diff --git a/src/pkg/base64/base64_test.go b/src/pkg/base64/base64_test.go
index 0537abab7c3..8d0c67cf7fd 100644
--- a/src/pkg/base64/base64_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/base64/base64_test.go
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func TestEncoder(t *testing.T) {
 		encoder := NewEncoder(StdEncoding, bb);
 		encoder.Write(strings.Bytes(p.decoded));
 		encoder.Close();
-		testEqual(t, "Encode(%q) = %q, want %q", p.decoded, string(bb.Bytes()), p.encoded);
+		testEqual(t, "Encode(%q) = %q, want %q", p.decoded, bb.String(), p.encoded);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func TestEncoderBuffering(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		err := encoder.Close();
 		testEqual(t, "Close gave error %v, want %v", err, os.Error(nil));
-		testEqual(t, "Encoding/%d of %q = %q, want %q", bs, bigtest.decoded, string(bb.Bytes()), bigtest.encoded);
+		testEqual(t, "Encoding/%d of %q = %q, want %q", bs, bigtest.decoded, bb.String(), bigtest.encoded);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func TestDecode(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestDecoder(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, p := range pairs {
-		decoder := NewDecoder(StdEncoding, bytes.NewBuffer(strings.Bytes(p.encoded)));
+		decoder := NewDecoder(StdEncoding, strings.NewBuffer(p.encoded));
 		dbuf := make([]byte, StdEncoding.DecodedLen(len(p.encoded)));
 		count, err := decoder.Read(dbuf);
 		if err != nil && err != os.EOF {
@@ -128,9 +128,8 @@ func TestDecoder(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestDecoderBuffering(t *testing.T) {
-	input := strings.Bytes(bigtest.encoded);
 	for bs := 1; bs <= 12; bs++ {
-		decoder := NewDecoder(StdEncoding, bytes.NewBuffer(input));
+		decoder := NewDecoder(StdEncoding, strings.NewBuffer(bigtest.encoded));
 		buf := make([]byte, len(bigtest.decoded) + 12);
 		var total int;
 		for total = 0; total < len(bigtest.decoded); {
diff --git a/src/pkg/bufio/bufio_test.go b/src/pkg/bufio/bufio_test.go
index 78920eb408c..7d590df0b77 100644
--- a/src/pkg/bufio/bufio_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/bufio/bufio_test.go
@@ -60,13 +60,13 @@ func readBytes(buf *Reader) string {
 }
 
 func TestReaderSimple(t *testing.T) {
-	data := strings.Bytes("hello world");
-	b := NewReader(bytes.NewBuffer(data));
+	data := "hello world";
+	b := NewReader(strings.NewBuffer(data));
 	if s := readBytes(b); s != "hello world" {
 		t.Errorf("simple hello world test failed: got %q", s);
 	}
 
-	b = NewReader(newRot13Reader(bytes.NewBuffer(data)));
+	b = NewReader(newRot13Reader(strings.NewBuffer(data)));
 	if s := readBytes(b); s != "uryyb jbeyq" {
 		t.Error("rot13 hello world test failed: got %q", s);
 	}
@@ -148,14 +148,13 @@ func TestReader(t *testing.T) {
 
