diff --git a/base64/base64.rs b/base64/base64.rs
index fe20cfeb1..36e9ec796 100644
--- a/base64/base64.rs
+++ b/base64/base64.rs
@@ -92,9 +92,9 @@ pub fn uumain(args: Vec<String>) -> int {
 }
 
 fn decode(input: &mut Reader, ignore_garbage: bool) {
-    let mut to_decode = match input.read_to_str() {
+    let mut to_decode = match input.read_to_string() {
         Ok(m) => m,
-        Err(f) => fail!(f.to_str())
+        Err(f) => fail!(f.to_string())
     };
 
     to_decode = str::replace(to_decode.as_slice(), "\n", "");
@@ -112,15 +112,15 @@ fn decode(input: &mut Reader, ignore_garbage: bool) {
 
             match out.write(bytes.as_slice()) {
                 Ok(_) => {}
-                Err(f) => { crash!(1, "{}", f.to_str()); }
+                Err(f) => { crash!(1, "{}", f.to_string()); }
             }
             match out.flush() {
                 Ok(_) => {}
-                Err(f) => { crash!(1, "{}", f.to_str()); }
+                Err(f) => { crash!(1, "{}", f.to_string()); }
             }
         }
         Err(s) => {
-            error!("error: {}", s.to_str());
+            error!("error: {}", s.to_string());
             fail!()
         }
     }
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ fn encode(input: &mut Reader, line_wrap: uint) {
     };
     let to_encode = match input.read_to_end() {
         Ok(m) => m,
-        Err(f) => fail!(f.to_str())
+        Err(f) => fail!(f.to_string())
     };
     let encoded = to_encode.as_slice().to_base64(b64_conf);
 
diff --git a/cat/cat.rs b/cat/cat.rs
index 01395bf55..26a81c6f4 100644
--- a/cat/cat.rs
+++ b/cat/cat.rs
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ fn open(path: &str) -> Option<(Box<Reader>, bool)> {
     match File::open(&std::path::Path::new(path)) {
         Ok(f) => Some((box f as Box<Reader>, false)),
         Err(e) => {
-            (writeln!(stderr(), "cat: {0:s}: {1:s}", path, e.to_str())).unwrap();
+            (writeln!(stderr(), "cat: {0:s}: {1:s}", path, e.to_string())).unwrap();
             None
         },
     }
diff --git a/common/util.rs b/common/util.rs
index ffd10be80..90deafb80 100644
--- a/common/util.rs
+++ b/common/util.rs
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ macro_rules! crash_if_err(
     ($exitcode:expr, $exp:expr) => (
         match $exp {
             Ok(m) => m,
-            Err(f) => crash!($exitcode, "{}", f.to_str())
+            Err(f) => crash!($exitcode, "{}", f.to_string())
         }
     )
 )
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ macro_rules! safe_write(
     ($fd:expr, $($args:expr),+) => (
         match write!($fd, $($args),+) {
             Ok(_) => {}
-            Err(f) => { fail!(f.to_str()); }
+            Err(f) => { fail!(f.to_string()); }
         }
     )
 )
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ macro_rules! safe_writeln(
     ($fd:expr, $($args:expr),+) => (
         match writeln!($fd, $($args),+) {
             Ok(_) => {}
-            Err(f) => { fail!(f.to_str()); }
+            Err(f) => { fail!(f.to_string()); }
         }
     )
 )
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ macro_rules! safe_unwrap(
     ($exp:expr) => (
         match $exp {
             Ok(m) => m,
-            Err(f) => crash!(1, "{}", f.to_str())
+            Err(f) => crash!(1, "{}", f.to_string())
         }
     )
 )
diff --git a/cp/cp.rs b/cp/cp.rs
index 52912feac..43848adc6 100644
--- a/cp/cp.rs
+++ b/cp/cp.rs
@@ -102,15 +102,15 @@ fn copy(matches: getopts::Matches) {
             Err(e) => if e.kind == io::FileNotFound {
                 false
             } else {
-                error!("error: {:s}", e.to_str());
+                error!("error: {:s}", e.to_string());
                 fail!()
             }
         };
 
         if same_file {
             error!("error: \"{:s}\" and \"{:s}\" are the same file",
-                source.display().to_str(),
-                dest.display().to_str());
+                source.display().to_string(),
+                dest.display().to_string());
             fail!();
         }
 
