diff --git a/examples/perf_text/main.c b/examples/perf_text/main.c
index 6fb7634..9fb886c 100644
--- a/examples/perf_text/main.c
+++ b/examples/perf_text/main.c
@@ -116,9 +116,9 @@ int main()
 
 	f32 lineHeight = fontScale*(extents.ascent + extents.descent + extents.leading);
 
-	int codePointCount = utf8_codepoint_count_for_string(str8_from_cstring((char*)TEST_STRING));
+	int codePointCount = utf8_codepoint_count_for_string(STR8((char*)TEST_STRING));
 	u32* codePoints = malloc_array(utf32, codePointCount);
-	utf8_to_codepoints(codePointCount, codePoints, str8_from_cstring((char*)TEST_STRING));
+	utf8_to_codepoints(codePointCount, codePoints, STR8((char*)TEST_STRING));
 
 	u32 glyphCount = 0;
 	for(int i=0; i<codePointCount; i++)
diff --git a/examples/test_app/main.c b/examples/test_app/main.c
index 4b9eed3..57e60c5 100644
--- a/examples/test_app/main.c
+++ b/examples/test_app/main.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ int main()
 	mg_surface surface = mg_surface_create_for_window(window, MG_BACKEND_METAL);
 //*/
 	mg_canvas canvas = mg_canvas_create(surface, (mp_rect){0, 0, 800, 600});
-	mg_image image = mg_image_create_from_file(canvas, str8_lit("Top512.png"), true);
+	mg_image image = mg_image_create_from_file(canvas, STR8("Top512.png"), true);
 
 	u8 colors[64];
 	for(int i=0; i<64; i+=4)
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ int main()
 	}
 	mg_image image3 = mg_image_create_from_rgba8(canvas, 4, 4, colors);
 
-	mg_image image2 = mg_image_create_from_file(canvas, str8_lit("triceratops.png"), true);
+	mg_image image2 = mg_image_create_from_file(canvas, STR8("triceratops.png"), true);
 
 	//NOTE(martin): create font
 	char* fontPath = 0;
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ int main()
 		mg_set_font(canvas, font);
 		mg_set_font_size(canvas, 32);
 		mg_move_to(canvas, 500, 500);
-		mg_text_outlines(canvas, str8_lit("Hello, world!"));
+		mg_text_outlines(canvas, STR8("Hello, world!"));
 		mg_set_color_rgba(canvas, 0, 0, 0, 1);
 		mg_fill(canvas);
 
diff --git a/examples/ui_style_test/main.c b/examples/ui_style_test/main.c
index 14a902b..67131e7 100644
--- a/examples/ui_style_test/main.c
+++ b/examples/ui_style_test/main.c
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ int main()
 			root = ui_box_top();
 
 			ui_pattern pattern = {0};
-			ui_pattern_push(mem_scratch(), &pattern, (ui_selector){.kind = UI_SEL_TEXT, .text = str8_lit("b")});
+			ui_pattern_push(mem_scratch(), &pattern, (ui_selector){.kind = UI_SEL_TEXT, .text = STR8("b")});
 			ui_pattern_push(mem_scratch(), &pattern, (ui_selector){.kind = UI_SEL_TAG, .tag = ui_tag_make("foo")});
 			ui_style_match_before(pattern, &(ui_style){.fontSize = 36}, UI_STYLE_FONT_SIZE);
 
@@ -280,14 +280,14 @@ int main()
 
 
 			pattern = (ui_pattern){0};
-			ui_pattern_push(mem_scratch(), &pattern, (ui_selector){.kind = UI_SEL_TEXT, .text = str8_lit("c")});
+			ui_pattern_push(mem_scratch(), &pattern, (ui_selector){.kind = UI_SEL_TEXT, .text = STR8("c")});
 			ui_pattern_push(mem_scratch(), &pattern, (ui_selector){.kind = UI_SEL_TAG, .tag = ui_tag_make("button")});
 			ui_style_match_after(pattern,
 			                          &(ui_style){.bgColor = {1, 0.5, 0.5, 1}},
 			                          UI_STYLE_BG_COLOR);
 
