diff --git a/src/saveload/saveload.cpp b/src/saveload/saveload.cpp
index 1d5e214d8d..728ffafaa8 100644
--- a/src/saveload/saveload.cpp
+++ b/src/saveload/saveload.cpp
@@ -890,6 +890,27 @@ static inline size_t SlCalcStdStringLen(const void *ptr)
 	return len + SlGetArrayLength(len); // also include the length of the index
 }
 
+
+/**
+ * Scan the string for old values of SCC_ENCODED and fix it to it's new, value.
+ * Note that at the moment this runs, the string has not been validated yet
+ * because the validation looks for SCC_ENCODED. If there is something invalid,
+ * just bail out and do not continue trying to replace the tokens.
+ * @param str the string to fix.
+ */
+static void FixSCCEncoded(std::string &str)
+{
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < str.size(); /* nothing. */) {
+		size_t len = Utf8EncodedCharLen(str[i]);
+		if (len == 0 || i + len > str.size()) break;
+
+		WChar c;
+		Utf8Decode(&c, &str[i]);
+		if (c == 0xE028 || c == 0xE02A) Utf8Encode(&str[i], SCC_ENCODED);
+		i += len;
+	}
+}
+
 /**
  * Save/Load a \c std::string.
  * @param ptr the string being manipulated
@@ -921,9 +942,7 @@ static void SlStdString(void *ptr, VarType conv)
 			StringValidationSettings settings = SVS_REPLACE_WITH_QUESTION_MARK;
 			if ((conv & SLF_ALLOW_CONTROL) != 0) {
 				settings = settings | SVS_ALLOW_CONTROL_CODE;
-				if (IsSavegameVersionBefore(SLV_169)) {
-					str_fix_scc_encoded(str->data(), str->data() + len);
-				}
+				if (IsSavegameVersionBefore(SLV_169)) FixSCCEncoded(*str);
 			}
 			if ((conv & SLF_ALLOW_NEWLINE) != 0) {
 				settings = settings | SVS_ALLOW_NEWLINE;
diff --git a/src/string.cpp b/src/string.cpp
index c4f8278843..800efecb22 100644
--- a/src/string.cpp
+++ b/src/string.cpp
@@ -116,30 +116,6 @@ std::string FormatArrayAsHex(span<const byte> data)
 	return str;
 }
 
-/**
- * Scan the string for old values of SCC_ENCODED and fix it to
- * it's new, static value.
- * @param str the string to scan
- * @param last the last valid character of str
- */
-void str_fix_scc_encoded(char *str, const char *last)
-{
-	while (str <= last && *str != '\0') {
-		size_t len = Utf8EncodedCharLen(*str);
-		if ((len == 0 && str + 4 > last) || str + len > last) break;
-
-		WChar c;
-		Utf8Decode(&c, str);
-		if (c == '\0') break;
-
-		if (c == 0xE028 || c == 0xE02A) {
-			c = SCC_ENCODED;
-		}
-		str += Utf8Encode(str, c);
-	}
-	*str = '\0';
-}
-
 
 template <class T>
 static void StrMakeValidInPlace(T &dst, const char *str, const char *last, StringValidationSettings settings)
diff --git a/src/string_func.h b/src/string_func.h
index 35a150fb88..517ced814d 100644
--- a/src/string_func.h
+++ b/src/string_func.h
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ void StrMakeValidInPlace(char *str, const char *last, StringValidationSettings s
 [[nodiscard]] std::string StrMakeValid(std::string_view str, StringValidationSettings settings = SVS_REPLACE_WITH_QUESTION_MARK);
 void StrMakeValidInPlace(char *str, StringValidationSettings settings = SVS_REPLACE_WITH_QUESTION_MARK);
 
-void str_fix_scc_encoded(char *str, const char *last) NOACCESS(2);
 bool strtolower(std::string &str, std::string::size_type offs = 0);
 
 [[nodiscard]] bool StrValid(const char *str, const char *last) NOACCESS(2);