diff --git a/src/game/boe.appleevents.mm b/src/game/boe.appleevents.mm
index eadceb10..e1c8d6a1 100644
--- a/src/game/boe.appleevents.mm
+++ b/src/game/boe.appleevents.mm
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ typedef NSAppleEventDescriptor AEDescr;
 
 void set_up_apple_events(int argc, char* argv[]); // Suppress "no prototype" warning
 void set_up_apple_events(int, char*[]) {
-	AppleEventHandler* aeHandler = [[AppleEventHandler alloc] init];
+	static AppleEventHandler* aeHandler;
+	aeHandler = [[AppleEventHandler alloc] init];
 	[[NSApplication sharedApplication] setDelegate: aeHandler];
 }
 
@@ -46,14 +47,7 @@ void set_up_apple_events(int, char*[]) {
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 	
-	unsigned long len = [file length], sz = len + 1;
-	auto msg = std::shared_ptr<unichar>(new unichar[sz], std::default_delete<unichar[]>());
-	std::fill(msg.get(), msg.get() + sz, 0);
-	[file getCharacters: msg.get() range: (NSRange){0, len}];
-	std::string fileName;
-	std::copy(msg.get(), msg.get() + len, std::inserter(fileName, fileName.begin()));
-	
-	if(!load_party(fileName, univ))
+	if(!load_party(file.fileSystemRepresentation, univ))
 		return FALSE;
 	
 	if(!finished_init) {
diff --git a/src/pcedit/pc.appleevents.mm b/src/pcedit/pc.appleevents.mm
index 43458571..72b4ae4d 100644
--- a/src/pcedit/pc.appleevents.mm
+++ b/src/pcedit/pc.appleevents.mm
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ extern fs::path file_in_mem;
 
 void set_up_apple_events(int argc, char* argv[]); // Suppress "no prototype" warning
 void set_up_apple_events(int, char*[]) {
-	AppleEventHandler* aeHandler = [[AppleEventHandler alloc] init];
+	static AppleEventHandler* aeHandler;
+	aeHandler = [[AppleEventHandler alloc] init];
 	[[NSApplication sharedApplication] setDelegate: aeHandler];
 }
 
@@ -33,13 +34,7 @@ void set_up_apple_events(int, char*[]) {
 -(BOOL)application:(NSApplication*) app openFile:(NSString*) file {
 	(void) app; // Suppress "unused parameter" warning
 	
-	unsigned long len = [file length], sz = len + 1;
-	auto msg = std::shared_ptr<unichar>(new unichar[sz], std::default_delete<unichar[]>());
-	std::fill(msg.get(), msg.get() + sz, 0);
-	[file getCharacters: msg.get() range: (NSRange){0, len}];
-	std::string fileName;
-	std::copy(msg.get(), msg.get() + len, std::inserter(fileName, fileName.begin()));
-	
+	std::string fileName=file.fileSystemRepresentation;
 	if(load_party(fileName, univ)) {
 		file_in_mem = fileName;
 		party_in_scen = !univ.party.scen_name.empty();
diff --git a/src/scenedit/scen.appleevents.mm b/src/scenedit/scen.appleevents.mm
index 23a1a8d5..eebe2c63 100644
--- a/src/scenedit/scen.appleevents.mm
+++ b/src/scenedit/scen.appleevents.mm
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ extern bool change_made, ae_loading;
 
 void set_up_apple_events(int argc, char* argv[]); // Suppress "no prototype" warning
 void set_up_apple_events(int, char*[]) {
-	AppleEventHandler* aeHandler = [[AppleEventHandler alloc] init];
+	static AppleEventHandler* aeHandler;
+	aeHandler = [[AppleEventHandler alloc] init];
 	[[NSApplication sharedApplication] setDelegate: aeHandler];
 }
 
@@ -43,13 +44,8 @@ void set_up_apple_events(int, char*[]) {
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 	
-	unsigned long len = [file length], sz = len + 1;
-	auto msg = std::shared_ptr<unichar>(new unichar[sz], std::default_delete<unichar[]>());
-	std::fill(msg.get(), msg.get() + sz, 0);
-	[file getCharacters: msg.get() range: (NSRange){0, len}];
-	std::string fileName;
-	std::copy(msg.get(), msg.get() + len, std::inserter(fileName, fileName.begin()));
-	
+	std::string fileName=file.fileSystemRepresentation;
+
 	if(load_scenario(fileName, scenario)) {
 		set_current_town(scenario.last_town_edited);
 		cur_out = scenario.last_out_edited;