diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index e5ae8de7a..c8a4c4783 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ set (ERESSEA_SRC
   magic.c
   market.c
   morale.c
+  orderdb.c
   orderfile.c
   randenc.c
   renumber.c
diff --git a/src/eressea.c b/src/eressea.c
index 2174450eb..b4ae7890f 100755
--- a/src/eressea.c
+++ b/src/eressea.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "creport.h"
 #include "report.h"
 #include "names.h"
+#include "orderdb.h"
 #include "reports.h"
 #include "spells.h"
 #include "vortex.h"
@@ -57,10 +58,12 @@ void game_done(void)
     free_special_directions();
     free_locales();
     kernel_done();
+    orderdb_close();
 }
 
 void game_init(void)
 {
+    orderdb_open();
     kernel_init();
     register_triggers();
     register_xmas();
diff --git a/src/kernel/order.c b/src/kernel/order.c
index 88f6313fa..873169493 100644
--- a/src/kernel/order.c
+++ b/src/kernel/order.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <kernel/config.h>
 #include "order.h"
 
+#include "orderdb.h"
 #include "skill.h"
 #include "keyword.h"
 
@@ -33,71 +34,6 @@
 # define ORD_KEYWORD(ord) (keyword_t)((ord)->command & 0xFFFF)
 # define OD_STRING(odata) ((odata) ? (odata)->_str : NULL)
 
