diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/const.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/const.go
index e40c23b8ef..510b1cd15d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/const.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/const.go
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ func evconst(n *Node) {
 				var strs []string
 				i2 := i1
 				for i2 < len(s) && Isconst(s[i2], CTSTR) {
-					strs = append(strs, s[i2].Val().U.(string))
+					strs = append(strs, strlit(s[i2]))
 					i2++
 				}
 
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ func evconst(n *Node) {
 		switch nl.Type.Etype {
 		case TSTRING:
 			if Isconst(nl, CTSTR) {
-				setintconst(n, int64(len(nl.Val().U.(string))))
+				setintconst(n, int64(len(strlit(nl))))
 			}
 		case TARRAY:
 			if !hascallchan(nl) {
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/noder.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/noder.go
index a60b854b2c..6bbabb45dd 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/noder.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/noder.go
@@ -762,7 +762,7 @@ func (p *noder) sum(x syntax.Expr) *Node {
 	n := p.expr(x)
 	if Isconst(n, CTSTR) && n.Sym == nil {
 		nstr = n
-		chunks = append(chunks, nstr.Val().U.(string))
+		chunks = append(chunks, strlit(nstr))
 	}
 
 	for i := len(adds) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
@@ -772,12 +772,12 @@ func (p *noder) sum(x syntax.Expr) *Node {
 		if Isconst(r, CTSTR) && r.Sym == nil {
 			if nstr != nil {
 				// Collapse r into nstr instead of adding to n.
-				chunks = append(chunks, r.Val().U.(string))
+				chunks = append(chunks, strlit(r))
 				continue
 			}
 
 			nstr = r
-			chunks = append(chunks, nstr.Val().U.(string))
+			chunks = append(chunks, strlit(nstr))
 		} else {
 			if len(chunks) > 1 {
 				nstr.SetVal(Val{U: strings.Join(chunks, "")})
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/order.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/order.go
index 0ea43f114e..ee04b69a68 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/order.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/order.go
@@ -1017,7 +1017,7 @@ func (o *Order) expr(n, lhs *Node) *Node {
 		haslit := false
 		for _, n1 := range n.List.Slice() {
 			hasbyte = hasbyte || n1.Op == OBYTES2STR
-			haslit = haslit || n1.Op == OLITERAL && len(n1.Val().U.(string)) != 0
+			haslit = haslit || n1.Op == OLITERAL && len(strlit(n1)) != 0
 		}
 
 		if haslit && hasbyte {
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/sinit.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/sinit.go
index ae8e79d854..ae16d41b1c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/sinit.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/sinit.go
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ func (s *InitSchedule) staticassign(l *Node, r *Node) bool {
 