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ fn copy(matches: getopts::Matches) {
 
         if io_result.is_err() {
             let err = io_result.unwrap_err();
-            error!("error: {:s}", err.to_str());
+            error!("error: {:s}", err.to_string());
             fail!();
         }
     } else {
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ fn copy(matches: getopts::Matches) {
 
         for source in sources.iter() {
             if fs::stat(source).unwrap().kind != io::TypeFile {
-                error!("error: \"{:s}\" is not a file", source.display().to_str());
+                error!("error: \"{:s}\" is not a file", source.display().to_string());
                 continue;
             }
 
@@ -137,13 +137,13 @@ fn copy(matches: getopts::Matches) {
 
             full_dest.push(source.filename_str().unwrap());
 
-            println!("{:s}", full_dest.display().to_str());
+            println!("{:s}", full_dest.display().to_string());
 
             let io_result = fs::copy(source, &full_dest);
 
             if io_result.is_err() {
                 let err = io_result.unwrap_err();
-                error!("error: {:s}", err.to_str());
+                error!("error: {:s}", err.to_string());
                 fail!()
             }
         }
diff --git a/cut/cut.rs b/cut/cut.rs
index 1addd7a04..d53e30f00 100644
--- a/cut/cut.rs
+++ b/cut/cut.rs
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ fn cut_bytes<T: Reader>(mut reader: BufferedReader<T>,
     let mut out = BufferedWriter::new(std::io::stdio::stdout_raw());
     let (use_delim, out_delim) = match opts.out_delim.clone() {
         Some(delim) => (true, delim),
-        None => (false, "".to_str())
+        None => (false, "".to_string())
     };
 
     'newline: loop {
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ fn cut_characters<T: Reader>(mut reader: BufferedReader<T>,
     let mut out = BufferedWriter::new(std::io::stdio::stdout_raw());
     let (use_delim, out_delim) = match opts.out_delim.clone() {
         Some(delim) => (true, delim),
-        None => (false, "".to_str())
+        None => (false, "".to_string())
     };
 
     'newline: loop {
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ fn cut_files(mut filenames: Vec<String>, mode: Mode) -> int {
     let mut stdin_read = false;
     let mut exit_code = 0;
 
-    if filenames.len() == 0 { filenames.push("-".to_str()); }
+    if filenames.len() == 0 { filenames.push("-".to_string()); }
 
     for filename in filenames.iter() {
         if filename.as_slice() == "-" {
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ pub fn uumain(args: Vec<String>) -> int {
                     match matches.opt_str("delimiter") {
                         Some(delim) => {
                             if delim.as_slice().char_len() != 1 {
-                                Err("the delimiter must be a single character".to_str())
+                                Err("the delimiter must be a single character".to_string())
                             } else {
                                 Ok(Fields(ranges,
                                           FieldOptions {
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ pub fn uumain(args: Vec<String>) -> int {
                         }
                         None => Ok(Fields(ranges,
                                           FieldOptions {
-                                              delimiter: "\t".to_str(),
+                                              delimiter: "\t".to_string(),
                                               out_delimeter: out_delim,
                                               only_delimited: only_delimited
                                           }))
@@ -507,9 +507,9 @@ pub fn uumain(args: Vec<String>) -> int {
             )
         }
         (ref b, ref c, ref f) if b.is_some() || c.is_some() || f.is_some() => {
-            Err("only one type of list may be specified".to_str())
+            Err("only one type of list may be specified".to_string())
         }
-        _ => Err("you must specify a list of bytes, characters, or fields".to_str())
+        _ => Err("you must specify a list of bytes, characters, or fields".to_string())
     };
 
