diff --git a/src/xenia/emulator.cc b/src/xenia/emulator.cc
index fc054e6fc..6eedbf4a1 100644
--- a/src/xenia/emulator.cc
+++ b/src/xenia/emulator.cc
@@ -32,16 +32,19 @@ using namespace xe::kernel;
 using namespace xe::kernel::fs;
 using namespace xe::ui;
 
-
-Emulator::Emulator(const xechar_t* command_line) :
-    main_window_(0),
-    memory_(0),
-    processor_(0),
-    audio_system_(0), graphics_system_(0), input_system_(0),
-    export_resolver_(0), file_system_(0),
-    kernel_state_(0), xam_(0), xboxkrnl_(0) {
-  XEIGNORE(xestrcpy(command_line_, XECOUNT(command_line_), command_line));
-}
+Emulator::Emulator(const std::wstring& command_line)
+    : command_line_(command_line),
+      main_window_(0),
+      memory_(0),
+      processor_(0),
+      audio_system_(0),
+      graphics_system_(0),
+      input_system_(0),
+      export_resolver_(0),
+      file_system_(0),
+      kernel_state_(0),
+      xam_(0),
+      xboxkrnl_(0) {}
 
 Emulator::~Emulator() {
   // Note that we delete things in the reverse order they were initialized.
diff --git a/src/xenia/emulator.h b/src/xenia/emulator.h
index 23d24bf37..0c05d3d0b 100644
--- a/src/xenia/emulator.h
+++ b/src/xenia/emulator.h
@@ -35,10 +35,10 @@ namespace xe {
 
 class Emulator {
  public:
-  Emulator(const xechar_t* command_line);
+  Emulator(const std::wstring& command_line);
   ~Emulator();
 
-  const xechar_t* command_line() const { return command_line_; }
+  const std::wstring& command_line() const { return command_line_; }
 
   ui::Window* main_window() const { return main_window_; }
   void set_main_window(ui::Window* window);
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class Emulator {
   X_STATUS CompleteLaunch(const std::wstring& path,
                          const std::string& module_path);
 
-  xechar_t                command_line_[poly::max_path];
+  std::wstring            command_line_;
 
   ui::Window*             main_window_;
 
diff --git a/src/xenia/gpu/d3d11/d3d11_geometry_shader.cc b/src/xenia/gpu/d3d11/d3d11_geometry_shader.cc
index 071395b7e..0ab44c282 100644
--- a/src/xenia/gpu/d3d11/d3d11_geometry_shader.cc
+++ b/src/xenia/gpu/d3d11/d3d11_geometry_shader.cc
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ ID3D10Blob* D3D11GeometryShader::Compile(const char* shader_source) {
   if (FLAGS_dump_shaders.size()) {
     base_path = FLAGS_dump_shaders.c_str();
   }
-  uint64_t hash = xe_hash64(shader_source, xestrlena(shader_source)); // ?
+  uint64_t hash = xe_hash64(shader_source, strlen(shader_source)); // ?
   char file_name[poly::max_path];
   xesnprintfa(file_name, XECOUNT(file_name),
       "%s/gen_%.16llX.gs",
diff --git a/src/xenia/gpu/d3d11/d3d11_profiler_display.cc b/src/xenia/gpu/d3d11/d3d11_profiler_display.cc
index 8bcefd0e7..bf9774730 100644
--- a/src/xenia/gpu/d3d11/d3d11_profiler_display.cc
+++ b/src/xenia/gpu/d3d11/d3d11_profiler_display.cc
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ bool D3D11ProfilerDisplay::SetupShaders() {
   ID3DBlob* vs_code_blob = nullptr;
   ID3DBlob* vs_errors = nullptr;
   hr = D3DCompile(
-      shader_code, xestrlena(shader_code),
+      shader_code, strlen(shader_code),
       "D3D11ProfilerDisplay.vs",
       nullptr,
       nullptr,
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ bool D3D11ProfilerDisplay::SetupShaders() {
   ID3DBlob* ps_code_blob = nullptr;
   ID3DBlob* ps_errors = nullptr;
   hr = D3DCompile(
-      shader_code, xestrlena(shader_code),
+      shader_code, strlen(shader_code),
       "D3D11ProfilerDisplay.ps",
       nullptr,
       nullptr,
diff --git a/src/xenia/gpu/d3d11/d3d11_shader_resource.cc b/src/xenia/gpu/d3d11/d3d11_shader_resource.cc
index 7fc40905f..f32e3f714 100644
--- a/src/xenia/gpu/d3d11/d3d11_shader_resource.cc
+++ b/src/xenia/gpu/d3d11/d3d11_shader_resource.cc
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ ID3D10Blob* D3D11ShaderCompile(XE_GPU_SHADER_TYPE type,
   if (FLAGS_dump_shaders.size()) {
     base_path = FLAGS_dump_shaders.c_str();
   }
-  size_t hash = xe_hash64(disasm_source, xestrlena(disasm_source)); // ?
+  size_t hash = xe_hash64(disasm_source, strlen(disasm_source)); // ?
   char file_name[poly::max_path];
   xesnprintfa(file_name, XECOUNT(file_name),
       "%s/gen_%.16llX.%s",
diff --git a/src/xenia/kernel/fs/devices/disc_image_entry.cc b/src/xenia/kernel/fs/devices/disc_image_entry.cc
index a11f98088..4bde7943f 100644
--- a/src/xenia/kernel/fs/devices/disc_image_entry.cc
+++ b/src/xenia/kernel/fs/devices/disc_image_entry.cc
@@ -87,10 +87,9 @@ X_STATUS DiscImageEntry::QueryDirectory(
   auto end = (uint8_t*)out_info + length;
 
