diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -505,10 +505,6 @@ static void IniLoadSettings(IniFile *ini
 {
 	IniGroup *group;
 	IniGroup *group_def = ini->GetGroup(grpname);
-	IniItem *item;
-	const void *p;
-	void *ptr;
-	const char *s;
 
 	for (; sd->save.cmd != SL_END; sd++) {
 		const SettingDescBase *sdb = &sd->desc;
@@ -517,30 +513,30 @@ static void IniLoadSettings(IniFile *ini
 		if (!SlIsObjectCurrentlyValid(sld->version_from, sld->version_to)) continue;
 
 		/* For settings.xx.yy load the settings from [xx] yy = ? */
-		s = strchr(sdb->name, '.');
-		if (s != nullptr) {
-			group = ini->GetGroup(sdb->name, s - sdb->name);
-			s++;
+		std::string s{ sdb->name };
+		auto sc = s.find('.');
+		if (sc != std::string::npos) {
+			group = ini->GetGroup(s.substr(0, sc));
+			s = s.substr(sc + 1);
 		} else {
-			s = sdb->name;
 			group = group_def;
 		}
 
-		item = group->GetItem(s, false);
+		IniItem *item = group->GetItem(s, false);
 		if (item == nullptr && group != group_def) {
-			/* For settings.xx.yy load the settings from [settingss] yy = ? in case the previous
+			/* For settings.xx.yy load the settings from [settings] yy = ? in case the previous
 			 * did not exist (e.g. loading old config files with a [settings] section */
 			item = group_def->GetItem(s, false);
 		}
 		if (item == nullptr) {
 			/* For settings.xx.zz.yy load the settings from [zz] yy = ? in case the previous
 			 * did not exist (e.g. loading old config files with a [yapf] section */
-			const char *sc = strchr(s, '.');
-			if (sc != nullptr) item = ini->GetGroup(s, sc - s)->GetItem(sc + 1, false);
+			sc = s.find('.');
+			if (sc != std::string::npos) item = ini->GetGroup(s.substr(0, sc))->GetItem(s.substr(sc + 1), false);
 		}
 
-		p = (item == nullptr) ? sdb->def : StringToVal(sdb, item->value);
-		ptr = GetVariableAddress(object, sld);
+		const void *p = (item == nullptr) ? sdb->def : StringToVal(sdb, item->value.has_value() ? item->value->c_str() : nullptr);
+		void *ptr = GetVariableAddress(object, sld);
 
 		switch (sdb->cmd) {
 			case SDT_BOOLX: // All four are various types of (integer) numbers
@@ -604,7 +600,6 @@ static void IniSaveSettings(IniFile *ini
 	IniGroup *group_def = nullptr, *group;
 	IniItem *item;
 	char buf[512];
-	const char *s;
 	void *ptr;
 
 	for (; sd->save.cmd != SL_END; sd++) {
@@ -617,22 +612,22 @@ static void IniSaveSettings(IniFile *ini
 		if (sld->conv & SLF_NOT_IN_CONFIG) continue;
 
 		/* XXX - wtf is this?? (group override?) */
-		s = strchr(sdb->name, '.');
-		if (s != nullptr) {
-			group = ini->GetGroup(sdb->name, s - sdb->name);
-			s++;
+		std::string s{ sdb->name };
+		auto sc = s.find('.');
+		if (sc != std::string::npos) {
+			group = ini->GetGroup(s.substr(0, sc));
+			s = s.substr(sc + 1);
 		} else {
 			if (group_def == nullptr) group_def = ini->GetGroup(grpname);
-			s = sdb->name;
 			group = group_def;
 		}
 
 		item = group->GetItem(s, true);
 		ptr = GetVariableAddress(object, sld);
 
-		if (item->value != nullptr) {
+		if (item->value.has_value()) {
 			/* check if the value is the same as the old value */
-			const void *p = StringToVal(sdb, item->value);
+			const void *p = StringToVal(sdb, item->value->c_str());
 
 			/* The main type of a variable/setting is in bytes 8-15
 			 * The subtype (what kind of numbers do we have there) is in 0-7 */
@@ -714,8 +709,7 @@ static void IniSaveSettings(IniFile *ini
 		}
 
