diff --git a/src/saveload/saveload.cpp b/src/saveload/saveload.cpp
index 34589f8dfd..7f04432298 100644
--- a/src/saveload/saveload.cpp
+++ b/src/saveload/saveload.cpp
@@ -2679,10 +2679,9 @@ static const SaveLoadFormat _saveload_formats[] = {
  * Return the savegameformat of the game. Whether it was created with ZLIB compression
  * uncompressed, or another type
  * @param full_name Name of the savegame format. If empty it picks the first available one
- * @param compression_level Output for telling what compression level we want.
- * @return Reference to SaveLoadFormat struct giving all characteristics of this type of savegame
+ * @return Pair containing reference to SaveLoadFormat struct giving all characteristics of this type of savegame, and a compression level to use.
  */
-static const SaveLoadFormat &GetSavegameFormat(const std::string &full_name, uint8_t *compression_level)
+static std::pair<const SaveLoadFormat &, uint8_t> GetSavegameFormat(const std::string &full_name)
 {
 	/* Find default savegame format, the highest one with which files can be written. */
 	auto it = std::find_if(std::rbegin(_saveload_formats), std::rend(_saveload_formats), [](const auto &slf) { return slf.init_write != nullptr; });
@@ -2698,7 +2697,6 @@ static const SaveLoadFormat &GetSavegameFormat(const std::string &full_name, uin
 
 		for (const auto &slf : _saveload_formats) {
 			if (slf.init_write != nullptr && name.compare(slf.name) == 0) {
-				*compression_level = slf.default_compression;
 				if (has_comp_level) {
 					const std::string complevel(full_name, separator + 1);
 
@@ -2709,10 +2707,10 @@ static const SaveLoadFormat &GetSavegameFormat(const std::string &full_name, uin
 						SetDParamStr(0, complevel);
 						ShowErrorMessage(STR_CONFIG_ERROR, STR_CONFIG_ERROR_INVALID_SAVEGAME_COMPRESSION_LEVEL, WL_CRITICAL);
 					} else {
-						*compression_level = level;
+						return {slf, ClampTo<uint8_t>(level)};
 					}
 				}
-				return slf;
+				return {slf, slf.default_compression};
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -2720,8 +2718,7 @@ static const SaveLoadFormat &GetSavegameFormat(const std::string &full_name, uin
 		SetDParamStr(1, def.name);
 		ShowErrorMessage(STR_CONFIG_ERROR, STR_CONFIG_ERROR_INVALID_SAVEGAME_COMPRESSION_ALGORITHM, WL_CRITICAL);
 	}
-	*compression_level = def.default_compression;
-	return def;
+	return {def, def.default_compression};
 }
 
 /* actual loader/saver function */
@@ -2805,8 +2802,7 @@ static void SaveFileError()
 static SaveOrLoadResult SaveFileToDisk(bool threaded)
 {
 	try {
-		uint8_t compression;
-		const SaveLoadFormat &fmt = GetSavegameFormat(_savegame_format, &compression);
+		auto [fmt, compression] = GetSavegameFormat(_savegame_format);
 
 		/* We have written our stuff to memory, now write it to file! */
 		uint32_t hdr[2] = { fmt.tag, TO_BE32(SAVEGAME_VERSION << 16) };