diff --git a/driver.c b/driver.c
index fa5992a450..989da59127 100644
--- a/driver.c
+++ b/driver.c
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ bool driver_find_next(const char *label, char *s, size_t len)
 {
    int i = driver_find_index(label, s);
 
-   if (i >= 0 && string_is_not_equal_fast(s, "null", 4))
+   if (i >= 0 && string_is_not_equal(s, "null"))
    {
       find_driver_nonempty(label, i + 1, s, len);
       return true;
diff --git a/input/drivers/sdl_input.c b/input/drivers/sdl_input.c
index 707e436c54..ead5a79903 100644
--- a/input/drivers/sdl_input.c
+++ b/input/drivers/sdl_input.c
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ static void sdl_grab_mouse(void *data, bool state)
       SDL_Window *w;
    };
 
-   if (string_is_not_equal_fast(video_driver_get_ident(), "sdl2", 4))
+   if (string_is_not_equal(video_driver_get_ident(), "sdl2"))
       return;
 
    /* First member of sdl2_video_t is the window */
diff --git a/intl/msg_hash_de.c b/intl/msg_hash_de.c
index 594db1189c..7b2237c38f 100644
--- a/intl/msg_hash_de.c
+++ b/intl/msg_hash_de.c
@@ -2078,7 +2078,7 @@ const char *msg_hash_to_str_de(enum msg_hash_enums msg)
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
    const char *ret = menu_hash_to_str_de_label_enum(msg);
 
-   if (ret && (string_is_not_equal_fast(ret, "null", 4)))
+   if (ret && (string_is_not_equal(ret, "null")))
       return ret;
 #endif
 
diff --git a/intl/msg_hash_ko.c b/intl/msg_hash_ko.c
index 5ccf9a6c4b..cbb7047ba2 100644
--- a/intl/msg_hash_ko.c
+++ b/intl/msg_hash_ko.c
@@ -1999,7 +1999,7 @@ const char *msg_hash_to_str_ko(enum msg_hash_enums msg) {
 #ifdef HAVE_MENU
     const char *ret = menu_hash_to_str_ko_label_enum(msg);
 
-    if (ret && (string_is_not_equal_fast(ret, "null", 4)))
+    if (ret && (string_is_not_equal(ret, "null")))
        return ret;
 #endif
 
diff --git a/menu/drivers/xmb.c b/menu/drivers/xmb.c
index 8d69031827..71fa92e811 100755
--- a/menu/drivers/xmb.c
+++ b/menu/drivers/xmb.c
@@ -2706,7 +2706,7 @@ static void xmb_render(void *data, bool is_idle)
 
 static bool xmb_shader_pipeline_active(video_frame_info_t *video_info)
 {
-   if (string_is_not_equal_fast(menu_driver_ident(), "xmb", 3))
+   if (string_is_not_equal(menu_driver_ident(), "xmb"))
       return false;
    if (video_info->menu_shader_pipeline == XMB_SHADER_PIPELINE_WALLPAPER)
       return false;
diff --git a/menu/menu_displaylist.c b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
index b308e8e180..ace9d542f4 100644
--- a/menu/menu_displaylist.c
+++ b/menu/menu_displaylist.c
@@ -6035,7 +6035,7 @@ bool menu_displaylist_ctl(enum menu_displaylist_ctl_state type, void *data)
                MENU_ENUM_LABEL_LOGGING_SETTINGS,   PARSE_ACTION, false);
          ret = menu_displaylist_parse_settings_enum(menu, info,
                MENU_ENUM_LABEL_FRAME_THROTTLE_SETTINGS,   PARSE_ACTION, false);
-         if (string_is_not_equal_fast(settings->arrays.record_driver, "null", 4))
+         if (string_is_not_equal(settings->arrays.record_driver, "null"))
             ret = menu_displaylist_parse_settings_enum(menu, info,
                   MENU_ENUM_LABEL_RECORDING_SETTINGS,   PARSE_ACTION, false);
          ret = menu_displaylist_parse_settings_enum(menu, info,
diff --git a/menu/menu_setting.c b/menu/menu_setting.c
index 3ab2d75b4a..358dcaee59 100644
--- a/menu/menu_setting.c
+++ b/menu/menu_setting.c
@@ -2366,7 +2366,7 @@ static bool setting_append_list(
                   parent_group);
          }
 
