diff --git a/src/kernel/save.c b/src/kernel/save.c
index eb072c03d..1c55db3ea 100644
--- a/src/kernel/save.c
+++ b/src/kernel/save.c
@@ -122,6 +122,41 @@ char *rns(FILE * f, char *c, size_t size)
     return c;
 }
 
+struct order *read_order(const char *s, const struct locale *lang) {
+    assert(s);
+    assert(lang);
+    if (s[0]) {
+        keyword_t kwd;
+        char token[64];
+        const char *stok;
+
+        stok = parse_token(&s, token, sizeof(token));
+        if (stok) {
+            param_t param = findparam(token, lang);
+            switch (param) {
+            case P_UNIT:
+            case P_REGION:
+                return NULL;
+            case P_FACTION:
+            case P_NEXT:
+            case P_GAMENAME:
+                /* these terminate the orders, so we apply extra checking */
+                if (strlen(stok) >= 3) {
+                    return NULL;
+                }
+                break;
+            default:
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        /* Nun wird der Befehl erzeut und eingehängt */
+        kwd = get_keyword(stok, lang);
+        if (kwd != NOKEYWORD) {
+            return create_order(kwd, lang, s);
+        }
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
 
 static unit *unitorders(FILE * F, int enc, struct faction *f)
 {
@@ -164,6 +199,7 @@ static unit *unitorders(FILE * F, int enc, struct faction *f)
 
         for (;;) {
             const char *s;
+            order * ord;
             /* Erst wenn wir sicher sind, dass kein Befehl
              * eingegeben wurde, checken wir, ob nun eine neue
              * Einheit oder ein neuer Spieler drankommt */
@@ -172,49 +208,13 @@ static unit *unitorders(FILE * F, int enc, struct faction *f)
             if (s == NULL)
                 break;
 
-            if (s[0]) {
-                if (s[0] != '@') {
-                    char token[64];
-                    const char *stok = s;
-                    stok = parse_token(&stok, token, sizeof(token)); 
-
-                    if (stok) {
-                        bool quit = false;
-                        param_t param = findparam(stok, u->faction->locale);
-                        switch (param) {
-                        case P_UNIT:
-                        case P_REGION:
-                            quit = true;
-                            break;
-                        case P_FACTION:
-                        case P_NEXT:
-                        case P_GAMENAME:
-                            /* these terminate the orders, so we apply extra checking */
-                            if (strlen(stok) >= 3) {
-                                quit = true;
-                                break;
-                            }
-                            else {
-                                quit = false;
-                            }
-                            break;
-                        default:
-                            break;
-                        }
-                        if (quit) {
-                            break;
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
-                /* Nun wird der Befehl erzeut und eingehängt */
-                *ordp = parse_order(s, u->faction->locale);
-                if (*ordp) {
-                    ordp = &(*ordp)->next;
-                }
-                else {
-                    ADDMSG(&f->msgs, msg_message("parse_error", "unit command", u, s));
-                }
+            ord = read_order(s, f->locale);
+            if (!ord) {
+                ADDMSG(&f->msgs, msg_message("parse_error", "unit command", u, s));
+                break;
             }
+            *ordp = ord;
+            ordp = &(*ordp)->next;
         }
 
     }
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ int readorders(const char *filename)
                     }
                     init_tokens_str(b);
                     s = gettoken(token, sizeof(token));
-                    p = (s && s[0] != '@') ? findparam(s, lang) : NOPARAM;
+                    p = (s && s[0] != '@' && s[0] != '!') ? findparam(s, lang) : NOPARAM;
                 } while ((p != P_UNIT || !f) && p != P_FACTION && p != P_NEXT
                     && p != P_GAMENAME);
 	        }
diff --git a/src/kernel/save.h b/src/kernel/save.h
index 763ff66b6..f706a311b 100644
--- a/src/kernel/save.h
+++ b/src/kernel/save.h
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ extern "C" {
     struct spellbook;
     struct unit;
     struct building;
+    struct order;
+    struct locale;
     struct faction;
     struct region;
     struct ship;
@@ -43,6 +45,8 @@ extern "C" {
     /* TODO: is this *really* still in use? */
     extern int enc_gamedata;
 
+    struct order *read_order(const char *s, const struct locale *lang);
+
     int readorders(const char *filename);
     int readgame(const char *filename);
     int writegame(const char *filename);
diff --git a/src/kernel/save.test.c b/src/kernel/save.test.c
index 81d5a507d..f70d6ff07 100644
--- a/src/kernel/save.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/save.test.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <attributes/key.h>
 
 #include "save.h"
+#include "order.h"
 #include "version.h"
 #include "building.h"
 #include "ship.h"
@@ -452,6 +453,25 @@ static void test_version_no(CuTest *tc) {
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, 0x10203, version_no("1.2.3-what.is.42"));
 }
 
+static void test_read_order(CuTest *tc) {
+    char cmd[32];
+    order *ord;
+    struct locale * lang;
+
+    test_setup();
+    lang = test_create_locale();
+
+    ord = read_order("MOVE NORTH", lang);
+    CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, ord);
+    CuAssertTrue(tc, !ord->_noerror);
+    CuAssertTrue(tc, !ord->_persistent);
+    CuAssertIntEquals(tc, K_MOVE, getkeyword(ord));
+    CuAssertStrEquals(tc, "move NORTH", get_command(ord, cmd, sizeof(cmd)));
+    free_order(ord);
+
+    test_cleanup();
+}
+
 CuSuite *get_save_suite(void)
 {
     CuSuite *suite = CuSuiteNew();
@@ -468,6 +488,7 @@ CuSuite *get_save_suite(void)
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_readwrite_dead_faction_group);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_read_password);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_read_password_external);
+    SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_read_order);
     SUITE_ADD_TEST(suite, test_version_no);
 
     return suite;