 	for h := 0; h < len(texts); h++ {
 		text := texts[h];
-		textbytes := strings.Bytes(text);
 		for i := 0; i < len(readMakers); i++ {
 			for j := 0; j < len(bufreaders); j++ {
 				for k := 0; k < len(bufsizes); k++ {
 					readmaker := readMakers[i];
 					bufreader := bufreaders[j];
 					bufsize := bufsizes[k];
-					read := readmaker.fn(bytes.NewBuffer(textbytes));
+					read := readmaker.fn(strings.NewBuffer(text));
 					buf, _ := NewReaderSize(read, bufsize);
 					s := bufreader.fn(buf);
 					if s != text {
@@ -309,7 +308,7 @@ func TestWriteErrors(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestNewReaderSizeIdempotent(t *testing.T) {
 	const BufSize = 1000;
-	b, err := NewReaderSize(bytes.NewBuffer(strings.Bytes("hello world")), BufSize);
+	b, err := NewReaderSize(strings.NewBuffer("hello world"), BufSize);
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error("NewReaderSize create fail", err);
 	}
diff --git a/src/pkg/compress/gzip/gunzip_test.go b/src/pkg/compress/gzip/gunzip_test.go
index 99e9a75d641..8cc7890e411 100644
--- a/src/pkg/compress/gzip/gunzip_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/compress/gzip/gunzip_test.go
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ func TestInflater(t *testing.T) {
 		if err != tt.err {
 			t.Errorf("%s: io.Copy: %v want %v", tt.name, err, tt.err);
 		}
-		s := string(b.Bytes());
+		s := b.String();
 		if s != tt.raw {
 			t.Errorf("%s: got %d-byte %q want %d-byte %q", tt.name, n, s, len(tt.raw), tt.raw);
 		}
diff --git a/src/pkg/compress/zlib/reader_test.go b/src/pkg/compress/zlib/reader_test.go
index e1ebf6236e2..96a81114fc5 100644
--- a/src/pkg/compress/zlib/reader_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/compress/zlib/reader_test.go
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ func TestInflater(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 			continue;
 		}
-		s := string(b.Bytes());
+		s := b.String();
 		if s != tt.raw {
 			t.Errorf("%s: got %d-byte %q want %d-byte %q", tt.desc, n, s, len(tt.raw), tt.raw);
 		}
diff --git a/src/pkg/datafmt/datafmt.go b/src/pkg/datafmt/datafmt.go
index 7f245694e4c..58ae008d80b 100644
--- a/src/pkg/datafmt/datafmt.go
+++ b/src/pkg/datafmt/datafmt.go
@@ -729,5 +729,5 @@ func (f Format) Sprint(args ...) string {
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(&buf, "--- Sprint(%s) failed: %v", fmt.Sprint(args), err);
 	}
-	return string(buf.Bytes());
+	return buf.String();
 }
diff --git a/src/pkg/exvar/exvar.go b/src/pkg/exvar/exvar.go
index 0765a80eea8..47915485052 100644
--- a/src/pkg/exvar/exvar.go
+++ b/src/pkg/exvar/exvar.go
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ func (v *Map) String() string {
 		first = false;
 	}
 	fmt.Fprintf(b, "}");
-	return string(b.Bytes())
+	return b.String()
 }
 
 func (v *Map) Init() *Map {
diff --git a/src/pkg/gob/encoder_test.go b/src/pkg/gob/encoder_test.go
index 178d30f71b7..94d8033f2ff 100644
--- a/src/pkg/gob/encoder_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/gob/encoder_test.go
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ func TestWrongTypeDecoder(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func corruptDataCheck(s string, err os.Error, t *testing.T) {
-	b := bytes.NewBuffer(strings.Bytes(s));
+	b := strings.NewBuffer(s);
 	dec := NewDecoder(b);
 	dec.Decode(new(ET2));
 	if dec.state.err != err {
diff --git a/src/pkg/http/triv.go b/src/pkg/http/triv.go
index 23ec9849f17..900dcbb5b96 100644
--- a/src/pkg/http/triv.go
+++ b/src/pkg/http/triv.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func (ctr *Counter) ServeHTTP(c *http.Conn, req *http.Request) {
 	case "POST":
 		buf := new(bytes.Buffer);
 		io.Copy(req.Body, buf);
-		body := string(buf.Bytes());
+		body := buf.String();
 		if n, err := strconv.Atoi(body); err != nil {
 			fmt.Fprintf(c, "bad POST: %v\nbody: [%v]\n", err, body);
 		} else {
diff --git a/src/pkg/json/parse.go b/src/pkg/json/parse.go
index 1607013b22b..6937e281683 100644
--- a/src/pkg/json/parse.go
+++ b/src/pkg/json/parse.go
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ func Quote(s string) string {
 	}
 	chr[0] = '"';
 	b.Write(chr0);
-	return string(b.Bytes());
+	return b.String();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/pkg/os/os_test.go b/src/pkg/os/os_test.go
index 45e101d88d2..f711f73a53a 100644
--- a/src/pkg/os/os_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/os/os_test.go
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ func TestForkExec(t *testing.T) {
 