 			pattern = (ui_pattern){0};
-			ui_pattern_push(mem_scratch(), &pattern, (ui_selector){.kind = UI_SEL_TEXT, .text = str8_lit("c")});
+			ui_pattern_push(mem_scratch(), &pattern, (ui_selector){.kind = UI_SEL_TEXT, .text = STR8("c")});
 			ui_pattern_push(mem_scratch(), &pattern, (ui_selector){.kind = UI_SEL_TAG, .tag = ui_tag_make("button")});
 			ui_pattern_push(mem_scratch(), &pattern, (ui_selector){.kind = UI_SEL_STATUS, .op = UI_SEL_AND, .status = UI_ACTIVE|UI_HOVER});
 			ui_style_match_after(pattern,
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ int main()
 			ui_container("a", defaultFlags)
 			{
 				ui_pattern pattern = {0};
-				ui_pattern_push(mem_scratch(), &pattern, (ui_selector){.kind = UI_SEL_TEXT, .text = str8_lit("b")});
+				ui_pattern_push(mem_scratch(), &pattern, (ui_selector){.kind = UI_SEL_TEXT, .text = STR8("b")});
 				ui_style_match_before(pattern, &(ui_style){.fontSize = 22}, UI_STYLE_FONT_SIZE);
 
 				ui_container("b", defaultFlags)
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ int main()
 		mg_set_color_rgba(0, 0, 0, 1);
 
 		mg_move_to(0, 38);
-		mg_text_outlines(str8_lit("hello, world"));
+		mg_text_outlines(STR8("hello, world"));
 		mg_fill();
 
 		mg_matrix_pop();
diff --git a/src/osx_app.m b/src/osx_app.m
index 31d8c65..3d9d3ea 100644
--- a/src/osx_app.m
+++ b/src/osx_app.m
@@ -2068,7 +2068,7 @@ str8 mp_app_get_resource_path(mem_arena* arena, const char* name)
 	str8 dirPath = mp_path_directory(executablePath);
 
 	str8_list_push(scratch, &list, dirPath);
-	str8_list_push(scratch, &list, str8_lit("/"));
+	str8_list_push(scratch, &list, STR8("/"));
 	str8_list_push(scratch, &list, str8_push_cstring(scratch, name));
 	str8 path = str8_list_join(scratch, list);
 	char* pathCString = str8_to_cstring(scratch, path);
diff --git a/src/ui.c b/src/ui.c
index 669091b..dc700f6 100644
--- a/src/ui.c
+++ b/src/ui.c
@@ -1414,7 +1414,7 @@ ui_sig ui_label_str8(str8 label)
 
 ui_sig ui_label(const char* label)
 {
-	return(ui_label_str8(str8_from_cstring((char*)label)));
+	return(ui_label_str8(STR8((char*)label)));
 }
 
 ui_sig ui_button_str8(str8 label)
@@ -1485,7 +1485,7 @@ ui_sig ui_button_str8(str8 label)
 
 ui_sig ui_button(const char* label)
 {
-	return(ui_button_str8(str8_from_cstring((char*)label)));
+	return(ui_button_str8(STR8((char*)label)));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/ui.h b/src/ui.h
index 68a6cd9..414d97b 100644
--- a/src/ui.h
+++ b/src/ui.h
@@ -332,8 +332,8 @@ ui_box* ui_box_lookup_key(ui_key key);
 ui_box* ui_box_lookup_str8(str8 string);
 
 // C-string helper
-#define ui_key_make(s) ui_key_make_str8(str8_lit(s))
-#define ui_box_lookup(s) ui_box_lookup_str8(str8_lit(s))
+#define ui_key_make(s) ui_key_make_str8(STR8(s))
+#define ui_box_lookup(s) ui_box_lookup_str8(STR8(s))
 
 //-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Box hierarchy building
@@ -351,9 +351,9 @@ ui_box* ui_box_top(void);
 void ui_box_set_render_proc(ui_box* box, ui_box_render_proc proc, void* data);
 
 // C-string helpers
-#define ui_box_lookup(s) ui_box_lookup_str8(str8_lit(s))
-#define ui_box_make(s, flags) ui_box_make_str8(str8_lit(s), flags)
-#define ui_box_begin(s, flags) ui_box_begin_str8(str8_lit(s), flags)
+#define ui_box_lookup(s) ui_box_lookup_str8(STR8(s))
+#define ui_box_make(s, flags) ui_box_make_str8(STR8(s), flags)
+#define ui_box_begin(s, flags) ui_box_begin_str8(STR8(s), flags)
 
