diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 1e78ede87ca..b53820421c7 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -186,7 +186,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde 1.0.21 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "serde_derive 1.0.21 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "serde_json 1.0.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
- "strings 0.1.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "term 0.4.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "toml 0.4.5 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "unicode-segmentation 1.2.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
@@ -242,14 +241,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde 1.0.21 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "strings"
-version = "0.1.1"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-dependencies = [
- "log 0.3.8 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "syn"
 version = "0.11.11"
@@ -363,7 +354,6 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 "checksum serde_derive 1.0.21 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "652bc323d694dc925829725ec6c890156d8e70ae5202919869cb00fe2eff3788"
 "checksum serde_derive_internals 0.17.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "32f1926285523b2db55df263d2aa4eb69ddcfa7a7eade6430323637866b513ab"
 "checksum serde_json 1.0.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "e4586746d1974a030c48919731ecffd0ed28d0c40749d0d18d43b3a7d6c9b20e"
-"checksum strings 0.1.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "aa481ee1bc42fc3df8195f91f7cb43cf8f2b71b48bac40bf5381cfaf7e481f3c"
 "checksum syn 0.11.11 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "d3b891b9015c88c576343b9b3e41c2c11a51c219ef067b264bd9c8aa9b441dad"
 "checksum synom 0.11.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "a393066ed9010ebaed60b9eafa373d4b1baac186dd7e008555b0f702b51945b6"
 "checksum term 0.4.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "fa63644f74ce96fbeb9b794f66aff2a52d601cbd5e80f4b97123e3899f4570f1"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 551f7b38b39..79acfac5b2e 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ serde_json = "1.0"
 unicode-segmentation = "1.0.0"
 regex = "0.2"
 term = "0.4"
-strings = "0.1"
 diff = "0.1"
 log = "0.3"
 env_logger = "0.4"
diff --git a/src/filemap.rs b/src/filemap.rs
index c46b477abaa..68e06f5c9ac 100644
--- a/src/filemap.rs
+++ b/src/filemap.rs
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@
 use std::fs::{self, File};
 use std::io::{self, BufWriter, Read, Write};
 
-use strings::string_buffer::StringBuffer;
-
 use checkstyle::{output_checkstyle_file, output_footer, output_header};
 use config::{Config, NewlineStyle, WriteMode};
 use rustfmt_diff::{make_diff, print_diff, Mismatch};
@@ -22,10 +20,10 @@ use rustfmt_diff::{make_diff, print_diff, Mismatch};
 // A map of the files of a crate, with their new content
 pub type FileMap = Vec<FileRecord>;
 
-pub type FileRecord = (String, StringBuffer);
+pub type FileRecord = (String, String);
 
 // Append a newline to the end of each file.
-pub fn append_newline(s: &mut StringBuffer) {
+pub fn append_newline(s: &mut String) {
     s.push_str("\n");
 }
 
@@ -47,11 +45,7 @@ where
 }
 
 // Prints all newlines either as `\n` or as `\r\n`.
-pub fn write_system_newlines<T>(
-    writer: T,
-    text: &StringBuffer,
-    config: &Config,
-) -> Result<(), io::Error>
+pub fn write_system_newlines<T>(writer: T, text: &String, config: &Config) -> Result<(), io::Error>
 where
     T: Write,
 {
@@ -71,7 +65,7 @@ where
     match style {
         NewlineStyle::Unix => write!(writer, "{}", text),
         NewlineStyle::Windows => {
-            for (c, _) in text.chars() {
+            for c in text.chars() {
                 match c {
                     '\n' => write!(writer, "\r\n")?,
                     '\r' => continue,
@@ -85,7 +79,7 @@ where
 }
 
 pub fn write_file<T>(
-    text: &StringBuffer,
+    text: &String,
     filename: &str,
     out: &mut T,
     config: &Config,
@@ -94,7 +88,7 @@ where
     T: Write,
 {
     fn source_and_formatted_text(
-        text: &StringBuffer,
+        text: &String,
         filename: &str,
         config: &Config,
     ) -> Result<(String, String), io::Error> {
@@ -109,7 +103,7 @@ where
 
     fn create_diff(
         filename: &str,
-        text: &StringBuffer,
+        text: &String,
         config: &Config,
     ) -> Result<Vec<Mismatch>, io::Error> {
         let (ori, fmt) = source_and_formatted_text(text, filename, config)?;
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 18e802b1d2e..a300e961421 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ extern crate serde;
 #[macro_use]
 extern crate serde_derive;
 extern crate serde_json;
-extern crate strings;
 extern crate syntax;
 extern crate term;
 extern crate unicode_segmentation;
@@ -35,7 +34,6 @@ use std::rc::Rc;
 
