diff --git a/src/kernel/equipment.c b/src/kernel/equipment.c
index 424352347..8266ada9a 100644
--- a/src/kernel/equipment.c
+++ b/src/kernel/equipment.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 #include "unit.h"
 #include "faction.h"
 #include "race.h"
-#include "spellbook.h"
+#include "spell.h"
 
 /* util includes */
 #include <quicklist.h>
@@ -86,13 +86,20 @@ void equipment_setskill(equipment * eq, skill_t sk, const char *value)
     }
 }
 
-void equipment_addspell(equipment * eq, struct spell * sp, int level)
+typedef struct lazy_spell {
+    char *name;
+    struct spell *sp;
+    int level;
+} lazy_spell;
+
+void equipment_addspell(equipment * eq, const char * name, int level)
 {
     if (eq) {
-        if (!eq->spellbook) {
-            eq->spellbook = create_spellbook(0);
-        }
-        spellbook_add(eq->spellbook, sp, level);
+        lazy_spell *ls = malloc(sizeof(lazy_spell));
+        ls->sp = NULL;
+        ls->level = level;
+        ls->name = _strdup(name);
+        ql_push(&eq->spells, ls);
     }
 }
 
@@ -148,13 +155,18 @@ void equip_unit_mask(struct unit *u, const struct equipment *eq, int mask)
         }
 
         if (mask & EQUIP_SPELLS) {
-            if (eq->spellbook) {
-                quicklist * ql = eq->spellbook->spells;
+            if (eq->spells) {
+                quicklist * ql = eq->spells;
                 int qi;
                 sc_mage * mage = get_mage(u);
 
                 for (qi = 0; ql; ql_advance(&ql, &qi, 1)) {
-                    spellbook_entry *sbe = (spellbook_entry *)ql_get(ql, qi);
+                    lazy_spell *sbe = (lazy_spell *)ql_get(ql, qi);
+                    if (!sbe->sp) {
+                        sbe->sp = find_spell(sbe->name);
+                        free(sbe->name);
+                        sbe->name = NULL;
+                    }
                     unit_add_spell(u, mage, sbe->sp, sbe->level);
                 }
             }
@@ -224,6 +236,12 @@ void equip_items(struct item **items, const struct equipment *eq)
     }
 }
 
+void free_ls(void *arg) {
+    lazy_spell *ls = (lazy_spell*)arg;
+    free(ls->name);
+    free(ls);
+}
+
 void equipment_done(void) {
     equipment **eqp = &equipment_sets;
     while (*eqp) {
@@ -231,9 +249,9 @@ void equipment_done(void) {
         equipment *eq = *eqp;
         *eqp = eq->next;
         free(eq->name);
-        if (eq->spellbook) {
-            spellbook_clear(eq->spellbook);
-            free(eq->spellbook);
+        if (eq->spells) {
+            ql_foreach(eq->spells, free_ls);
+            ql_free(eq->spells);
         }
         while (eq->items) {
             itemdata *next = eq->items->next;
diff --git a/src/kernel/equipment.h b/src/kernel/equipment.h
index 11511d99a..5c7b3407b 100644
--- a/src/kernel/equipment.h
+++ b/src/kernel/equipment.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ extern "C" {
         char *name;
         struct itemdata *items;
         char *skills[MAXSKILLS];
-        struct spellbook *spellbook;
+        struct quicklist *spells;
         struct subset *subsets;
         struct equipment *next;
         void(*callback) (const struct equipment *, struct unit *);
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ extern "C" {
         const struct item_type *itype, const char *value);
     void equipment_setskill(struct equipment *eq, skill_t sk,
         const char *value);
-    void equipment_addspell(struct equipment *eq, struct spell *sp, int level);
+    void equipment_addspell(struct equipment *eq, const char *name, int level);
     void equipment_setcallback(struct equipment *eq,
         void(*callback) (const struct equipment *, struct unit *));
 
diff --git a/src/kernel/equipment.test.c b/src/kernel/equipment.test.c
index 490a44a78..2911af1ea 100644
--- a/src/kernel/equipment.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/equipment.test.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ void test_equipment(CuTest * tc)
 
     equipment_setitem(eq, it_horses, "1");
     equipment_setskill(eq, SK_MAGIC, "5");
-    equipment_addspell(eq, sp, 1);
+    equipment_addspell(eq, sp->sname, 1);
 
     u = test_create_unit(test_create_faction(0), test_create_region(0, 0, 0));
     equip_unit_mask(u, eq, EQUIP_ALL);
diff --git a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
index 68f62d11f..66825a9b8 100644
--- a/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
+++ b/src/kernel/xmlreader.c
@@ -1191,22 +1191,18 @@ static void add_spells(equipment * eq, xmlNodeSetPtr nsetItems)
         for (i = 0; i != nsetItems->nodeNr; ++i) {
             xmlNodePtr node = nsetItems->nodeTab[i];
             xmlChar *propValue;
-            struct spell *sp;
+            int level;
+            const char *name;
 
             propValue = xmlGetProp(node, BAD_CAST "name");
             assert(propValue != NULL);
-            sp = find_spell((const char *)propValue);
-            if (!sp) {
-                log_error("no spell '%s' for equipment-set '%s'\n", (const char *)propValue, eq->name);
+            name = (const char *)propValue;
+            level = xml_ivalue(node, "level", 0);
+            if (level > 0) {
+                equipment_addspell(eq, name, level);
             }
             else {
-                int level = xml_ivalue(node, "level", 0);
-                if (level > 0) {
-                    equipment_addspell(eq, sp, level);
-                }
-                else {
-                    log_error("spell '%s' for equipment-set '%s' has no level\n", sp->sname, eq->name);
-                }
+                log_error("spell '%s' for equipment-set '%s' has no level\n", name, eq->name);
             }
             xmlFree(propValue);
         }
@@ -1331,7 +1327,7 @@ static int parse_equipment(xmlDocPtr doc)
                 xmlXPathFreeObject(xpathResult);
 
                 xpathResult = xmlXPathEvalExpression(BAD_CAST "spell", xpath);
-                assert(!eq->spellbook);
+                assert(!eq->spells);
                 add_spells(eq, xpathResult->nodesetval);
                 xmlXPathFreeObject(xpathResult);