     match mode_parse {
diff --git a/kill/kill.rs b/kill/kill.rs
index 663d07718..ee575c3fa 100644
--- a/kill/kill.rs
+++ b/kill/kill.rs
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ fn print_signal(signal_name_or_value: &str) {
         if signal.name == signal_name_or_value  || (format!("SIG{}", signal.name).as_slice()) == signal_name_or_value {
             println!("{}", signal.value)
             exit!(EXIT_OK as i32)
-        } else if signal_name_or_value == signal.value.to_str().as_slice() {
+        } else if signal_name_or_value == signal.value.to_string().as_slice() {
             println!("{}", signal.name);
             exit!(EXIT_OK as i32)
         }
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ fn signal_by_name_or_value(signal_name_or_value: &str) -> Option<uint> {
     }
     for signal in ALL_SIGNALS.iter() {
         let long_name = format!("SIG{}", signal.name);
-        if signal.name == signal_name_or_value  || (signal_name_or_value == signal.value.to_str().as_slice()) || (long_name.as_slice() == signal_name_or_value) {
+        if signal.name == signal_name_or_value  || (signal_name_or_value == signal.value.to_string().as_slice()) || (long_name.as_slice() == signal_name_or_value) {
             return Some(signal.value);
         }
     }
diff --git a/mkdir/mkdir.rs b/mkdir/mkdir.rs
index 0ec032538..a0c1966de 100644
--- a/mkdir/mkdir.rs
+++ b/mkdir/mkdir.rs
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ fn mkdir(path: &Path, mode: FilePermission) {
     match fs::mkdir(path, mode) {
         Ok(_) => {},
         Err(e) => {
-            crash!(1, "test {}", e.to_str());
+            crash!(1, "test {}", e.to_string());
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/mkuutils.rs b/mkuutils.rs
index 67b7ca15c..78b35303b 100644
--- a/mkuutils.rs
+++ b/mkuutils.rs
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ fn main() {
     // XXX: this all just assumes that the IO works correctly
     let mut out = File::open_mode(&Path::new(outfile), Truncate, Write).unwrap();
     let mut input = File::open(&Path::new("uutils/uutils.rs")).unwrap();
-    let main = input.read_to_str().unwrap().replace("@CRATES@", crates.as_slice()).replace("@UTIL_MAP@", util_map.as_slice());
+    let main = input.read_to_string().unwrap().replace("@CRATES@", crates.as_slice()).replace("@UTIL_MAP@", util_map.as_slice());
 
