diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
index 94219b8fc..a8f5631a0 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwstate/statemanagerimp.cpp
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ void MWState::StateManager::loadGame (const Character *character, const Slot *sl
             case ESM::REC_NPC_:
             case ESM::REC_SPEL:
             case ESM::REC_WEAP:
+            case ESM::REC_GLOB:
 
                 MWBase::Environment::get().getWorld()->readRecord (reader, n.val);
                 break;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.cpp
index d8e96ddc3..879ffa8e3 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 
 #include <stdexcept>
 
+#include <components/misc/stringops.hpp>
+
+#include <components/esm/esmwriter.hpp>
+#include <components/esm/esmreader.hpp>
+
 #include "esmstore.hpp"
 
 namespace MWWorld
@@ -66,4 +71,39 @@ namespace MWWorld
             default: return ' ';
         }
     }
+
+    int Globals::countSavedGameRecords() const
+    {
+        return mVariables.size();
+    }
+
+    void Globals::write (ESM::ESMWriter& writer) const
+    {
+        for (Collection::const_iterator iter (mVariables.begin()); iter!=mVariables.end(); ++iter)
+        {
+            writer.startRecord (ESM::REC_GLOB);
+            writer.writeHNString ("NAME", iter->first);
+            iter->second.write (writer, ESM::Variant::Format_Global);
+            writer.endRecord (ESM::REC_GLOB);
+        }
+    }
+
+    bool Globals::readRecord (ESM::ESMReader& reader,  int32_t type)
+    {
+        if (type==ESM::REC_GLOB)
+        {
+            std::string id = reader.getHNString ("NAME");
+
+            Collection::iterator iter = mVariables.find (Misc::StringUtils::lowerCase (id));
+
+            if (iter!=mVariables.end())
+                iter->second.read (reader, ESM::Variant::Format_Global);
+            else
+                reader.skipHRecord();
+
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.hpp
index ad140b0c1..8f521c8a6 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/globals.hpp
@@ -5,9 +5,17 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <map>
 
+#include <libs/platform/stdint.h>
+
 #include <components/interpreter/types.hpp>
 #include <components/esm/variant.hpp>
 
+namespace ESM
+{
+    class ESMWriter;
+    class ESMReader;
+}
+
 namespace MWWorld
 {
     class ESMStore;
@@ -35,6 +43,16 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
             void fill (const MWWorld::ESMStore& store);
             ///< Replace variables with variables from \a store with default values.
+
+            int countSavedGameRecords() const;
+
+            void write (ESM::ESMWriter& writer) const;
+
+            bool readRecord (ESM::ESMReader& reader, int32_t type);
+            ///< Records for variables that do not exist are dropped silently.
+            ///
+            /// \return Known type?
+
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
index c4e63fad0..92091097c 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
@@ -301,20 +301,23 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
     int World::countSavedGameRecords() const
     {
-        return mStore.countSavedGameRecords();
+        return
+            mStore.countSavedGameRecords()
+            +mGlobalVariables.countSavedGameRecords();
     }
 
     void World::write (ESM::ESMWriter& writer) const
     {
         mStore.write (writer);
+        mGlobalVariables.write (writer);
     }
 
     void World::readRecord (ESM::ESMReader& reader, int32_t type)
     {
-        if (!mStore.readRecord (reader, type))
+        if (!mStore.readRecord (reader, type) &&
+            !mGlobalVariables.readRecord (reader, type))
         {
-            /// \todo handle other world state records
-
+            throw std::runtime_error ("unknown record in saved game");
         }
     }