 	var b bytes.Buffer;
 	io.Copy(r, &b);
-	output := string(b.Bytes());
+	output := b.String();
 	expect := "/\n";
 	if output != expect {
 		t.Errorf("exec /bin/pwd returned %q wanted %q", output, expect);
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ func run(t *testing.T, cmd []string) string {
 	var b bytes.Buffer;
 	io.Copy(r, &b);
 	Wait(pid, 0);
-	output := string(b.Bytes());
+	output := b.String();
 	if n := len(output); n > 0 && output[n-1] == '\n' {
 		output = output[0:n-1];
 	}
diff --git a/src/pkg/regexp/regexp.go b/src/pkg/regexp/regexp.go
index 1559da23e67..f754418ecb9 100644
--- a/src/pkg/regexp/regexp.go
+++ b/src/pkg/regexp/regexp.go
@@ -883,7 +883,7 @@ func (re *Regexp) ReplaceAllString(src, repl string) string {
 	// Copy the unmatched characters after the last match.
 	io.WriteString(buf, src[lastMatchEnd:len(src)]);
 
-	return string(buf.Bytes());
+	return buf.String();
 }
 
 // ReplaceAll returns a copy of src in which all matches for the Regexp
diff --git a/src/pkg/template/template_test.go b/src/pkg/template/template_test.go
index 11996f609b6..5e73bc9f45b 100644
--- a/src/pkg/template/template_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/template/template_test.go
@@ -312,8 +312,8 @@ func TestAll(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Errorf("expected execute error %q, got %q", test.err, err.String());
 			}
 		}
-		if string(buf.Bytes()) != test.out {
-			t.Errorf("for %q: expected %q got %q", test.in, test.out, string(buf.Bytes()));
+		if buf.String() != test.out {
+			t.Errorf("for %q: expected %q got %q", test.in, test.out, buf.String());
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ func TestStringDriverType(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error("unexpected execute error:", err)
 	}
-	s := string(b.Bytes());
+	s := b.String();
 	if s != "template: hello" {
 		t.Errorf("failed passing string as data: expected %q got %q", "template: hello", s)
 	}
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ func TestTwice(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error("unexpected parse error:", err)
 	}
-	s := string(b.Bytes());
+	s := b.String();
 	text := "template: hello";
 	if s != text {
 		t.Errorf("failed passing string as data: expected %q got %q", text, s);
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ func TestTwice(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error("unexpected parse error:", err)
 	}
-	s = string(b.Bytes());
+	s = b.String();
 	text += text;
 	if s != text {
 		t.Errorf("failed passing string as data: expected %q got %q", text, s);
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ func TestCustomDelims(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 			var b bytes.Buffer;
 			err = tmpl.Execute("hello", &b);
-			s := string(b.Bytes());
+			s := b.String();
 			if s != "template: hello" + ldelim + rdelim {
 				t.Errorf("failed delim check(%q %q) %q got %q", ldelim, rdelim, text, s)
 			}
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ func TestVarIndirection(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("unexpected execute error:", err)
 	}
 	expect := fmt.Sprintf("%v", &t1);	// output should be hex address of t1
-	if string(buf.Bytes()) != expect {
-		t.Errorf("for %q: expected %q got %q", input, expect, string(buf.Bytes()));
+	if buf.String() != expect {
+		t.Errorf("for %q: expected %q got %q", input, expect, buf.String());
 	}
 }