 		/* The value is different, that means we have to write it to the ini */
-		free(item->value);
-		item->value = stredup(buf);
+		item->value.emplace(buf);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -737,7 +731,7 @@ static void IniLoadSettingList(IniFile *
 	list.clear();
 
 	for (const IniItem *item = group->item; item != nullptr; item = item->next) {
-		if (item->name != nullptr) list.emplace_back(item->name);
+		if (!item->name.empty()) list.push_back(item->name);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1427,14 +1421,14 @@ static void AILoadConfig(IniFile *ini, c
 	for (item = group->item; c < MAX_COMPANIES && item != nullptr; c++, item = item->next) {
 		AIConfig *config = AIConfig::GetConfig(c, AIConfig::SSS_FORCE_NEWGAME);
 
-		config->Change(item->name);
+		config->Change(item->name.c_str());
 		if (!config->HasScript()) {
-			if (strcmp(item->name, "none") != 0) {
-				DEBUG(script, 0, "The AI by the name '%s' was no longer found, and removed from the list.", item->name);
+			if (item->name != "none") {
+				DEBUG(script, 0, "The AI by the name '%s' was no longer found, and removed from the list.", item->name.c_str());
 				continue;
 			}
 		}
-		if (item->value != nullptr) config->StringToSettings(item->value);
+		if (item->value.has_value()) config->StringToSettings(item->value->c_str());
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1454,14 +1448,14 @@ static void GameLoadConfig(IniFile *ini,
 
 	GameConfig *config = GameConfig::GetConfig(AIConfig::SSS_FORCE_NEWGAME);
 
-	config->Change(item->name);
+	config->Change(item->name.c_str());
 	if (!config->HasScript()) {
-		if (strcmp(item->name, "none") != 0) {
-			DEBUG(script, 0, "The GameScript by the name '%s' was no longer found, and removed from the list.", item->name);
+		if (item->name != "none") {
+			DEBUG(script, 0, "The GameScript by the name '%s' was no longer found, and removed from the list.", item->name.c_str());
 			return;
 		}
 	}
-	if (item->value != nullptr) config->StringToSettings(item->value);
+	if (item->value.has_value()) config->StringToSettings(item->value->c_str());
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1485,7 +1479,7 @@ static int DecodeHexNibble(char c)
  * @param dest_size Number of bytes in \a dest.
  * @return Whether reading was successful.
  */
-static bool DecodeHexText(char *pos, uint8 *dest, size_t dest_size)
+static bool DecodeHexText(const char *pos, uint8 *dest, size_t dest_size)
 {
 	while (dest_size > 0) {
 		int hi = DecodeHexNibble(pos[0]);
@@ -1517,7 +1511,7 @@ static GRFConfig *GRFLoadConfig(IniFile 
 		GRFConfig *c = nullptr;
 
 		uint8 grfid_buf[4], md5sum[16];
-		char *filename = item->name;
+		const char *filename = item->name.c_str();
 		bool has_grfid = false;
 		bool has_md5sum = false;
 
@@ -1541,8 +1535,8 @@ static GRFConfig *GRFLoadConfig(IniFile 
 		if (c == nullptr) c = new GRFConfig(filename);
 
 		/* Parse parameters */
-		if (!StrEmpty(item->value)) {
-			int count = ParseIntList(item->value, c->param, lengthof(c->param));
+		if (item->value.has_value() && !item->value->empty()) {
+			int count = ParseIntList(item->value->c_str(), c->param, lengthof(c->param));
 			if (count < 0) {
 				SetDParamStr(0, filename);
 				ShowErrorMessage(STR_CONFIG_ERROR, STR_CONFIG_ERROR_ARRAY, WL_CRITICAL);
@@ -1565,7 +1559,7 @@ static GRFConfig *GRFLoadConfig(IniFile 
 				SetDParam(1, STR_CONFIG_ERROR_INVALID_GRF_UNKNOWN);
 			}
 
-			SetDParamStr(0, StrEmpty(filename) ? item->name : filename);
+			SetDParamStr(0, StrEmpty(filename) ? item->name.c_str() : filename);
 			ShowErrorMessage(STR_CONFIG_ERROR, STR_CONFIG_ERROR_INVALID_GRF, WL_CRITICAL);
 			delete c;
 			continue;
@@ -1776,8 +1770,8 @@ StringList GetGRFPresetList()
 
 	std::unique_ptr<IniFile> ini(IniLoadConfig());
 	for (IniGroup *group = ini->group; group != nullptr; group = group->next) {
-		if (strncmp(group->name, "preset-", 7) == 0) {
-			list.emplace_back(group->name + 7);
+		if (group->name.compare(0, 7, "preset-") == 0) {
+			list.push_back(group->name.substr(7));
 		}
 	}