diff --git a/src/ccall.cpp b/src/ccall.cpp
index f75426033a37f..196ec82ee802f 100644
--- a/src/ccall.cpp
+++ b/src/ccall.cpp
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ static native_sym_arg_t interpret_symbol_arg(jl_value_t *arg, jl_codectx_t *ctx,
         }
         if (jl_is_symbol(ptr))
             f_name = jl_symbol_name((jl_sym_t*)ptr);
-        else if (jl_is_byte_string(ptr))
+        else if (jl_is_string(ptr))
             f_name = jl_string_data(ptr);
         if (f_name != NULL) {
             // just symbol, default to JuliaDLHandle
@@ -383,13 +383,13 @@ static native_sym_arg_t interpret_symbol_arg(jl_value_t *arg, jl_codectx_t *ctx,
             jl_value_t *t1 = jl_fieldref(ptr,1);
             if (jl_is_symbol(t0))
                 f_name = jl_symbol_name((jl_sym_t*)t0);
-            else if (jl_is_byte_string(t0))
+            else if (jl_is_string(t0))
                 f_name = jl_string_data(t0);
             else
                 JL_TYPECHKS(fname, symbol, t0);
             if (jl_is_symbol(t1))
                 f_lib = jl_symbol_name((jl_sym_t*)t1);
-            else if (jl_is_byte_string(t1))
+            else if (jl_is_string(t1))
                 f_lib = jl_string_data(t1);
             else
                 JL_TYPECHKS(fname, symbol, t1);
@@ -653,10 +653,10 @@ static jl_cgval_t emit_llvmcall(jl_value_t **args, size_t nargs, jl_codectx_t *c
             jl_error("Tuple as first argument to llvmcall must have exactly two children");
         decl = jl_fieldref(ir,0);
         ir = jl_fieldref(ir,1);
-        if (!jl_is_byte_string(decl))
+        if (!jl_is_string(decl))
             jl_error("Declarations passed to llvmcall must be a string");
     }
-    bool isString = jl_is_byte_string(ir);
+    bool isString = jl_is_string(ir);
     bool isPtr = jl_is_cpointer(ir);
     if (!isString && !isPtr) {
         jl_error("IR passed to llvmcall must be a string or pointer to an LLVM Function");
diff --git a/src/cgutils.cpp b/src/cgutils.cpp
index 12e21221dbcbe..2d790b5b56f43 100644
--- a/src/cgutils.cpp
+++ b/src/cgutils.cpp
@@ -1598,7 +1598,7 @@ static void emit_setfield(jl_datatype_t *sty, const jl_cgval_t &strct, size_t id
 static bool might_need_root(jl_value_t *ex)
 {
     return (!jl_is_symbol(ex) && !jl_is_slot(ex) && !jl_is_ssavalue(ex) &&
-            !jl_is_bool(ex) && !jl_is_quotenode(ex) && !jl_is_byte_string(ex) &&
+            !jl_is_bool(ex) && !jl_is_quotenode(ex) && !jl_is_string(ex) &&
             !jl_is_globalref(ex));
 }
 
diff --git a/src/interpreter.c b/src/interpreter.c
index d1754101378f6..a93d6128cbb8e 100644
--- a/src/interpreter.c
+++ b/src/interpreter.c
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ static jl_value_t *eval(jl_value_t *e, jl_value_t **locals, jl_lambda_info_t *la
     else if (ex->head == error_sym || ex->head == jl_incomplete_sym) {
         if (nargs == 0)
             jl_error("malformed \"error\" expression");
-        if (jl_is_byte_string(args[0]))
+        if (jl_is_string(args[0]))
             jl_errorf("syntax: %s", jl_string_data(args[0]));
         jl_throw(args[0]);
     }
diff --git a/src/jlapi.c b/src/jlapi.c
index 06d0ec8b4c215..479132d996c59 100644
--- a/src/jlapi.c
+++ b/src/jlapi.c
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ static const char *git_info_string(const char *fld)
     if (!GIT_VERSION_INFO)
         GIT_VERSION_INFO = jl_get_global(jl_base_module, jl_symbol("GIT_VERSION_INFO"));
     jl_value_t *f = jl_get_field(GIT_VERSION_INFO, fld);
-    assert(jl_is_byte_string(f));
+    assert(jl_is_string(f));
     return jl_string_data(f);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/julia.h b/src/julia.h
index 02dd3d72e66f9..8066af83bc133 100644
--- a/src/julia.h
+++ b/src/julia.h
@@ -863,8 +863,7 @@ static inline uint32_t jl_fielddesc_size(int8_t fielddesc_type)
 #define jl_is_module(v)      jl_typeis(v,jl_module_type)
 #define jl_is_mtable(v)      jl_typeis(v,jl_methtable_type)
 #define jl_is_task(v)        jl_typeis(v,jl_task_type)
-#define jl_is_utf8_string(v) jl_typeis(v,jl_string_type)
-#define jl_is_byte_string(v) jl_is_utf8_string(v)
+#define jl_is_string(v)      jl_typeis(v,jl_string_type)
 #define jl_is_cpointer(v)    jl_is_cpointer_type(jl_typeof(v))
 #define jl_is_pointer(v)     jl_is_cpointer_type(jl_typeof(v))