diff --git a/src/c_bind.h b/src/c_bind.h
index 394d313c9..07e657b46 100644
--- a/src/c_bind.h
+++ b/src/c_bind.h
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ public:
 
 	const char *GetBind(unsigned int index) const
 	{
-		if (index < NUM_KEYS) return Binds[index];
+		if (index < NUM_KEYS) return Binds[index].GetChars();
 		else return NULL;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/c_dispatch.cpp b/src/c_dispatch.cpp
index 8ddd022e9..bbce1ee77 100644
--- a/src/c_dispatch.cpp
+++ b/src/c_dispatch.cpp
@@ -1203,11 +1203,11 @@ static int DumpHash (FConsoleCommand **table, bool aliases, const char *pattern=
 
 void FConsoleAlias::PrintAlias ()
 {
-	if (m_Command[0])
+	if (m_Command[0].IsNotEmpty())
 	{
 		Printf (TEXTCOLOR_YELLOW "%s : %s\n", m_Name, m_Command[0].GetChars());
 	}
-	if (m_Command[1])
+	if (m_Command[1].IsNotEmpty())
 	{
 		Printf (TEXTCOLOR_ORANGE "%s : %s\n", m_Name, m_Command[1].GetChars());
 	}
diff --git a/src/d_netinfo.cpp b/src/d_netinfo.cpp
index 8b4b06209..68dafa5ea 100644
--- a/src/d_netinfo.cpp
+++ b/src/d_netinfo.cpp
@@ -925,7 +925,7 @@ void WriteUserInfo(FArchive &arc, userinfo_t &info)
 
 		case NAME_PlayerClass:
 			i = info.GetPlayerClassNum();
-			arc.WriteString(i == -1 ? "Random" : PlayerClasses[i].Type->DisplayName);
+			arc.WriteString(i == -1 ? "Random" : PlayerClasses[i].Type->DisplayName.GetChars());
 			break;
 
 		default:
diff --git a/src/g_shared/shared_sbar.cpp b/src/g_shared/shared_sbar.cpp
index ebe4879ac..4d557f62b 100644
--- a/src/g_shared/shared_sbar.cpp
+++ b/src/g_shared/shared_sbar.cpp
@@ -1411,7 +1411,7 @@ void DBaseStatusBar::DrawLog ()
 {
 	int hudwidth, hudheight;
 
-	if (CPlayer->LogText && *CPlayer->LogText)
+	if (CPlayer->LogText.IsNotEmpty())
 	{
 		// This uses the same scaling as regular HUD messages
 		switch (con_scaletext)
diff --git a/src/menu/optionmenuitems.h b/src/menu/optionmenuitems.h
index 29b860af2..796e88c17 100644
--- a/src/menu/optionmenuitems.h
+++ b/src/menu/optionmenuitems.h
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ public:
 
 	int Draw(FOptionMenuDescriptor *desc, int y, int indent, bool selected)
 	{
-		const char *txt = mCurrent? (const char*)mAltText : mLabel;
+		const char *txt = mCurrent? mAltText.GetChars() : mLabel;
 		if (*txt == '$') txt = GStrings(txt + 1);
 		int w = SmallFont->StringWidth(txt) * CleanXfac_1;
 		int x = (screen->GetWidth() - w) / 2;
diff --git a/src/p_user.cpp b/src/p_user.cpp
index a680e5615..9f5a37293 100644
--- a/src/p_user.cpp
+++ b/src/p_user.cpp
@@ -1189,7 +1189,7 @@ const char *APlayerPawn::GetSoundClass() const
 
 	// [GRB]
 	PClassPlayerPawn *pclass = GetClass();
-	return pclass->SoundClass.IsNotEmpty() ? pclass->SoundClass : "player";
+	return pclass->SoundClass.IsNotEmpty() ? pclass->SoundClass.GetChars() : "player";
 }
 