     match out.write(main.as_bytes()) {
         Err(e) => fail!("{}", e),
diff --git a/nl/nl.rs b/nl/nl.rs
index 3c72e8bba..8e45bdae6 100644
--- a/nl/nl.rs
+++ b/nl/nl.rs
@@ -158,9 +158,9 @@ pub fn uumain(args: Vec<String>) -> int {
 // nl implements the main functionality for an individual buffer.
 fn nl<T: Reader> (reader: &mut BufferedReader<T>, settings: &Settings) {
     let mut line_no = settings.starting_line_number;
-    // The current line number's width as a string. Using to_str is inefficient
+    // The current line number's width as a string. Using to_string is inefficient
     // but since we only do it once, it should not hurt.
-    let mut line_no_width = line_no.to_str().len();
+    let mut line_no_width = line_no.to_string().len();
     let line_no_width_initial = line_no_width;
     // Stores the smallest integer with one more digit than line_no, so that
     // when line_no >= line_no_threshold, we need to use one more digit.
diff --git a/paste/paste.rs b/paste/paste.rs
index fa3b6b353..0ee655a6e 100644
--- a/paste/paste.rs
+++ b/paste/paste.rs
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ fn paste(filenames: Vec<String>, serial: bool, delimiters: &str) {
             }
         )
     ).collect();
-    let delimiters: Vec<String> = delimiters.chars().map(|x| x.to_str()).collect();
+    let delimiters: Vec<String> = delimiters.chars().map(|x| x.to_string()).collect();
     let mut delim_count = 0;
     if serial {
         for file in files.mut_iter() {
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ fn paste(filenames: Vec<String>, serial: bool, delimiters: &str) {
                     Err(f) => if f.kind == io::EndOfFile {
                         break
                     } else {
-                        crash!(1, "{}", f.to_str())
+                        crash!(1, "{}", f.to_string())
                     }
                 }
                 delim_count += 1;
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ fn paste(filenames: Vec<String>, serial: bool, delimiters: &str) {
                             *eof.get_mut(i) = true;
                             eof_count += 1;
                         } else {
-                            crash!(1, "{}", f.to_str());
+                            crash!(1, "{}", f.to_string());
                         }
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/rm/rm.rs b/rm/rm.rs
index 203cfc870..396bbb18d 100644
--- a/rm/rm.rs
+++ b/rm/rm.rs
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ fn remove(files: Vec<String>, force: bool, interactive: InteractiveMode, one_fs:
                     let walk_dir = match fs::walk_dir(&file) {
                         Ok(m) => m,
                         Err(f) => {
-                            crash!(1, "{}", f.to_str());
+                            crash!(1, "{}", f.to_string());
                         }
                     };
                     r = remove(walk_dir.map(|x| x.as_str().unwrap().to_string()).collect(), force, interactive, one_fs, preserve_root, recursive, dir, verbose).and(r);
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ fn remove_dir(path: &Path, name: &str, interactive: InteractiveMode, verbose: bo
         match fs::rmdir(path) {
             Ok(_) => if verbose { println!("Removed '{}'", name); },
             Err(f) => {
-                show_error!("{}", f.to_str());
+                show_error!("{}", f.to_string());
                 return Err(1);
             }
         }
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ fn remove_file(path: &Path, name: &str, interactive: InteractiveMode, verbose: b
         match fs::unlink(path) {
             Ok(_) => if verbose { println!("Removed '{}'", name); },
             Err(f) => {
-                show_error!("{}", f.to_str());
+                show_error!("{}", f.to_string());
                 return Err(1);
             }
         }
diff --git a/rmdir/rmdir.rs b/rmdir/rmdir.rs
index 5976ff66d..2f48c3472 100644
--- a/rmdir/rmdir.rs
+++ b/rmdir/rmdir.rs
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ fn remove_dir(path: &Path, dir: &str, ignore: bool, parents: bool, verbose: bool
     let mut walk_dir = match fs::walk_dir(path) {
         Ok(m) => m,
         Err(f) => {
-            show_error!("{}", f.to_str());
+            show_error!("{}", f.to_string());
             return Err(1);
         }
     };
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ fn remove_dir(path: &Path, dir: &str, ignore: bool, parents: bool, verbose: bool
                 }
             }
             Err(f) => {
-                show_error!("{}", f.to_str());
+                show_error!("{}", f.to_string());
                 r = Err(1);
             }
         }
diff --git a/seq/seq.rs b/seq/seq.rs
index 34ea1efd6..da33e9c2c 100644
--- a/seq/seq.rs
+++ b/seq/seq.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ macro_rules! pipe_write(
                 if f.kind == io::BrokenPipe {
                     return
                 } else {
-                    fail!("{}", f.to_str())
+                    fail!("{}", f.to_string())
                 }
         }
     )
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ fn print_seq(first: f64, step: f64, last: f64, largest_dec: uint, separator: Str
     let mut i = 0i;
     let mut value = first + i as f64 * step;
     while !done_printing(value, step, last) {
-        let istr = value.to_str();
+        let istr = value.to_string();
         let ilen = istr.len();
         let before_dec = istr.as_slice().find('.').unwrap_or(ilen);
         if pad && before_dec < padding {
diff --git a/tac/tac.rs b/tac/tac.rs
index 001bf1fea..670704e73 100644
--- a/tac/tac.rs
+++ b/tac/tac.rs
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ fn tac(filenames: Vec<String>, before: bool, _: bool, separator: &str) {
                 box crash_if_err!(1, io::File::open(&Path::new(filename))) as Box<Reader>
             }
         );
-        let mut data = crash_if_err!(1, file.read_to_str());
+        let mut data = crash_if_err!(1, file.read_to_string());
         if data.as_slice().ends_with("\n") {
             // removes blank line that is inserted otherwise
             let mut buf = data.into_string();
diff --git a/tee/tee.rs b/tee/tee.rs
index b63eb868b..77ebbc598 100644
--- a/tee/tee.rs
+++ b/tee/tee.rs
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ impl Reader for NamedReader {
 