-         if (string_is_not_equal_fast(settings->arrays.menu_driver, "xmb", 3))
+         if (string_is_not_equal(settings->arrays.menu_driver, "xmb"))
          {
             CONFIG_ACTION(
                   list, list_info,
@@ -2702,7 +2702,7 @@ static bool setting_append_list(
                parent_group);
          settings_data_list_current_add_flags(list, list_info, SD_FLAG_ADVANCED);
 
-         if (string_is_not_equal_fast(settings->arrays.wifi_driver, "null", 4))
+         if (string_is_not_equal(settings->arrays.wifi_driver, "null"))
          {
             CONFIG_ACTION(
                   list, list_info,
@@ -5177,7 +5177,7 @@ static bool setting_append_list(
 
          START_SUB_GROUP(list, list_info, "State", &group_info, &subgroup_info, parent_group);
 
-         if (string_is_not_equal_fast(settings->arrays.menu_driver, "rgui", 4))
+         if (string_is_not_equal(settings->arrays.menu_driver, "rgui"))
          {
             CONFIG_PATH(
                   list, list_info,
@@ -6395,7 +6395,7 @@ static bool setting_append_list(
                general_read_handler,
                SD_FLAG_NONE);
 
-         if (string_is_not_equal_fast(ui_companion_driver_get_ident(), "null", 4))
+         if (string_is_not_equal(ui_companion_driver_get_ident(), "null"))
          {
             CONFIG_BOOL(
                   list, list_info,
@@ -7490,7 +7490,7 @@ static bool setting_append_list(
                general_read_handler);
          (*list)[list_info->index - 1].action_start = directory_action_start_generic;
 
-         if (string_is_not_equal_fast(settings->arrays.record_driver, "null", 4))
+         if (string_is_not_equal(settings->arrays.record_driver, "null"))
          {
             CONFIG_DIR(
                   list, list_info,
@@ -7656,7 +7656,7 @@ static bool setting_append_list(
          START_SUB_GROUP(list, list_info, "State",
                &group_info, &subgroup_info, parent_group);
 
-         if (string_is_not_equal_fast(settings->arrays.camera_driver, "null", 4))
+         if (string_is_not_equal(settings->arrays.camera_driver, "null"))
          {
             CONFIG_BOOL(
                   list, list_info,
@@ -7674,7 +7674,7 @@ static bool setting_append_list(
                   SD_FLAG_NONE);
          }
 
-         if (string_is_not_equal_fast(settings->arrays.location_driver, "null", 4))
+         if (string_is_not_equal(settings->arrays.location_driver, "null"))
          {
             CONFIG_BOOL(
                   list, list_info,
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 9423b8648f..59a23c07a3 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -877,7 +877,7 @@ static void retroarch_parse_input(int argc, char *argv[])
                rarch_is_sram_load_disabled = true;
             else if (string_is_equal(optarg, "load-nosave"))
                rarch_is_sram_save_disabled = true;
-            else if (string_is_not_equal_fast(optarg, "load-save", 9))
+            else if (string_is_not_equal(optarg, "load-save"))
             {
                RARCH_ERR("Invalid argument in --sram-mode.\n");
                retroarch_print_help(argv[0]);
diff --git a/tasks/task_netplay_find_content.c b/tasks/task_netplay_find_content.c
index 42a2d6308e..2a815eea8c 100644
--- a/tasks/task_netplay_find_content.c
+++ b/tasks/task_netplay_find_content.c
@@ -144,11 +144,11 @@ static void task_netplay_crc_scan_handler(retro_task_t *task)
    }
 
    if (state->lpl_list->size == 0 &&
-      string_is_not_equal_fast(state->content_path, "N/A", 3))
+      string_is_not_equal(state->content_path, "N/A"))
       goto no_playlists;
 
    /* Core requires content */
-   if (string_is_not_equal_fast(state->content_path, "N/A", 3))
+   if (string_is_not_equal(state->content_path, "N/A"))
    {
       /* CRC matching */
       if (!string_is_equal(state->content_crc, "00000000|crc"))
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ bool task_push_netplay_crc_scan(uint32_t crc, char* name,
       {
          strlcpy(state->core_path, info->list[i].path, sizeof(state->core_path));
 
-         if (string_is_not_equal_fast(state->content_path, "N/A", 3) &&
+         if (string_is_not_equal(state->content_path, "N/A") &&
             !string_is_empty(info->list[i].supported_extensions))
          {
             strlcpy(state->core_extensions,