 //===========================================================================
diff --git a/src/r_defs.h b/src/r_defs.h
index 4f0b5ed01..c5d759351 100644
--- a/src/r_defs.h
+++ b/src/r_defs.h
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ struct FUDMFKey
 	FUDMFKey& operator =(const FString &val)
 	{
 		Type = UDMF_String;
-		IntVal = strtol(val, NULL, 0);
-		FloatVal = strtod(val, NULL);
+		IntVal = strtol(val.GetChars(), NULL, 0);
+		FloatVal = strtod(val.GetChars(), NULL);
 		StringVal = val;
 		return *this;
 	}
diff --git a/src/s_sound.cpp b/src/s_sound.cpp
index a2d69fbd5..4c60f62a3 100644
--- a/src/s_sound.cpp
+++ b/src/s_sound.cpp
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ void S_Start ()
 			// Parse the global SNDINFO
 			S_ParseSndInfo(true);
 		
-			if (*LocalSndInfo)
+			if (LocalSndInfo.IsNotEmpty())
 			{
 				// Now parse the local SNDINFO
 				int j = Wads.CheckNumForFullName(LocalSndInfo, true);
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ void S_Start ()
 
 		if (parse_ss)
 		{
-			S_ParseSndSeq(*LocalSndSeq? Wads.CheckNumForFullName(LocalSndSeq, true) : -1);
+			S_ParseSndSeq(LocalSndSeq.IsNotEmpty()? Wads.CheckNumForFullName(LocalSndSeq, true) : -1);
 		}
 		
 		LastLocalSndInfo = LocalSndInfo;
@@ -2553,7 +2553,7 @@ int S_GetMusic (char **name)
 {
 	int order;
 
-	if (mus_playing.name)
+	if (mus_playing.name.IsNotEmpty())
 	{
 		*name = copystring (mus_playing.name);
 		order = mus_playing.baseorder;
diff --git a/src/s_sound.h b/src/s_sound.h
index a72f3be0c..edaabb60d 100644
--- a/src/s_sound.h
+++ b/src/s_sound.h
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ public:
 	}
 	FSoundID(const FString &name)
 	{
-		ID = S_FindSound(name);
+		ID = S_FindSound(name.GetChars());
 	}
 	FSoundID(const FSoundID &other)
 	{
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ public:
 	}
 	FSoundID &operator=(const FString &name)
 	{
-		ID = S_FindSound(name);
+		ID = S_FindSound(name.GetChars());
 		return *this;
 	}
 	operator int() const
diff --git a/src/zstring.h b/src/zstring.h
index 90c80e752..5b0c375e3 100644
--- a/src/zstring.h
+++ b/src/zstring.h
@@ -343,16 +343,16 @@ namespace StringFormat
 
 // FName inline implementations that take FString parameters
 
-inline FName::FName(const FString &text) { Index = NameData.FindName (text, text.Len(), false); }
-inline FName::FName(const FString &text, bool noCreate) { Index = NameData.FindName (text, text.Len(), noCreate); }
-inline FName &FName::operator = (const FString &text) { Index = NameData.FindName (text, text.Len(), false); return *this; }
-inline FName &FNameNoInit::operator = (const FString &text) { Index = NameData.FindName (text, text.Len(), false); return *this; }
+inline FName::FName(const FString &text) { Index = NameData.FindName (text.GetChars(), text.Len(), false); }
+inline FName::FName(const FString &text, bool noCreate) { Index = NameData.FindName (text.GetChars(), text.Len(), noCreate); }
+inline FName &FName::operator = (const FString &text) { Index = NameData.FindName (text.GetChars(), text.Len(), false); return *this; }
+inline FName &FNameNoInit::operator = (const FString &text) { Index = NameData.FindName (text.GetChars(), text.Len(), false); return *this; }
 
 // Hash FStrings on their contents. (used by TMap)
 extern unsigned int SuperFastHash (const char *data, size_t len);
 template<> struct THashTraits<FString>
 {
-	hash_t Hash(const FString &key) { return (hash_t)SuperFastHash(key, key.Len()); }
+	hash_t Hash(const FString &key) { return (hash_t)SuperFastHash(key.GetChars(), key.Len()); }
 	// Compares two keys, returning zero if they are the same.
 	int Compare(const FString &left, const FString &right) { return left.Compare(right); }
 };