diff --git a/src/libcore/os.rs b/src/libcore/os.rs
index 875a2572c7e..f30348f9e85 100644
--- a/src/libcore/os.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/os.rs
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ fn fill_charp_buf(f: fn(*mutable c_char, size_t) -> bool)
     let buf = vec::to_mut(vec::from_elem(tmpbuf_sz, 0u8 as c_char));
     vec::as_mut_buf(buf) { |b|
         if f(b, tmpbuf_sz as size_t) {
-            some(str::from_cstr(b as *u8))
+            some(str::from_buf(b as *u8))
         } else {
             none
         }
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ fn getenv(n: str) -> option<str> unsafe {
             option::none::<str>
         } else {
             let s = unsafe::reinterpret_cast(s);
-            option::some::<str>(str::from_cstr(s))
+            option::some::<str>(str::from_buf(s))
         };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libcore/str.rs b/src/libcore/str.rs
index 276b1608786..4fea35638a4 100644
--- a/src/libcore/str.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/str.rs
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ export
    push_char,
    from_char,
    from_chars,
-   from_cstr,
-   from_cstr_len,
+   from_buf,
+   from_buf_len,
    concat,
    connect,
 
@@ -182,27 +182,27 @@ fn from_chars(chs: [char]) -> str {
     ret buf;
 }
 
-#[doc = "Create a Rust string from a null-terminated C string"]
-fn from_cstr(cstr: *u8) -> str unsafe {
-    let mut curr = cstr, i = 0u;
+#[doc = "Create a Rust string from a null-terminated *u8 buffer"]
+fn from_buf(buf: *u8) -> str unsafe {
+    let mut curr = buf, i = 0u;
     while *curr != 0u8 {
         i += 1u;
-        curr = ptr::offset(cstr, i);
+        curr = ptr::offset(buf, i);
     }
-    ret from_cstr_len(cstr, i);
+    ret from_buf_len(buf, i);
 }
 
-#[doc = "Create a Rust string from a C string of the given length"]
-fn from_cstr_len(cstr: *u8, len: uint) -> str unsafe {
-    let mut buf: [u8] = [];
-    vec::reserve(buf, len + 1u);
-    vec::as_buf(buf) {|b| ptr::memcpy(b, cstr, len); }
-    vec::unsafe::set_len(buf, len);
-    buf += [0u8];
+#[doc = "Create a Rust string from a *u8 buffer of the given length"]
+fn from_buf_len(buf: *u8, len: uint) -> str unsafe {
+    let mut v: [u8] = [];
+    vec::reserve(v, len + 1u);
+    vec::as_buf(v) {|b| ptr::memcpy(b, buf, len); }
+    vec::unsafe::set_len(v, len);
+    v += [0u8];
 
-    assert is_utf8(buf);
-    let s: str = ::unsafe::reinterpret_cast(buf);
-    ::unsafe::leak(buf);
+    assert is_utf8(v);
+    let s: str = ::unsafe::reinterpret_cast(v);
+    ::unsafe::leak(v);
     ret s;
 }
 
@@ -1946,18 +1946,18 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn test_from_cstr() unsafe {
+    fn test_from_buf() unsafe {
         let a = [65u8, 65u8, 65u8, 65u8, 65u8, 65u8, 65u8, 0u8];
         let b = vec::unsafe::to_ptr(a);
-        let c = from_cstr(b);
+        let c = from_buf(b);
         assert (c == "AAAAAAA");
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn test_from_cstr_len() unsafe {
+    fn test_from_buf_len() unsafe {
         let a = [65u8, 65u8, 65u8, 65u8, 65u8, 65u8, 65u8, 0u8];
         let b = vec::unsafe::to_ptr(a);
-        let c = from_cstr_len(b, 3u);
+        let c = from_buf_len(b, 3u);
         assert (c == "AAA");
     }
 
@@ -1979,7 +1979,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn test_as_buf2() unsafe {
         let s = "hello";
         let sb = as_buf(s, {|b| b });
-        let s_cstr = from_cstr(sb);
+        let s_cstr = from_buf(sb);
         assert (eq(s_cstr, s));
     }
 
diff --git a/src/rustc/back/link.rs b/src/rustc/back/link.rs
index 769a79f2aca..b676a108be6 100644
--- a/src/rustc/back/link.rs
+++ b/src/rustc/back/link.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ fn llvm_err(sess: session, msg: str) -> ! unsafe {
     let buf = llvm::LLVMRustGetLastError();
     if buf == ptr::null() {
         sess.fatal(msg);
-    } else { sess.fatal(msg + ": " + str::from_cstr(buf)); }
+    } else { sess.fatal(msg + ": " + str::from_buf(buf)); }
 }
 
 fn load_intrinsics_bc(sess: session) -> option<ModuleRef> {
diff --git a/src/rustc/metadata/creader.rs b/src/rustc/metadata/creader.rs
index aaceaa9bd07..124e148da74 100644
--- a/src/rustc/metadata/creader.rs
+++ b/src/rustc/metadata/creader.rs
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ fn get_metadata_section(sess: session::session,
     let si = mk_section_iter(of.llof);
     while llvm::LLVMIsSectionIteratorAtEnd(of.llof, si.llsi) == False {
         let name_buf = llvm::LLVMGetSectionName(si.llsi);
-        let name = unsafe { str::from_cstr(name_buf) };
+        let name = unsafe { str::from_buf(name_buf) };
         if str::eq(name, sess.targ_cfg.target_strs.meta_sect_name) {
             let cbuf = llvm::LLVMGetSectionContents(si.llsi);
             let csz = llvm::LLVMGetSectionSize(si.llsi) as uint;