diff --git a/include/modules.h b/include/modules.h
index 644674157..7eaabc91b 100644
--- a/include/modules.h
+++ b/include/modules.h
@@ -996,22 +996,22 @@ extern ModData *moddata_client_get_raw(Client *client, const char *varname);
 extern int moddata_local_client_set(Client *acptr, const char *varname, const char *value);
 extern const char *moddata_local_client_get(Client *acptr, const char *varname);
 
-extern int LoadPersistentPointerX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, void **var, void (*free_variable)(ModData *m));
+extern void LoadPersistentPointerX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, void **var, void (*free_variable)(ModData *m));
 #define LoadPersistentPointer(modinfo, var, free_variable) LoadPersistentPointerX(modinfo, #var, (void **)&var, free_variable)
 extern void SavePersistentPointerX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, void *var);
 #define SavePersistentPointer(modinfo, var) SavePersistentPointerX(modinfo, #var, var)
 
-extern int LoadPersistentIntX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, int *var);
+extern void LoadPersistentIntX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, int *var);
 #define LoadPersistentInt(modinfo, var) LoadPersistentIntX(modinfo, #var, &var)
 extern void SavePersistentIntX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, int var);
 #define SavePersistentInt(modinfo, var) SavePersistentIntX(modinfo, #var, var)
 
-extern int LoadPersistentLongX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, long *var);
+extern void LoadPersistentLongX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, long *var);
 #define LoadPersistentLong(modinfo, var) LoadPersistentLongX(modinfo, #var, &var)
 extern void SavePersistentLongX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, long var);
 #define SavePersistentLong(modinfo, var) SavePersistentLongX(modinfo, #var, var)
 
-extern int LoadPersistentLongLongX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, long long *var);
+extern void LoadPersistentLongLongX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, long long *var);
 #define LoadPersistentLongLong(modinfo, var) LoadPersistentLongLongX(modinfo, #var, &var)
 extern void SavePersistentLongLongX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, long long var);
 #define SavePersistentLongLong(modinfo, var) SavePersistentLongLongX(modinfo, #var, var)
diff --git a/src/api-moddata.c b/src/api-moddata.c
index aa0767142..31c84c892 100644
--- a/src/api-moddata.c
+++ b/src/api-moddata.c
@@ -285,24 +285,41 @@ void ModDataDel(ModDataInfo *md)
 				break;
 			}
 		}
+		/* Module is unloading, so owner will be gone: */
 		md->owner = NULL;
 	}
 
 	if (loop.rehashing)
+	{
+		/* Since the module is unloaded, these are not safe anymore either: */
+		md->free = NULL;
+		md->serialize = NULL;
+		md->unserialize = NULL;
 		md->unloaded = 1;
-	else
+	} else {
+		/* We need the free function and the like,
+		 * and then completely destroy 'md'.
+		 */
 		unload_moddata_commit(md);
+	}
 }
 
 void unload_all_unused_moddata(void)
 {
-ModDataInfo *md, *md_next;
+	ModDataInfo *md, *md_next;
 
 	for (md = MDInfo; md; md = md_next)
 	{
 		md_next = md->next;
 		if (md->unloaded)
+		{
+			//config_status("UNLOADING: md %s (owner %p, type %d, slot %d)",
+			//	md->name, md->owner, md->type, md->slot);
 			unload_moddata_commit(md);
+		} else {
+			//config_status("loaded: md %s (owner %p, type %d, slot %d)",
+			//	md->name, md->owner, md->type, md->slot);
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index 1ecec29fe..1c7cb4db3 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -11152,7 +11152,7 @@ int rehash_internal(Client *client)
 	unload_all_unused_caps();
 	unload_all_unused_history_backends();
 	unload_all_unused_rpc_handlers();
-	// unload_all_unused_moddata(); -- this will crash
+	unload_all_unused_moddata();
 	clicap_check_for_changes();
 	umodes_check_for_changes();
 	charsys_check_for_changes();
diff --git a/src/modules.c b/src/modules.c
index 6b6ae2d71..20e6f4874 100644
--- a/src/modules.c
+++ b/src/modules.c
@@ -1191,7 +1191,7 @@ EVENT(e_unload_module_delayed)
 	if (i == 1)
 	{
 		unreal_log(ULOG_INFO, "module", "MODULE_UNLOADING_DELAYED", NULL,
-		           "Unloading module $module_name (was delayed earlier)",
+		           "Unloaded module $module_name (was delayed earlier)",
 		           log_data_string("module_name", name));
 	}
 	safe_free(name);
@@ -1364,16 +1364,24 @@ static const char *mod_var_name(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname)
 	return fullname;
 }
 
-int LoadPersistentPointerX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, void **var, void (*free_variable)(ModData *m))
+ModDataInfo *persistent_var_generic(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, void (*free_variable)(ModData *m))
 {
 	ModDataInfo *m;
 	const char *fullname = mod_var_name(modinfo, varshortname);
 
+	if (!modinfo)
+		abort();
+
 	m = findmoddata_byname(fullname, MODDATATYPE_LOCAL_VARIABLE);
 	if (m)
 	{
-		*var = moddata_local_variable(m).ptr;
-		return 1;
+		if (loop.config_status != CONFIG_STATUS_TEST)
+		{
+			/* Claim ownership */
+			m->owner = modinfo->handle;
+			m->unloaded = 0;
+		}
+		return m;
 	} else {
 		ModDataInfo mreq;
 		memset(&mreq, 0, sizeof(mreq));
@@ -1381,114 +1389,57 @@ int LoadPersistentPointerX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, void *
 		mreq.name = strdup(fullname);
 		mreq.free = free_variable;
 		m = ModDataAdd(modinfo->handle, mreq);
-		moddata_local_variable(m).ptr = NULL;
 		safe_free(mreq.name);
-		return 0;
+		memset(&moddata_local_variable(m), 0, sizeof(ModData));
+		return m;
 	}
 }
 
