diff --git a/src/creport.c b/src/creport.c
index 475a04b1e..0173b7409 100644
--- a/src/creport.c
+++ b/src/creport.c
@@ -1057,12 +1057,15 @@ static void cr_find_address(FILE * F, const faction * uf, selist * addresses)
     while (flist) {
         const faction *f = (const faction *)selist_get(flist, i);
         if (uf != f) {
+            const char *str;
             fprintf(F, "PARTEI %d\n", f->no);
             fprintf(F, "\"%s\";Parteiname\n", f->name);
             if (strcmp(faction_getemail(f), "") != 0)
                 fprintf(F, "\"%s\";email\n", faction_getemail(f));
-            if (f->banner)
-                fprintf(F, "\"%s\";banner\n", f->banner);
+            str = faction_getbanner(f);
+            if (str) {
+                fprintf(F, "\"%s\";banner\n", str);
+            }
             fprintf(F, "\"%s\";locale\n", locale_name(f->locale));
             if (f->alliance && f->alliance == uf->alliance) {
                 fprintf(F, "%d;alliance\n", f->alliance->id);
@@ -1534,7 +1537,7 @@ report_computer(const char *filename, report_context * ctx, const char *bom)
     static int era = -1;
     int i;
     faction *f = ctx->f;
-    const char *prefix;
+    const char *prefix, *str;
     region *r;
     const char *mailto = config_get("game.email");
     const attrib *a;
@@ -1628,8 +1631,10 @@ report_computer(const char *filename, report_context * ctx, const char *bom)
 
     fprintf(F, "\"%s\";Parteiname\n", f->name);
     fprintf(F, "\"%s\";email\n", faction_getemail(f));
-    if (f->banner)
-        fprintf(F, "\"%s\";banner\n", f->banner);
+    str = faction_getbanner(f);
+    if (str) {
+        fprintf(F, "\"%s\";banner\n", str);
+    }
     print_items(F, f->items, f->locale);
     fputs("OPTIONEN\n", F);
     for (i = 0; i != MAXOPTIONS; ++i) {
diff --git a/src/kernel/faction.c b/src/kernel/faction.c
index a3cd96bc9..bb5a27271 100755
--- a/src/kernel/faction.c
+++ b/src/kernel/faction.c
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ static void free_faction(faction * f)
     freelist(f->allies);
 
     free(f->email);
-    free(f->banner);
     free(f->name);
     if (f->seen_factions) {
         selist_free(f->seen_factions);
@@ -593,16 +592,17 @@ void faction_setemail(faction * self, const char *email)
         self->email = NULL;
 }
 
-const char *faction_getbanner(const faction * self)
+const char *faction_getbanner(const faction * f)
 {
-    return self->banner ? self->banner : "";
+    if (f->banner_id > 0) {
+        return dbstring_load(f->banner_id, NULL);
+    }
+    return NULL;
 }
 
-void faction_setbanner(faction * self, const char *banner)
+void faction_setbanner(faction * f, const char *banner)
 {
-    free(self->banner);
-    if (banner)
-        self->banner = str_strdup(banner);
+    f->banner_id = dbstring_save(banner);
 }
 
 const char *faction_getpassword(const faction *f) {
diff --git a/src/kernel/faction.h b/src/kernel/faction.h
index 8548328ef..c10e6ec69 100644
--- a/src/kernel/faction.h
+++ b/src/kernel/faction.h
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ extern "C" {
         int uid;
         int flags;
         char *name;
-        char *banner;
+        dbrow_id banner_id;
         char *email;
         dbrow_id password_id;
         int max_spelllevel;
diff --git a/src/kernel/faction.test.c b/src/kernel/faction.test.c
index 6c2ed3aa6..9aac0465c 100644
--- a/src/kernel/faction.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/faction.test.c
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ static void test_addfaction(CuTest *tc) {
     CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, f->name);
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, NULL, (void *)f->units);
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, NULL, (void *)f->next);
-    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, NULL, (void *)f->banner);
+    CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, NULL, (void *)faction_getbanner(f));
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, NULL, (void *)f->spellbook);
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, NULL, (void *)f->origin);
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, (void *)factions, (void *)f);
@@ -229,6 +229,18 @@ static void test_valid_race(CuTest *tc) {
     test_teardown();
 }
 
+static void test_dbstrings(CuTest *tc) {
+    const char *lipsum = "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.";
+    faction *f;
+    test_setup();
+    f = test_create_faction(NULL);
+    faction_setbanner(f, lipsum);
+    faction_setpassword(f, lipsum + 12);
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, lipsum, faction_getbanner(f));
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, lipsum + 12, faction_getpassword(f));
+    test_teardown();
+}
+
 static void test_set_email(CuTest *tc) {
     faction *f;
     char email[10];
@@ -335,6 +347,7 @@ CuSuite *get_faction_suite(void)
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_check_passwd);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_valid_race);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_set_email);
+    SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_dbstrings);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_save_special_items);
     return suite;
 }
diff --git a/src/kernel/save.c b/src/kernel/save.c
index 63e14b3c3..f1b614709 100644
--- a/src/kernel/save.c
+++ b/src/kernel/save.c
@@ -1007,7 +1007,7 @@ faction *read_faction(gamedata * data)
 	if (unicode_utf8_trim(name)!=0) {
 		log_warning("trim faction %s banner to '%s'", itoa36(f->no), name);
 	};
-    f->banner = str_strdup(name);
+    faction_setbanner(f, name);
 
     log_debug("   - Lese Partei %s (%s)", f->name, itoa36(f->no));
 
@@ -1115,7 +1115,7 @@ void write_faction(gamedata *data, const faction * f)
     WRITE_INT(data->store, f->alliance_joindate);
 
     WRITE_STR(data->store, f->name);
-    WRITE_STR(data->store, f->banner);
+    WRITE_STR(data->store, faction_getbanner(f));
     WRITE_STR(data->store, f->email?f->email:"");
     write_password(data, f);
     WRITE_TOK(data->store, locale_name(f->locale));
diff --git a/src/laws.c b/src/laws.c
index 4c2a29e4e..4212f9d63 100644
--- a/src/laws.c
+++ b/src/laws.c
@@ -2086,12 +2086,10 @@ int banner_cmd(unit * u, struct order *ord)
 {
     const char * s;
 
-    free(u->faction->banner);
     init_order_depr(ord);
     s = getstrtoken();
-    u->faction->banner = s ? str_strdup(s) : 0;
-    add_message(&u->faction->msgs, msg_message("changebanner", "value",
-        u->faction->banner));
+    faction_setbanner(u->faction, s);
+    add_message(&u->faction->msgs, msg_message("changebanner", "value", s));
 
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/report.c b/src/report.c
index 5d2ed4598..f744086c3 100644
--- a/src/report.c
+++ b/src/report.c
@@ -1726,11 +1726,13 @@ static void list_address(struct stream *out, const faction * uf, selist * seenfa
     while (flist != NULL) {
         const faction *f = (const faction *)selist_get(flist, qi);
         if (!is_monsters(f)) {
+            const char *str;
             char buf[8192];
             char label = '-';
 
+            str = faction_getbanner(f);
             sprintf(buf, "%s: %s; %s", factionname(f), faction_getemail(f),
-                f->banner ? f->banner : "");
+                str ? str : "");
             if (uf == f)
                 label = '*';
             else if (is_allied(uf, f))