowed options");
@@ -83,7 +82,7 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
             ("data-local", bpo::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->default_value(""),
             "set local data directory (highest priority)")
 
-        ("fallback-archive", bpo::value<EscapeStringsVector>()->default_value(EscapeStringsVector(), "fallback-archive")
+        ("fallback-archive", bpo::value<Files::EscapeStringVector>()->default_value(Files::EscapeStringVector(), "fallback-archive")
             ->multitoken(), "set fallback BSA archives (later archives have higher priority)")
 
             ("resources", bpo::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->default_value("resources"),
@@ -92,7 +91,7 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
             ("start", bpo::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->default_value(""),
             "set initial cell")
 
-        ("content", bpo::value<EscapeStringsVector>()->default_value(EscapeStringsVector(), "")
+        ("content", bpo::value<Files::EscapeStringVector>()->default_value(Files::EscapeStringVector(), "")
             ->multitoken(), "content file(s): esm/esp, or omwgame/omwaddon")
 
         ("no-sound", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)
@@ -120,7 +119,7 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
             "\t1 - show warning but consider script as correctly compiled anyway\n"
             "\t2 - treat warnings as errors")
 
-        ("script-blacklist", bpo::value<EscapeStringsVector>()->default_value(EscapeStringsVector(), "")
+        ("script-blacklist", bpo::value<Files::EscapeStringVector>()->default_value(Files::EscapeStringVector(), "")
             ->multitoken(), "ignore the specified script (if the use of the blacklist is enabled)")
 
         ("script-blacklist-use", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)
@@ -207,7 +206,7 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
     engine.setDataDirs(dataDirs);
 
     // fallback archives
-    StringsVector archives = Files::EscapeHashString::toStdStringVector(variables["fallback-archive"].as<EscapeStringsVector>());
+    StringsVector archives = variables["fallback-archive"].as<Files::EscapeStringVector>().toStdStringVector();
     for (StringsVector::const_iterator it = archives.begin(); it != archives.end(); ++it)
     {
         engine.addArchive(*it);
@@ -215,7 +214,7 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
 
     engine.setResourceDir(variables["resources"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
 
-    StringsVector content = Files::EscapeHashString::toStdStringVector(variables["content"].as<EscapeStringsVector>());
+    StringsVector content = variables["content"].as<Files::EscapeStringVector>().toStdStringVector();
     if (content.empty())
     {
       std::cout << "No content file given (esm/esp, nor omwgame/omwaddon). Aborting..." << std::endl;
@@ -242,7 +241,7 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
     engine.setScriptConsoleMode (variables["script-console"].as<bool>());
     engine.setStartupScript (variables["script-run"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
     engine.setWarningsMode (variables["script-warn"].as<int>());
-    engine.setScriptBlacklist (Files::EscapeHashString::toStdStringVector(variables["script-blacklist"].as<EscapeStringsVector>()));
+    engine.setScriptBlacklist (variables["script-blacklist"].as<Files::EscapeStringVector>().toStdStringVector());
     engine.setScriptBlacklistUse (variables["script-blacklist-use"].as<bool>());
     engine.setSaveGameFile (variables["load-savegame"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
 
diff --git a/components/fallback/validate.hpp b/components/fallback/validate.hpp
index e609297ae3..d82ef5770e 100644
--- a/components/fallback/validate.hpp
+++ b/components/fallback/validate.hpp
@@ -55,6 +55,17 @@ namespace Files {
         if (v.empty())
             v = boost::any(EscapeHashString(boost::program_options::validators::get_single_string(tokens)));
     }
+
+    void validate(boost::any &v, const std::vector<std::string> &tokens, EscapeStringVector *, int)
+    {
+        if (v.empty())
+            v = boost::any(EscapeStringVector());
+
+        EscapeStringVector * eSV = boost::any_cast<EscapeStringVector>(&v);
+
+        for (std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator it = tokens.begin(); it != tokens.end(); ++it)
+            eSV->mVector.push_back(EscapeHashString(*it));
+    }
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp b/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp
index 511dbe4110..3a7f579496 100644
--- a/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp
+++ b/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp
@@ -244,17 +244,6 @@ std::string EscapeHashString::processString(const std::string & str)
     return temp;
 }
 
-
-std::vector<std::string> EscapeHashString::toStdStringVector(const std::vector<EscapeHashString> & vec)
-{
-    std::vector<std::string> temp = std::vector<std::string>();
-    for (std::vector<EscapeHashString>::const_iterator it = vec.begin(); it != vec.end(); ++it)
-    {
-        temp.push_back(it->toStdString());
-    }
-    return temp;
-}
-
 EscapeHashString::EscapeHashString() : mData()
 {
 }
@@ -289,9 +278,36 @@ std::string EscapeHashString::toStdString() const
     return std::string(mData);
 }
 
-std::string * EscapeHashString::toStdStringPtr() const
+std::istream & operator>> (std::istream & is, EscapeHashString & eHS)
 {
-    return new std::string(mData);
+    std::string temp;
+    is >> temp;
+    eHS = EscapeHashString(temp);
+    return is;
+}
+
+std::ostream & operator<< (std::ostream & os, const EscapeHashString & eHS)
+{
+    os << eHS.mData;
+    return os;
+}
+
+EscapeStringVector::EscapeStringVector() : mVector()
+{
+}
+
+EscapeStringVector::~EscapeStringVector()
+{
+}
+
+std::vector<std::string> EscapeStringVector::toStdStringVector() const
+{
+    std::vector<std::string> temp = std::vector<std::string>();
+    for (std::vector<EscapeHashString>::const_iterator it = mVector.begin(); it != mVector.end(); ++it)
+    {
+        temp.push_back(it->toStdString());
+    }
+    return temp;
 }
 
 const boost::filesystem::path& ConfigurationManager::getGlobalPath() const
diff --git a/components/files/configurationmanager.hpp b/components/files/configurationmanager.hpp
index 5138b3ca78..3ce995983a 100644
--- a/components/files/configurationmanager.hpp
+++ b/components/files/configurationmanager.hpp
@@ -91,13 +91,12 @@ struct escape_hash_filter : public boost::iostreams::input_filter
 /**
  * \class EscapeHashString
  */
-class EscapeHashString : public std::string
+class EscapeHashString
 {
     private:
         std::string mData;
     public:
         static std::string processString(const std::string & str);
-        static std::vector<std::string> toStdStringVector(const std::vector<EscapeHashString> & vec);
 
         EscapeHashString();
         EscapeHashString(const std::string & str);
@@ -109,7 +108,20 @@ class EscapeHashString : public std::string
         EscapeHashString(InputIterator first, InputIterator last);
 
         std::string toStdString() const;
-        std::string * toStdStringPtr() const;
+
+        friend std::ostream & operator<< (std::ostream & os, const EscapeHashString & eHS);
+};
+
+std::istream & operator>> (std::istream & is, EscapeHashString & eHS);
+
+struct EscapeStringVector
+{
+    std::vector<Files::EscapeHashString> mVector;
+
+    EscapeStringVector();
+    virtual ~EscapeStringVector();
+
+    std::vector<std::string> toStdStringVector() const;
 };
 
 } /* namespace Cfg */