diff --git a/engines/grim/detection.cpp b/engines/grim/detection.cpp
index 05d3305e330..b23abf7fc7b 100644
--- a/engines/grim/detection.cpp
+++ b/engines/grim/detection.cpp
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ SaveStateList GrimMetaEngine::listSaves(const char *target) const {
 		int slotNum = atoi(file->c_str() + 4);
 
 		if (slotNum >= 0 && slotNum <= 99) {
-			SaveGame *savedState = new SaveGame((*file).c_str(), false);
+			SaveGame *savedState = SaveGame::openForLoading((*file).c_str());
 			if (savedState) {
 				if (savedState->saveVersion() != SaveGame::SAVEGAME_VERSION) {
 					delete savedState;
diff --git a/engines/grim/grim.cpp b/engines/grim/grim.cpp
index 947bc7d0445..96fa022e15b 100644
--- a/engines/grim/grim.cpp
+++ b/engines/grim/grim.cpp
@@ -1137,7 +1137,7 @@ void GrimEngine::savegameRestore() {
 	} else {
 		filename = _savegameFileName;
 	}
-	_savedState = new SaveGame(filename, false);
+	_savedState = SaveGame::openForLoading(filename);
 	if (!_savedState || _savedState->saveVersion() != SaveGame::SAVEGAME_VERSION)
 		return;
 	g_imuse->stopAllSounds();
@@ -1314,7 +1314,7 @@ void GrimEngine::savegameSave() {
 	} else {
 		strcpy(filename, _savegameFileName.c_str());
 	}
-	_savedState = new SaveGame(filename, true);
+	_savedState = SaveGame::openForSaving(filename);
 	if (!_savedState)
 		return;
 
diff --git a/engines/grim/lua_v1.cpp b/engines/grim/lua_v1.cpp
index 7ccd400a42c..b63bde72c51 100644
--- a/engines/grim/lua_v1.cpp
+++ b/engines/grim/lua_v1.cpp
@@ -962,7 +962,7 @@ void L1_GetSaveGameImage() {
 		return;
 	}
 	const char *filename = lua_getstring(param);
-	SaveGame *savedState = new SaveGame(filename, false);
+	SaveGame *savedState = SaveGame::openForLoading(filename);
 	if (!savedState || savedState->saveVersion() != SaveGame::SAVEGAME_VERSION) {
 		lua_pushnil();
 		return;
@@ -1016,7 +1016,7 @@ void L1_GetSaveGameData() {
 	if (!lua_isstring(param))
 		return;
 	const char *filename = lua_getstring(param);
-	SaveGame *savedState = new SaveGame(filename, false);
+	SaveGame *savedState = SaveGame::openForLoading(filename);
 	lua_Object result = lua_createtable();
 
 	if (!savedState || savedState->saveVersion() != SaveGame::SAVEGAME_VERSION) {
diff --git a/engines/grim/lua_v1_sound.cpp b/engines/grim/lua_v1_sound.cpp
index 5c521e6174d..e360accde57 100644
--- a/engines/grim/lua_v1_sound.cpp
+++ b/engines/grim/lua_v1_sound.cpp
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ void L1_ImSetSequence() {
 }
 
 void L1_SaveIMuse() {
-	SaveGame *savedIMuse = new SaveGame("grim.tmp", true);
+	SaveGame *savedIMuse = SaveGame::openForSaving("grim.tmp");
 	if (!savedIMuse)
 		return;
 	g_imuse->saveState(savedIMuse);
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ void L1_SaveIMuse() {
 }
 
 void L1_RestoreIMuse() {
-	SaveGame *savedIMuse = new SaveGame("grim.tmp", false);
+	SaveGame *savedIMuse = SaveGame::openForLoading("grim.tmp");
 	if (!savedIMuse)
 		return;
 	g_imuse->stopAllSounds();
diff --git a/engines/grim/savegame.cpp b/engines/grim/savegame.cpp
index 35b4ddc5d40..380b1b5fd8b 100644
--- a/engines/grim/savegame.cpp
+++ b/engines/grim/savegame.cpp
@@ -35,31 +35,48 @@ namespace Grim {
 
 int SaveGame::SAVEGAME_VERSION = 18;
 
-// Constructor. Should create/open a saved game
-SaveGame::SaveGame(const Common::String &filename, bool saving) :
-		_saving(saving), _currentSection(0), _sectionBuffer(0) {
-	if (_saving) {
-		_outSaveFile = g_system->getSavefileManager()->openForSaving(filename);
-		if (!_outSaveFile) {
-			warning("SaveGame::SaveGame() Error creating savegame file");
-			return;
-		}
-		_outSaveFile->writeUint32BE(SAVEGAME_HEADERTAG);
-		_outSaveFile->writeUint32BE(SAVEGAME_VERSION);
-
-		_version = SAVEGAME_VERSION;
-	} else {
-		uint32 tag;
-
-		_inSaveFile = g_system->getSavefileManager()->openForLoading(filename);
-		if (!_inSaveFile) {
-			warning("SaveGame::SaveGame() Error opening savegame file");
-			return;
-		}
-		tag = _inSaveFile->readUint32BE();
-		assert(tag == SAVEGAME_HEADERTAG);
-		_version = _inSaveFile->readUint32BE();
+SaveGame *SaveGame::openForLoading(const Common::String &filename) {
+	Common::InSaveFile *inSaveFile = g_system->getSavefileManager()->openForLoading(filename);
+	if (!inSaveFile) {
+		warning("SaveGame::openForLoading() Error opening savegame file");
+		return NULL;
 	}
+
+	SaveGame *save = new SaveGame();
+
+	save->_saving = false;
+	save->_inSaveFile = inSaveFile;
+
+	uint32 tag = inSaveFile->readUint32BE();
+	assert(tag == SAVEGAME_HEADERTAG);
+	save->_version = inSaveFile->readUint32BE();
+
+	return save;
+}
+
+SaveGame *SaveGame::openForSaving(const Common::String &filename) {
+	Common::OutSaveFile *outSaveFile =  g_system->getSavefileManager()->openForSaving(filename);
+	if (!outSaveFile) {
+		warning("SaveGame::openForSaving() Error creating savegame file");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	SaveGame *save = new SaveGame();
+
+	save->_saving = true;
+	save->_outSaveFile = outSaveFile;
+
+	outSaveFile->writeUint32BE(SAVEGAME_HEADERTAG);
+	outSaveFile->writeUint32BE(SAVEGAME_VERSION);
+
+	save->_version = SAVEGAME_VERSION;
+
+	return save;
+}
+
+SaveGame::SaveGame() :
+	_currentSection(0), _sectionBuffer(0) {
+
 }
 
 SaveGame::~SaveGame() {
diff --git a/engines/grim/savegame.h b/engines/grim/savegame.h
index a39c33ce0f2..56d52e1d805 100644
--- a/engines/grim/savegame.h
+++ b/engines/grim/savegame.h
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ class Color;
 
 class SaveGame {
 public:
-	SaveGame(const Common::String &filename, bool saving);
+	static SaveGame *openForLoading(const Common::String &filename);
+	static SaveGame *openForSaving(const Common::String &filename);
 	~SaveGame();
 
 	static int SAVEGAME_VERSION;
@@ -69,6 +70,8 @@ public:
 	void checkAlloc(int size);
 
 protected:
+	SaveGame();
+
 	int _version;
 	bool _saving;
 	Common::InSaveFile *_inSaveFile;