diff --git a/include/internal/catch_assertionhandler.cpp b/include/internal/catch_assertionhandler.cpp
index 9e7c8453..0eed7cd9 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_assertionhandler.cpp
+++ b/include/internal/catch_assertionhandler.cpp
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ namespace Catch {
     }
     void AssertionHandler::handle( ResultWas::OfType resultType, StringRef const& message ) {
         AssertionResultData data( resultType, LazyExpression( false ) );
-        data.message = message.c_str();
+        data.message = message;
         handle( data, nullptr );
     }
     void AssertionHandler::handle( ResultWas::OfType resultType, ITransientExpression const* expr, bool negated ) {
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ namespace Catch {
     }
 
     void AssertionHandler::useActiveException() {
-        handle( ResultWas::ThrewException, Catch::translateActiveException().c_str() );
+        handle( ResultWas::ThrewException, Catch::translateActiveException() );
     }
 
     void AssertionHandler::setExceptionGuard() {
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_assertionresult.cpp b/include/internal/catch_assertionresult.cpp
index 04402000..776fdc72 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_assertionresult.cpp
+++ b/include/internal/catch_assertionresult.cpp
@@ -52,16 +52,23 @@ namespace Catch {
 
     std::string AssertionResult::getExpression() const {
         if (isFalseTest(m_info.resultDisposition))
-            return '!' + std::string(m_info.capturedExpression.c_str());
+            return '!' + std::string(m_info.capturedExpression);
         else
-            return std::string(m_info.capturedExpression.c_str());
+            return m_info.capturedExpression;
     }
 
     std::string AssertionResult::getExpressionInMacro() const {
+        std::string expr;
         if( m_info.macroName[0] == 0 )
-            return std::string(m_info.capturedExpression.c_str());
-        else
-            return std::string(m_info.macroName.c_str()) + "( " + m_info.capturedExpression.c_str() + " )";
+            expr = m_info.capturedExpression;
+        else {
+            expr.reserve( m_info.macroName.size() + m_info.capturedExpression.size() + 4 );
+            expr += m_info.macroName;
+            expr += "( ";
+            expr += m_info.capturedExpression;
+            expr += " )";
+        }
+        return expr;
     }
 
     bool AssertionResult::hasExpandedExpression() const {
@@ -83,7 +90,7 @@ namespace Catch {
     }
 
     std::string AssertionResult::getTestMacroName() const {
-        return m_info.macroName.c_str();
+        return m_info.macroName;
     }
 
 } // end namespace Catch
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_benchmark.h b/include/internal/catch_benchmark.h
index ffb1db78..2e33c163 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_benchmark.h
+++ b/include/internal/catch_benchmark.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ namespace Catch {
     public:
         // Keep most of this inline as it's on the code path that is being timed
         BenchmarkLooper( StringRef name )
-        :   m_name( name.c_str() ),
+        :   m_name( name ),
             m_resolution( getResolution() )
         {
             reportStart();
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_capture.hpp b/include/internal/catch_capture.hpp
index 2f631bd3..d5d0ad4e 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_capture.hpp
+++ b/include/internal/catch_capture.hpp
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@
 #define INTERNAL_CATCH_MSG( macroName, messageType, resultDisposition, ... ) \
     do { \
         Catch::AssertionHandler catchAssertionHandler( macroName, CATCH_INTERNAL_LINEINFO, "", resultDisposition ); \
-        catchAssertionHandler.handle( messageType, ( Catch::MessageStream() << __VA_ARGS__ + ::Catch::StreamEndStop() ).m_stream.str().c_str() ); \
+        catchAssertionHandler.handle( messageType, ( Catch::MessageStream() << __VA_ARGS__ + ::Catch::StreamEndStop() ).m_stream.str() ); \
         INTERNAL_CATCH_REACT( catchAssertionHandler ) \
     } while( Catch::alwaysFalse() )
 
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_capture_matchers.h b/include/internal/catch_capture_matchers.h
index e3e43568..f815c14e 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_capture_matchers.h
+++ b/include/internal/catch_capture_matchers.h
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ namespace Catch {
             auto matcherAsString = m_matcher.toString();
             os << Catch::Detail::stringify( m_arg ) << ' ';
             if( matcherAsString == Detail::unprintableString )
-                os << m_matcherString.c_str();
+                os << m_matcherString;
             else
                 os << matcherAsString;
         }
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_decomposer.h b/include/internal/catch_decomposer.h
index e1c2f217..6d20be78 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_decomposer.h
+++ b/include/internal/catch_decomposer.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ namespace Catch {
         BinaryExpr( bool comparisionResult, LhsT lhs, StringRef op, RhsT rhs )
         :   m_result( comparisionResult ),
             m_lhs( lhs ),
-            m_op( op.c_str() ),
+            m_op( op ),
             m_rhs( rhs )
         {}
     };
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_interfaces_reporter.cpp b/include/internal/catch_interfaces_reporter.cpp
index 05117f9e..c7b2e861 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_interfaces_reporter.cpp
+++ b/include/internal/catch_interfaces_reporter.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ namespace Catch {
         if( assertionResult.hasMessage() ) {
             // Copy message into messages list.
             // !TBD This should have been done earlier, somewhere
-            MessageBuilder builder( assertionResult.getTestMacroName().c_str(), assertionResult.getSourceInfo(), assertionResult.getResultType() );
+            MessageBuilder builder( assertionResult.getTestMacroName(), assertionResult.getSourceInfo(), assertionResult.getResultType() );
             builder << assertionResult.getMessage();
             builder.m_info.message = builder.m_stream.str();
 
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_test_registry.cpp b/include/internal/catch_test_registry.cpp
index 2862879c..7a796cce 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_test_registry.cpp
+++ b/include/internal/catch_test_registry.cpp
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ namespace Catch {
                     .registerTest(
                         makeTestCase(
                             invoker,
-                            extractClassName( classOrMethod.c_str() ),
-                            nameAndTags.name.c_str(),
-                            nameAndTags.tags.c_str(),
+                            extractClassName( classOrMethod ),
+                            nameAndTags.name,
+                            nameAndTags.tags,
                             lineInfo));
         } catch (...) {
             // Do not throw when constructing global objects, instead register the exception to be processed later
diff --git a/include/reporters/catch_reporter_console.cpp b/include/reporters/catch_reporter_console.cpp
index ca102df6..0922134d 100644
--- a/include/reporters/catch_reporter_console.cpp
+++ b/include/reporters/catch_reporter_console.cpp
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ namespace {
         friend TablePrinter& operator << ( TablePrinter& tp, ColumnBreak ) {
             auto colStr = tp.m_oss.str();
             // This takes account of utf8 encodings
-            auto strSize = Catch::StringRef( colStr.c_str(), colStr.size() ).numberOfCharacters();
+            auto strSize = Catch::StringRef( colStr ).numberOfCharacters();
             tp.m_oss.str("");
             tp.open();
             if( tp.m_currentColumn == static_cast<int>(tp.m_columnInfos.size()-1) ) {