 fn with_path<T>(path: &Path, cb: || -> IoResult<T>) -> IoResult<T> {
     match cb() {
-        Err(f) => { warn(format!("{}: {}", path.display(), f.to_str()).as_slice()); Err(f) }
+        Err(f) => { warn(format!("{}: {}", path.display(), f.to_string()).as_slice()); Err(f) }
         okay => okay
     }
 }
diff --git a/truncate/truncate.rs b/truncate/truncate.rs
index 1698b616f..141a97cbe 100644
--- a/truncate/truncate.rs
+++ b/truncate/truncate.rs
@@ -105,13 +105,13 @@ fn truncate(no_create: bool, _: bool, reference: Option<String>, size: Option<St
             let rfile = match File::open(&Path::new(rfilename.clone())) {
                 Ok(m) => m,
                 Err(f) => {
-                    crash!(1, "{}", f.to_str())
+                    crash!(1, "{}", f.to_string())
                 }
             };
             match fs::stat(rfile.path()) {
                 Ok(stat) => (stat.size, Reference),
                 Err(f) => {
-                    show_error!("{}", f.to_str());
+                    show_error!("{}", f.to_string());
                     return Err(1);
                 }
             }
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ fn truncate(no_create: bool, _: bool, reference: Option<String>, size: Option<St
                     let fsize = match fs::stat(file.path()) {
                         Ok(stat) => stat.size,
                         Err(f) => {
-                            show_warning!("{}", f.to_str());
+                            show_warning!("{}", f.to_string());
                             continue;
                         }
                     };
@@ -143,13 +143,13 @@ fn truncate(no_create: bool, _: bool, reference: Option<String>, size: Option<St
                     match file.truncate(tsize as i64) {
                         Ok(_) => {}
                         Err(f) => {
-                            show_error!("{}", f.to_str());
+                            show_error!("{}", f.to_string());
                             return Err(1);
                         }
                     }
                 }
                 Err(f) => {
-                    show_error!("{}", f.to_str());
+                    show_error!("{}", f.to_string());
                     return Err(1);
                 }
             }
diff --git a/uptime/uptime.rs b/uptime/uptime.rs
index 774d46e78..cdd1b82c2 100644
--- a/uptime/uptime.rs
+++ b/uptime/uptime.rs
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ fn print_time() {
 
 fn get_uptime(boot_time: Option<time_t>) -> i64 {
     let proc_uptime = File::open(&Path::new("/proc/uptime"))
-                            .read_to_str();
+                            .read_to_string();
 
     let uptime_text = match proc_uptime {
         Ok(s) => s,
diff --git a/wc/wc.rs b/wc/wc.rs
index a3f01ca3c..110369659 100644
--- a/wc/wc.rs
+++ b/wc/wc.rs
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ pub fn wc(files: Vec<String>, matches: &Matches) -> StdResult<(), int> {
         }
 
         // used for formatting
-        max_str_len = total_byte_count.to_str().len();
+        max_str_len = total_byte_count.to_string().len();
     }
 
     for result in results.iter() {
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ fn open(path: String) -> StdResult<BufferedReader<Box<Reader>>, int> {
             Ok(BufferedReader::new(reader))
         },
         Err(e) => {
-            show_error!("wc: {0:s}: {1:s}", path, e.desc.to_str());
+            show_error!("wc: {0:s}: {1:s}", path, e.desc.to_string());
             Err(1)
         }
     }