 use errors::{DiagnosticBuilder, Handler};
 use errors::emitter::{ColorConfig, EmitterWriter};
-use strings::string_buffer::StringBuffer;
 use syntax::ast;
 use syntax::codemap::{CodeMap, FilePathMapping};
 use syntax::parse::{self, ParseSess};
@@ -300,7 +298,7 @@ fn format_ast<F>(
     mut after_file: F,
 ) -> Result<(FileMap, bool), io::Error>
 where
-    F: FnMut(&str, &mut StringBuffer, &[(usize, usize)]) -> Result<bool, io::Error>,
+    F: FnMut(&str, &mut String, &[(usize, usize)]) -> Result<bool, io::Error>,
 {
     let mut result = FileMap::new();
     // diff mode: check if any files are differing
@@ -369,7 +367,7 @@ fn is_skipped_line(line_number: usize, skipped_range: &[(usize, usize)]) -> bool
 // FIXME(#209) warn on bad license
 // FIXME(#20) other stuff for parity with make tidy
 fn format_lines(
-    text: &mut StringBuffer,
+    text: &mut String,
     name: &str,
     skipped_range: &[(usize, usize)],
     config: &Config,
@@ -386,8 +384,10 @@ fn format_lines(
     let mut prev_char: Option<char> = None;
     let mut is_comment = false;
     let mut line_buffer = String::with_capacity(config.max_width() * 2);
+    let mut b = 0;
 
-    for (c, b) in text.chars() {
+    for c in text.chars() {
+        b += 1;
         if c == '\r' {
             continue;
         }
@@ -456,8 +456,8 @@ fn format_lines(
     }
 
     if newline_count > 1 {
-        debug!("track truncate: {} {}", text.len, newline_count);
-        let line = text.len - newline_count + 1;
+        debug!("track truncate: {} {}", text.len(), newline_count);
+        let line = text.len() - newline_count + 1;
         text.truncate(line);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/missed_spans.rs b/src/missed_spans.rs
index 2ed1f50182b..08fd5bd79e3 100644
--- a/src/missed_spans.rs
+++ b/src/missed_spans.rs
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ use codemap::LineRangeUtils;
 use comment::{rewrite_comment, CodeCharKind, CommentCodeSlices};
 use config::WriteMode;
 use shape::{Indent, Shape};
-use utils::{count_newlines, mk_sp};
+use utils::{count_newlines, last_line_width, mk_sp};
 use visitor::FmtVisitor;
 
 impl<'a> FmtVisitor<'a> {
     fn output_at_start(&self) -> bool {
-        self.buffer.len == 0
+        self.buffer.len() == 0
     }
 
     // TODO these format_missing methods are ugly. Refactor and add unit tests
@@ -86,7 +86,11 @@ impl<'a> FmtVisitor<'a> {
 
     fn push_vertical_spaces(&mut self, mut newline_count: usize) {
         // The buffer already has a trailing newline.
-        let offset = if self.buffer.cur_offset() == 0 { 0 } else { 1 };
+        let offset = if last_line_width(&self.buffer) == 0 {
+            0
+        } else {
+            1
+        };
         let newline_upper_bound = self.config.blank_lines_upper_bound() + offset;
         let newline_lower_bound = self.config.blank_lines_lower_bound() + offset;
         if newline_count > newline_upper_bound {
@@ -150,21 +154,21 @@ impl<'a> FmtVisitor<'a> {
         }
 
         if status.rewrite_next_comment {
-            if fix_indent {
+            let comment_indent = if fix_indent {
                 if let Some('{') = last_char {
                     self.push_str("\n");
                 }
                 let indent_str = self.block_indent.to_string(self.config);
                 self.push_str(&indent_str);
+                self.block_indent
             } else {
                 self.push_str(" ");
-            }
-
+                Indent::from_width(self.config, last_line_width(&self.buffer))
+            };
             let comment_width = ::std::cmp::min(
                 self.config.comment_width(),
                 self.config.max_width() - self.block_indent.width(),
             );
-            let comment_indent = Indent::from_width(self.config, self.buffer.cur_offset());
             let comment_shape = Shape::legacy(comment_width, comment_indent);
             let comment_str = rewrite_comment(subslice, false, comment_shape, self.config)
                 .unwrap_or_else(|| String::from(subslice));
diff --git a/src/visitor.rs b/src/visitor.rs
index ac5501cae4c..a7c33d2697c 100644
--- a/src/visitor.rs
+++ b/src/visitor.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
 use std::cmp;
 
-use strings::string_buffer::StringBuffer;
 use syntax::{ast, visit};
 use syntax::attr::HasAttrs;
 use syntax::codemap::{self, BytePos, CodeMap, Pos, Span};
@@ -74,7 +73,7 @@ impl<'a> SnippetProvider<'a> {
 pub struct FmtVisitor<'a> {
     pub parse_session: &'a ParseSess,
     pub codemap: &'a CodeMap,
-    pub buffer: StringBuffer,
+    pub buffer: String,
     pub last_pos: BytePos,
     // FIXME: use an RAII util or closure for indenting
     pub block_indent: Indent,
@@ -252,7 +251,7 @@ impl<'b, 'a: 'b> FmtVisitor<'a> {
     // The closing brace itself, however, should be indented at a shallower
     // level.
     fn close_block(&mut self, unindent_comment: bool) {
-        let total_len = self.buffer.len;
+        let total_len = self.buffer.len();
         let chars_too_many = if unindent_comment {
             0
         } else if self.config.hard_tabs() {
@@ -565,7 +564,7 @@ impl<'b, 'a: 'b> FmtVisitor<'a> {
         FmtVisitor {
             parse_session: parse_session,
             codemap: parse_session.codemap(),
-            buffer: StringBuffer::new(),
+            buffer: String::with_capacity(snippet_provider.big_snippet.len() * 2),
             last_pos: BytePos(0),
             block_indent: Indent::empty(),
             config: config,