diff --git a/src/game/blueprint/item.cpp b/src/game/blueprint/item.cpp
index 34d54d1f..fc2736b9 100644
--- a/src/game/blueprint/item.cpp
+++ b/src/game/blueprint/item.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ void ItemBlueprint::load(const GffStruct &uti) {
     _tag = uti.getString("Tag");
     boost::to_lower(_tag);
 
-    _localizedName = Resources::instance().getString(uti.getInt("LocalizedName")).text;
+    _localizedName = Resources::instance().getString(uti.getInt("LocalizedName"));
 
     shared_ptr<TwoDaTable> baseItems(Resources::instance().get2DA("baseitems"));
     int baseItem = uti.getInt("BaseItem");
diff --git a/src/game/gui/chargen/classselect.cpp b/src/game/gui/chargen/classselect.cpp
index 9f99ac86..c161d20f 100644
--- a/src/game/gui/chargen/classselect.cpp
+++ b/src/game/gui/chargen/classselect.cpp
@@ -227,10 +227,10 @@ void ClassSelection::onFocusChanged(const string &control, bool focus) {
 
     ClassButton &button = _classButtons[idx];
 
-    string classText(Resources::instance().getString(g_genderStrRefs[button.config.gender]).text);
-    classText += " " + Resources::instance().getString(g_classStrRefs[button.config.clazz]).text;
+    string classText(Resources::instance().getString(g_genderStrRefs[button.config.gender]));
+    classText += " " + Resources::instance().getString(g_classStrRefs[button.config.clazz]);
 
-    string descText(Resources::instance().getString(g_classDescStrRefs[button.config.clazz]).text);
+    string descText(Resources::instance().getString(g_classDescStrRefs[button.config.clazz]));
 
     getControl("LBL_CLASS").setTextMessage(classText);
     getControl("LBL_DESC").setTextMessage(descText);
diff --git a/src/game/gui/container.cpp b/src/game/gui/container.cpp
index 34d99300..e188060a 100644
--- a/src/game/gui/container.cpp
+++ b/src/game/gui/container.cpp
@@ -58,10 +58,10 @@ Container::Container(Game *game) :
 void Container::load() {
     GUI::load();
 
-    string btnMessage(Resources::instance().getString(kSwitchToResRef).text + " " + Resources::instance().getString(kGiveItemResRef).text);
+    string btnMessage(Resources::instance().getString(kSwitchToResRef) + " " + Resources::instance().getString(kGiveItemResRef));
     getControl("BTN_GIVEITEMS").setTextMessage(btnMessage);
 
-    string lblMessage(Resources::instance().getString(kInventoryResRef).text);
+    string lblMessage(Resources::instance().getString(kInventoryResRef));
     getControl("LBL_MESSAGE").setTextMessage(lblMessage);
 
     configureItemsListBox();
diff --git a/src/game/gui/equip.cpp b/src/game/gui/equip.cpp
index b2bc0ac9..0efe9a62 100644
--- a/src/game/gui/equip.cpp
+++ b/src/game/gui/equip.cpp
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ void Equipment::updateItems() {
     if (_selectedSlot != Slot::None) {
         ListBox::Item lbItem;
         lbItem.tag = "[none]";
-        lbItem.text = Resources::instance().getString(kStrRefNone).text;
+        lbItem.text = Resources::instance().getString(kStrRefNone);
         lbItem.icon = Textures::instance().get("inone", TextureType::GUI);
 
         lbItems.add(move(lbItem));
diff --git a/src/game/gui/partyselect.cpp b/src/game/gui/partyselect.cpp
index e084954a..d4f411c3 100644
--- a/src/game/gui/partyselect.cpp
+++ b/src/game/gui/partyselect.cpp
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ void PartySelection::refreshAvailableCount() {
 }
 
 void PartySelection::refreshAcceptButton() {
-    string text(Resources::instance().getString(_added[_selectedNpc] ? g_strRefRemove : g_strRefAdd).text);
+    string text(Resources::instance().getString(_added[_selectedNpc] ? g_strRefRemove : g_strRefAdd));
     Button &btnAccept = getControl<Button>("BTN_ACCEPT");
     btnAccept.setTextMessage(text);
 }
diff --git a/src/game/object/door.cpp b/src/game/object/door.cpp
index acb46a00..c4a04513 100644
--- a/src/game/object/door.cpp
+++ b/src/game/object/door.cpp
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ void Door::load(const GffStruct &gffs) {
 