 //-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Box status and signals
@@ -378,9 +378,9 @@ void ui_tag_box_str8(ui_box* box, str8 string);
 void ui_tag_next_str8(str8 string);
 
 // C-string helpers
-#define ui_tag_make(s) ui_tag_make_str8(str8_lit(s))
-#define ui_tag_box(b, s) ui_tag_box_str8(b, str8_lit(s))
-#define ui_tag_next(s) ui_tag_next_str8(str8_lit(s))
+#define ui_tag_make(s) ui_tag_make_str8(STR8(s))
+#define ui_tag_box(b, s) ui_tag_box_str8(b, STR8(s))
+#define ui_tag_next(s) ui_tag_next_str8(STR8(s))
 
 //-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Styling
diff --git a/src/util/strings.c b/src/util/strings.c
index 6f2e3c9..1d48651 100644
--- a/src/util/strings.c
+++ b/src/util/strings.c
@@ -22,18 +22,6 @@ str8 str8_from_buffer(u64 len, char* buffer)
 	return((str8){.len = len, .ptr = buffer});
 }
 
-str8 str8_from_cstring(char* str)
-{
-	if(!str)
-	{
-		return((str8){0});
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		return(str8_from_buffer(strlen(str), (char*)str));
-	}
-}
-
 str8 str8_slice(str8 s, u64 start, u64 end)
 {
 	ASSERT(start <= end && start <= s.len && end <= s.len);
@@ -63,7 +51,7 @@ str8 str8_push_cstring(mem_arena* arena, const char* str)
 
 str8 str8_push_copy(mem_arena* arena, str8 s)
 {
-	return(str8_push_buffer(arena, str8_unbox(s)));
+	return(str8_push_buffer(arena, str8_lp(s)));
 }
 
 str8 str8_push_slice(mem_arena* arena, str8 s, u64 start, u64 end)
diff --git a/src/util/strings.h b/src/util/strings.h
index 14e675a..91bd963 100644
--- a/src/util/strings.h
+++ b/src/util/strings.h
@@ -26,11 +26,12 @@ typedef struct str8
 	char* ptr;
 } str8;
 
-#define str8_lit(s) ((str8){.len = sizeof(s)-1, .ptr = (char*)(s)})
-#define str8_unbox(s) (int)((s).len), ((s).ptr)
+#define STR8(s) ((str8){.len = (s) ? strlen(s) : 0, .ptr = (char*)s})
+
+#define str8_lp(s) ((s).len), ((s).ptr)
+#define str8_ip(s) (int)str8_lp(s)
 
 MP_API str8 str8_from_buffer(u64 len, char* buffer);
-MP_API str8 str8_from_cstring(char* str);
 MP_API str8 str8_slice(str8 s, u64 start, u64 end);
 
 MP_API str8 str8_push_buffer(mem_arena* arena, u64 len, char* buffer);
diff --git a/src/win32_app.c b/src/win32_app.c
index 41d37c3..206dc17 100644
--- a/src/win32_app.c
+++ b/src/win32_app.c
@@ -990,12 +990,12 @@ str8 mp_app_get_resource_path(mem_arena* arena, const char* name)
 
 	_splitpath_s(executablePathCString, driveBuffer, MAX_PATH, dirBuffer, MAX_PATH, 0, 0, 0, 0);
 
-	str8 drive = str8_from_cstring(driveBuffer);
-	str8 dirPath = str8_from_cstring(dirBuffer);
+	str8 drive = STR8(driveBuffer);
+	str8 dirPath = STR8(dirBuffer);
 
 	str8_list_push(scratch, &list, drive);
 	str8_list_push(scratch, &list, dirPath);
-	str8_list_push(scratch, &list, str8_lit("\\"));
+	str8_list_push(scratch, &list, STR8("\\"));
 	str8_list_push(scratch, &list, str8_push_cstring(scratch, name));
 	str8 path = str8_list_join(scratch, list);
 	char* pathCString = str8_to_cstring(scratch, path);