   auto entry = *gdfx_entry_iterator_;
-  auto entry_name = entry->name.c_str();
-  size_t entry_name_length = xestrlena(entry_name);
+  auto entry_name = entry->name;
 
-  if (((uint8_t*)&out_info->file_name[0]) + entry_name_length > end) {
+  if (((uint8_t*)&out_info->file_name[0]) + entry_name.size() > end) {
     gdfx_entry_iterator_ = gdfx_entry_->children.end();
     return X_STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL;
   }
@@ -104,8 +103,8 @@ X_STATUS DiscImageEntry::QueryDirectory(
   out_info->end_of_file       = entry->size;
   out_info->allocation_size   = 2048;
   out_info->attributes        = (X_FILE_ATTRIBUTES)entry->attributes;
-  out_info->file_name_length  = (uint32_t)entry_name_length;
-  memcpy(out_info->file_name, entry_name, entry_name_length);
+  out_info->file_name_length  = static_cast<uint32_t>(entry_name.size());
+  memcpy(out_info->file_name, entry_name.c_str(), entry_name.size());
 
   return X_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/src/xenia/kernel/fs/devices/stfs_container_entry.cc b/src/xenia/kernel/fs/devices/stfs_container_entry.cc
index 318b11bf7..1af716c67 100644
--- a/src/xenia/kernel/fs/devices/stfs_container_entry.cc
+++ b/src/xenia/kernel/fs/devices/stfs_container_entry.cc
@@ -66,10 +66,9 @@ X_STATUS STFSContainerEntry::QueryDirectory(
   auto end = (uint8_t*)out_info + length;
 
   auto entry = *stfs_entry_iterator_;
-  auto entry_name = entry->name.c_str();
-  size_t entry_name_length = xestrlena(entry_name);
+  auto entry_name = entry->name;
 
-  if (((uint8_t*)&out_info->file_name[0]) + entry_name_length > end) {
+  if (((uint8_t*)&out_info->file_name[0]) + entry_name.size() > end) {
     stfs_entry_iterator_ = stfs_entry_->children.end();
     return X_STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL;
   }
@@ -82,8 +81,8 @@ X_STATUS STFSContainerEntry::QueryDirectory(
   out_info->end_of_file      = entry->size;
   out_info->allocation_size  = 4096;
   out_info->attributes       = entry->attributes;
-  out_info->file_name_length = (uint32_t)entry_name_length;
-  memcpy(out_info->file_name, entry_name, entry_name_length);
+  out_info->file_name_length = static_cast<uint32_t>(entry_name.size());
+  memcpy(out_info->file_name, entry_name.c_str(), entry_name.size());
 