 	case OSTR2BYTES:
 		if l.Class() == PEXTERN && r.Left.Op == OLITERAL {
-			sval := r.Left.Val().U.(string)
+			sval := strlit(r.Left)
 			slicebytes(l, sval, len(sval))
 			return true
 		}
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go
index 97d9b0f912..7b0c7e5c43 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/ssa.go
@@ -2336,7 +2336,7 @@ func (s *state) expr(n *Node) *ssa.Value {
 				// Replace "abc"[1] with 'b'.
 				// Delayed until now because "abc"[1] is not an ideal constant.
 				// See test/fixedbugs/issue11370.go.
-				return s.newValue0I(ssa.OpConst8, types.Types[TUINT8], int64(int8(n.Left.Val().U.(string)[n.Right.Int64()])))
+				return s.newValue0I(ssa.OpConst8, types.Types[TUINT8], int64(int8(strlit(n.Left)[n.Right.Int64()])))
 			}
 			a := s.expr(n.Left)
 			i := s.expr(n.Right)
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
index e725c6f363..050a74b1e6 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/typecheck.go
@@ -1043,8 +1043,8 @@ func typecheck1(n *Node, top int) (res *Node) {
 					yyerror("invalid %s index %v (index must be non-negative)", why, n.Right)
 				} else if t.IsArray() && x >= t.NumElem() {
 					yyerror("invalid array index %v (out of bounds for %d-element array)", n.Right, t.NumElem())
-				} else if Isconst(n.Left, CTSTR) && x >= int64(len(n.Left.Val().U.(string))) {
-					yyerror("invalid string index %v (out of bounds for %d-byte string)", n.Right, len(n.Left.Val().U.(string)))
+				} else if Isconst(n.Left, CTSTR) && x >= int64(len(strlit(n.Left))) {
+					yyerror("invalid string index %v (out of bounds for %d-byte string)", n.Right, len(strlit(n.Left)))
 				} else if n.Right.Val().U.(*Mpint).Cmp(maxintval[TINT]) > 0 {
 					yyerror("invalid %s index %v (index too large)", why, n.Right)
 				}
@@ -2148,8 +2148,8 @@ func checksliceindex(l *Node, r *Node, tp *types.Type) bool {
 		} else if tp != nil && tp.NumElem() >= 0 && r.Int64() > tp.NumElem() {
 			yyerror("invalid slice index %v (out of bounds for %d-element array)", r, tp.NumElem())
 			return false
-		} else if Isconst(l, CTSTR) && r.Int64() > int64(len(l.Val().U.(string))) {
-			yyerror("invalid slice index %v (out of bounds for %d-byte string)", r, len(l.Val().U.(string)))
+		} else if Isconst(l, CTSTR) && r.Int64() > int64(len(strlit(l))) {
+			yyerror("invalid slice index %v (out of bounds for %d-byte string)", r, len(strlit(l)))
 			return false
 		} else if r.Val().U.(*Mpint).Cmp(maxintval[TINT]) > 0 {
 			yyerror("invalid slice index %v (index too large)", r)
@@ -3409,7 +3409,7 @@ func stringtoruneslit(n *Node) *Node {
 	}
 
 	var l []*Node
-	s := n.Left.Val().U.(string)
+	s := strlit(n.Left)
 	i := 0
 	for _, r := range s {
 		l = append(l, nod(OKEY, nodintconst(int64(i)), nodintconst(int64(r))))
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go
index cb49e0f7ce..d2036b6e32 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/walk.go
@@ -1054,7 +1054,7 @@ opswitch:
 				yyerror("index out of bounds")
 			}
 		} else if Isconst(n.Left, CTSTR) {
-			n.SetBounded(bounded(r, int64(len(n.Left.Val().U.(string)))))
+			n.SetBounded(bounded(r, int64(len(strlit(n.Left)))))
 			if Debug['m'] != 0 && n.Bounded() && !Isconst(n.Right, CTINT) {
 				Warn("index bounds check elided")
 			}
@@ -1389,7 +1389,7 @@ opswitch:
 	case OSTR2BYTES:
 		s := n.Left
 		if Isconst(s, CTSTR) {
-			sc := s.Val().U.(string)
+			sc := strlit(s)
 
 			// Allocate a [n]byte of the right size.
 			t := types.NewArray(types.Types[TUINT8], int64(len(sc)))
@@ -1792,7 +1792,7 @@ func walkprint(nn *Node, init *Nodes) *Node {
 	for i := 0; i < len(s); {
 		var strs []string
 		for i < len(s) && Isconst(s[i], CTSTR) {
-			strs = append(strs, s[i].Val().U.(string))
+			strs = append(strs, strlit(s[i]))
 			i++
 		}
 		if len(strs) > 0 {
@@ -1861,7 +1861,7 @@ func walkprint(nn *Node, init *Nodes) *Node {
 		case TSTRING:
 			cs := ""
 			if Isconst(n, CTSTR) {
-				cs = n.Val().U.(string)
+				cs = strlit(n)
 			}
 			switch cs {
 			case " ":
@@ -2510,7 +2510,7 @@ func addstr(n *Node, init *Nodes) *Node {
 		sz := int64(0)
 		for _, n1 := range n.List.Slice() {
 			if n1.Op == OLITERAL {
-				sz += int64(len(n1.Val().U.(string)))
+				sz += int64(len(strlit(n1)))
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -3350,7 +3350,7 @@ func walkcompareString(n *Node, init *Nodes) *Node {
 			// Length-only checks are ok, though.
 			maxRewriteLen = 0
 		}
-		if s := cs.Val().U.(string); len(s) <= maxRewriteLen {
+		if s := strlit(cs); len(s) <= maxRewriteLen {
 			if len(s) > 0 {
 				ncs = safeexpr(ncs, init)
 			}