-typedef struct order_data {
-    const char *_str;
-    int _refcount;
-} order_data;
-
-#include <critbit.h>
-
-static critbit_tree cb_orders = { 0 };
-static int auto_id = 0;
-
-struct cb_entry {
-    int id;
-    order_data *data;
-};
-
-order_data *load_data(int id) {
-    void * match;
-
-    if (id > 0) {
-        if (cb_find_prefix(&cb_orders, &id, sizeof(id), &match, 1, 0) > 0) {
-            struct cb_entry *ent = (struct cb_entry *)match;
-            order_data * od = ent->data;
-            ++od->_refcount;
-            return od;
-        }
-    }
-    return NULL;
-}
-
-int save_data(keyword_t kwd, order_data *od) {
-    if (od->_str) {
-        struct cb_entry ent;
-        ++od->_refcount;
-        ent.id = ++auto_id;
-        ent.data = od;
-        cb_insert(&cb_orders, &ent, sizeof(ent));
-        return ent.id;
-    }
-    return 0;
-}
-
-static void release_data(order_data * data)
-{
-    if (data) {
-        if (--data->_refcount == 0) {
-            free(data);
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-int free_data_cb(const void *match, const void *key, size_t keylen, void *udata) {
-    struct cb_entry * ent = (struct cb_entry *)match;
-    order_data *od = ent->data;
-    if (od->_refcount > 1) {
-        log_error("refcount=%d for order %d, %s", od->_refcount, ent->id, od->_str);
-    }
-    release_data(od);
-    return 0;
-}
-
-void free_data(void) {
-    cb_foreach(&cb_orders, NULL, 0, free_data_cb, NULL);
-    cb_clear(&cb_orders);
-}
-
 void replace_order(order ** dlist, order * orig, const order * src)
 {
     assert(src);
@@ -159,7 +95,7 @@ char* get_command(const order *ord, const struct locale *lang, char *sbuffer, si
         assert(kwd == K_STUDY && sk != SK_MAGIC && sk < MAXSKILLS);
         text = skillname(sk, lang);
     } else {
-        od = load_data(ord->id);
+        od = odata_load(ord->id);
         text = OD_STRING(od);
     }
     if (kwd != NOKEYWORD) {
@@ -193,7 +129,7 @@ char* get_command(const order *ord, const struct locale *lang, char *sbuffer, si
         }
     }
     if (od) {
-        release_data(od);
+        odata_release(od);
     }
     if (size > 0) *bufp = 0;
     return sbuffer;
@@ -268,10 +204,10 @@ static int create_data(keyword_t kwd, const char *s,
             return ((int)sk)-100;
         }
     }
-    /* TODO: between mkdata and release_data, this object is very
+    /* TODO: between mkdata and odata_release, this object is very
      * short-lived. */
     mkdata(&data, strlen(s), s);
-    id = save_data(kwd, data);
+    id = odata_save(kwd, data);
     release_data(data);
     return id;
 }
@@ -556,11 +492,11 @@ char *write_order(const order * ord, const struct locale *lang, char *buffer, si
     else {
         keyword_t kwd = ORD_KEYWORD(ord);
         if (kwd == NOKEYWORD) {
-            order_data *od = load_data(ord->id);
+            order_data *od = odata_load(ord->id);
             const char *text = OD_STRING(od);
             if (text) strlcpy(buffer, (const char *)text, size);
             else buffer[0] = 0;
-            release_data(od);
+            odata_release(od);
         }
         else {
             get_command(ord, lang, buffer, size);
@@ -581,7 +517,7 @@ static order_data *parser_od;
 keyword_t init_order(const struct order *ord, const struct locale *lang)
 {
     if (!ord) {
-        release_data(parser_od);
+        odata_release(parser_od);
         parser_od = NULL;
         return NOKEYWORD;
     }
@@ -589,7 +525,7 @@ keyword_t init_order(const struct order *ord, const struct locale *lang)
         keyword_t kwd = ORD_KEYWORD(ord);
         if (parser_od) {
             /* TODO: warning */
-            release_data(parser_od);
+            odata_release(parser_od);
             parser_od = NULL;
         }
         if (ord->id < 0) {
@@ -600,7 +536,7 @@ keyword_t init_order(const struct order *ord, const struct locale *lang)
             init_tokens_str(skillname(sk, lang));
         }
         else {
-            parser_od = load_data(ord->id);
+            parser_od = odata_load(ord->id);
             init_tokens_str(OD_STRING(parser_od));
         }
         return kwd;
@@ -620,6 +556,5 @@ void close_orders(void) {
     if (parser_od) {
         (void)init_order(NULL, NULL);
     }
-    free_data();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/orderdb.c b/src/orderdb.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..37faeacc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/orderdb.c
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+#include <platform.h>
+#include "orderdb.h"
+
+#include <util/log.h>
+
+#include <critbit.h>
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+static critbit_tree cb_orders = { 0 };
+static int auto_id = 0;
+
+struct cb_entry {
+    int id;
+    order_data *data;
+};
+
+order_data *odata_load(int id)
+{
+    void * match;
+
+    if (id > 0) {
+        if (cb_find_prefix(&cb_orders, &id, sizeof(id), &match, 1, 0) > 0) {
+            struct cb_entry *ent = (struct cb_entry *)match;
+            order_data * od = ent->data;
+            ++od->_refcount;
+            return od;
+        }
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+int odata_save(order_data *od)
+{
+    if (od->_str) {
+        struct cb_entry ent;
+        ++od->_refcount;
+        ent.id = ++auto_id;
+        ent.data = od;
+        cb_insert(&cb_orders, &ent, sizeof(ent));
+        return ent.id;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+void odata_release(order_data * od)
+{
+    if (od) {
+        if (--od->_refcount == 0) {
+            free(od);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+int free_data_cb(const void *match, const void *key, size_t keylen, void *udata) {
+    struct cb_entry * ent = (struct cb_entry *)match;
+    order_data *od = ent->data;
+    if (od->_refcount > 1) {
+        log_error("refcount=%d for order %d, %s", od->_refcount, ent->id, od->_str);
+    }
+    odata_release(od);
+    return 0;
+}
+
+void free_data(void) {
+    cb_foreach(&cb_orders, NULL, 0, free_data_cb, NULL);
+    cb_clear(&cb_orders);
+}
+
+void orderdb_open(void)
+{
+    auto_id = 0;
+}
+
+void orderdb_close(void)
+{
+    free_data();
+}
diff --git a/src/orderdb.h b/src/orderdb.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..be39a642e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/orderdb.h
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#ifndef H_ORDERDB
+#define H_ORDERDB
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+    typedef struct order_data {
+        const char *_str;
+        int _refcount;
+    } order_data;
+
+    void orderdb_open(void);
+    void orderdb_close(void);
+
+    order_data *odata_load(int id);
+    int odata_save(order_data *od);
+    void odata_release(order_data * od);
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+#endif