diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.cpp
index ceb27274e..91bda79af 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/cellstore.cpp
@@ -342,26 +342,14 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
     Ptr CellStore::searchInContainer (const std::string& id)
     {
-        {
-            Ptr ptr = searchInContainerList (mContainers, id);
+        if (Ptr ptr = searchInContainerList (mContainers, id))
+            return ptr;
 
-            if (!ptr.isEmpty())
-                return ptr;
-        }
+        if (Ptr ptr = searchInContainerList (mCreatures, id))
+            return ptr;
 
-        {
-            Ptr ptr = searchInContainerList (mCreatures, id);
-
-            if (!ptr.isEmpty())
-                return ptr;
-        }
-
-        {
-            Ptr ptr = searchInContainerList (mNpcs, id);
-
-            if (!ptr.isEmpty())
-                return ptr;
-        }
+        if (Ptr ptr = searchInContainerList (mNpcs, id))
+            return ptr;
 
         return Ptr();
     }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/ptr.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/ptr.cpp
index 67bfe4900..3920a3e79 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/ptr.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/ptr.cpp
@@ -55,3 +55,8 @@ MWWorld::ContainerStore *MWWorld::Ptr::getContainerStore() const
 {
     return mContainerStore;
 }
+
+MWWorld::Ptr::operator const void *()
+{
+    return mRef;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/ptr.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/ptr.hpp
index 1212619d0..4529ae279 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/ptr.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/ptr.hpp
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
             ContainerStore *getContainerStore() const;
             ///< May return a 0-pointer, if reference is not in a container.
+
+            operator const void *();
+            ///< Return a 0-pointer, if Ptr is empty; return a non-0-pointer, if Ptr is not empty
     };
 
     inline bool operator== (const Ptr& left, const Ptr& right)