     int transDestStrRef = gffs.getInt("TransitionDestin");
     if (transDestStrRef != -1) {
-        _transitionDestin = Resources::instance().getString(transDestStrRef).text;
+        _transitionDestin = Resources::instance().getString(transDestStrRef);
     }
 
     string templResRef(gffs.getString("TemplateResRef"));
diff --git a/src/game/object/trigger.cpp b/src/game/object/trigger.cpp
index cc2bbbde..43009d26 100644
--- a/src/game/object/trigger.cpp
+++ b/src/game/object/trigger.cpp
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ void Trigger::load(const GffStruct &gffs) {
 
     int transDestIdx = gffs.getInt("TransitionDestin", -1);
     if (transDestIdx != -1) {
-        _transitionDestin = Resources::instance().getString(transDestIdx).text;
+        _transitionDestin = Resources::instance().getString(transDestIdx);
     }
 
     _linkedToModule = gffs.getString("LinkedToModule");
diff --git a/src/gui/control/control.cpp b/src/gui/control/control.cpp
index fcb3ffae..f880141d 100644
--- a/src/gui/control/control.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/control/control.cpp
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ void Control::loadText(const GffStruct &gffs) {
     _text.font = Fonts::instance().get(gffs.getString("FONT"));
 
     int strRef = gffs.getInt("STRREF");
-    _text.text = strRef == -1 ? gffs.getString("TEXT") : Resources::instance().getString(strRef).text;
+    _text.text = strRef == -1 ? gffs.getString("TEXT") : Resources::instance().getString(strRef);
 
     _text.color = gffs.getVector("COLOR");
     _text.align = static_cast<TextAlign>(gffs.getInt("ALIGNMENT", static_cast<int>(TextAlign::CenterCenter)));
diff --git a/src/resource/dlgfile.cpp b/src/resource/dlgfile.cpp
index 12a1beab..319287ba 100644
--- a/src/resource/dlgfile.cpp
+++ b/src/resource/dlgfile.cpp
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ DlgFile::EntryReply DlgFile::getEntryReply(const GffStruct &gffs) const {
 
     EntryReply entry;
     entry.speaker = gffs.getString("Speaker");
-    entry.text = strRef == -1 ? "" : Resources::instance().getString(strRef).text;
+    entry.text = strRef == -1 ? "" : Resources::instance().getString(strRef);
     entry.voResRef = gffs.getString("VO_ResRef");
     entry.script = gffs.getString("Script");
     entry.sound = gffs.getString("Sound");
diff --git a/src/resource/resources.cpp b/src/resource/resources.cpp
index c981ca03..13c18fec 100644
--- a/src/resource/resources.cpp
+++ b/src/resource/resources.cpp
@@ -348,8 +348,15 @@ shared_ptr<ByteArray> Resources::getFromExe(uint32_t name, PEResourceType type)
     return _exeFile.find(name, type);
 }
 
-const TalkTableString &Resources::getString(int32_t ref) const {
-    return _tlkFile.table()->getString(ref);
+const string &Resources::getString(int32_t ref) const {
+    static string empty;
+
+    shared_ptr<TalkTable> table(_tlkFile.table());
+    if (ref == -1 || ref >= table->stringCount()) {
+        return empty;
+    }
+
+    return table->getString(ref).text;
 }
 
 const vector<string> &Resources::moduleNames() const {
diff --git a/src/resource/resources.h b/src/resource/resources.h
index c04cadf3..05f6dc43 100644
--- a/src/resource/resources.h
+++ b/src/resource/resources.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public:
     std::shared_ptr<ByteArray> getFromExe(uint32_t name, PEResourceType type);
     std::shared_ptr<TalkTable> getTalkTable(const std::string &resRef);
 
-    const TalkTableString &getString(int32_t ref) const;
+    const std::string &getString(int32_t ref) const;
 
     const std::vector<std::string> &moduleNames() const;