   return X_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/src/xenia/kernel/xboxkrnl_rtl.cc b/src/xenia/kernel/xboxkrnl_rtl.cc
index b08b0bcf7..d2f67949a 100644
--- a/src/xenia/kernel/xboxkrnl_rtl.cc
+++ b/src/xenia/kernel/xboxkrnl_rtl.cc
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ SHIM_CALL RtlInitAnsiString_shim(
 
   if (source_ptr != 0) {
     const char* source = (char*)SHIM_MEM_ADDR(source_ptr);
-    uint16_t length = (uint16_t)xestrlena(source);
+    uint16_t length = (uint16_t)strlen(source);
     SHIM_SET_MEM_16(destination_ptr + 0, length);
     SHIM_SET_MEM_16(destination_ptr + 2, length + 1);
   } else {
@@ -211,8 +211,10 @@ SHIM_CALL RtlInitUnicodeString_shim(
   // _In_opt_  PCWSTR SourceString
 
   if (source.size()) {
-    SHIM_SET_MEM_16(destination_ptr + 0, source.size() * 2);
-    SHIM_SET_MEM_16(destination_ptr + 2, (source.size() + 1) * 2);
+    SHIM_SET_MEM_16(destination_ptr + 0,
+                    static_cast<uint16_t>(source.size() * 2));
+    SHIM_SET_MEM_16(destination_ptr + 2,
+                    static_cast<uint16_t>((source.size() + 1) * 2));
     SHIM_SET_MEM_32(destination_ptr + 4, source_ptr);
   } else {
     SHIM_SET_MEM_16(destination_ptr + 0, 0);
diff --git a/src/xenia/string.h b/src/xenia/string.h
index 076fded47..2a166ad78 100644
--- a/src/xenia/string.h
+++ b/src/xenia/string.h
@@ -18,16 +18,12 @@
 #if !XE_LIKE_WIN32
 int strncpy_s(char* dest, size_t destLength, const char* source, size_t count);
 #define strcpy_s(dest, destLength, source)              !(strcpy(dest, source) == dest + (destLength*0))
-#define strcat_s(dest, destLength, source)              !(strcat(dest, source) == dest + (destLength*0))
 #define _snprintf_s(dest, destLength, x, format, ...)   snprintf(dest, destLength, format, ##__VA_ARGS__)
 #endif  // !WIN32
 
-#define xestrcpyw(dest, destLength, source)             (wcscpy_s(dest, destLength, source) == 0)
 #define xesnprintfw(buffer, bufferCount, format, ...)   _snwprintf_s(buffer, bufferCount, (bufferCount) ? (bufferCount - 1) : 0, format, ##__VA_ARGS__)
 
-#define xestrlena                                       strlen
 #define xestrcpya(dest, destLength, source)             (strcpy_s(dest, destLength, source) == 0)
-#define xestrncpya(dest, destLength, source, count)     (strncpy_s(dest, destLength, source, count) == 0)
 #define xesnprintfa(buffer, bufferCount, format, ...)   _snprintf_s(buffer, bufferCount, bufferCount, format, ##__VA_ARGS__)
 #define xevsnprintfa(buffer, bufferCount, format, args) vsnprintf(buffer, bufferCount, format, args)
 
@@ -36,18 +32,14 @@ int strncpy_s(char* dest, size_t destLength, const char* source, size_t count);
 typedef wchar_t xechar_t;
 
 // xestrcpy fs + module
-// xestrncpya one use in xbox.h
 // xesnprintf many uses - only remove some?
 
-#define xestrcpy            xestrcpyw
 #define xesnprintf          xesnprintfw
 
 #else
 
 typedef char xechar_t;
-#define XE_CHAR             1
 
-#define xestrcpy            xestrcpya
 #define xesnprintf          xesnprintfa
 
 #endif  // WIN32
diff --git a/src/xenia/xbox.h b/src/xenia/xbox.h
index b3ca8dd24..8bb0c600c 100644
--- a/src/xenia/xbox.h
+++ b/src/xenia/xbox.h
@@ -272,8 +272,8 @@ public:
     if (buffer == NULL || length == 0) {
       return NULL;
     }
-    auto copy = (char*)xe_calloc(length+1);
-    xestrncpya(copy, length+1, buffer, length);
+    auto copy = (char*)xe_calloc(length + 1);
+    std::strncpy(copy, buffer, length);
     return copy;
   }
 };