+void LoadPersistentPointerX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, void **var, void (*free_variable)(ModData *m))
+{
+	ModDataInfo *m = persistent_var_generic(modinfo, varshortname, free_variable);
+	*var = moddata_local_variable(m).ptr;
+}
+
+void LoadPersistentIntX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, int *var)
+{
+	ModDataInfo *m = persistent_var_generic(modinfo, varshortname, NULL);
+	*var = moddata_local_variable(m).i;
+}
+
+void LoadPersistentLongX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, long *var)
+{
+	ModDataInfo *m = persistent_var_generic(modinfo, varshortname, NULL);
+	*var = moddata_local_variable(m).l;
+}
+
+void LoadPersistentLongLongX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, long long *var)
+{
+	ModDataInfo *m = persistent_var_generic(modinfo, varshortname, NULL);
+	*var = moddata_local_variable(m).ll;
+}
+
 void SavePersistentPointerX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, void *var)
 {
-	ModDataInfo *m;
-	const char *fullname = mod_var_name(modinfo, varshortname);
-
-	m = findmoddata_byname(fullname, MODDATATYPE_LOCAL_VARIABLE);
+	ModDataInfo *m = persistent_var_generic(modinfo, varshortname, NULL);
 	moddata_local_variable(m).ptr = var;
 }
 
-int LoadPersistentIntX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, int *var)
-{
-	ModDataInfo *m;
-	const char *fullname = mod_var_name(modinfo, varshortname);
-
-	m = findmoddata_byname(fullname, MODDATATYPE_LOCAL_VARIABLE);
-	if (m)
-	{
-		*var = moddata_local_variable(m).i;
-		return 1;
-	} else {
-		ModDataInfo mreq;
-		memset(&mreq, 0, sizeof(mreq));
-		mreq.type = MODDATATYPE_LOCAL_VARIABLE;
-		mreq.name = strdup(fullname);
-		mreq.free = NULL;
-		m = ModDataAdd(modinfo->handle, mreq);
-		moddata_local_variable(m).i = 0;
-		safe_free(mreq.name);
-		return 0;
-	}
-}
-
 void SavePersistentIntX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, int var)
 {
-	ModDataInfo *m;
-	const char *fullname = mod_var_name(modinfo, varshortname);
-
-	m = findmoddata_byname(fullname, MODDATATYPE_LOCAL_VARIABLE);
+	ModDataInfo *m = persistent_var_generic(modinfo, varshortname, NULL);
 	moddata_local_variable(m).i = var;
 }
 
-int LoadPersistentLongX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, long *var)
-{
-	ModDataInfo *m;
-	const char *fullname = mod_var_name(modinfo, varshortname);
-
-	m = findmoddata_byname(fullname, MODDATATYPE_LOCAL_VARIABLE);
-	if (m)
-	{
-		*var = moddata_local_variable(m).l;
-		return 1;
-	} else {
-		ModDataInfo mreq;
-		memset(&mreq, 0, sizeof(mreq));
-		mreq.type = MODDATATYPE_LOCAL_VARIABLE;
-		mreq.name = strdup(fullname);
-		mreq.free = NULL;
-		m = ModDataAdd(modinfo->handle, mreq);
-		moddata_local_variable(m).l = 0;
-		safe_free(mreq.name);
-		return 0;
-	}
-}
-
 void SavePersistentLongX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, long var)
 {
-	ModDataInfo *m;
-	const char *fullname = mod_var_name(modinfo, varshortname);
-
-	m = findmoddata_byname(fullname, MODDATATYPE_LOCAL_VARIABLE);
+	ModDataInfo *m = persistent_var_generic(modinfo, varshortname, NULL);
 	moddata_local_variable(m).l = var;
 }
 
-int LoadPersistentLongLongX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, long long *var)
-{
-	ModDataInfo *m;
-	const char *fullname = mod_var_name(modinfo, varshortname);
-
-	m = findmoddata_byname(fullname, MODDATATYPE_LOCAL_VARIABLE);
-	if (m)
-	{
-		*var = moddata_local_variable(m).ll;
-		return 1;
-	} else {
-		ModDataInfo mreq;
-		memset(&mreq, 0, sizeof(mreq));
-		mreq.type = MODDATATYPE_LOCAL_VARIABLE;
-		mreq.name = strdup(fullname);
-		mreq.free = NULL;
-		m = ModDataAdd(modinfo->handle, mreq);
-		moddata_local_variable(m).ll = 0;
-		safe_free(mreq.name);
-		return 0;
-	}
-}
-
 void SavePersistentLongLongX(ModuleInfo *modinfo, const char *varshortname, long long var)
 {
-	ModDataInfo *m;
-	const char *fullname = mod_var_name(modinfo, varshortname);
-
-	m = findmoddata_byname(fullname, MODDATATYPE_LOCAL_VARIABLE);
+	ModDataInfo *m = persistent_var_generic(modinfo, varshortname, NULL);
 	moddata_local_variable(m).ll = var;
 }