diff --git a/src/ncurses_ui.cc b/src/ncurses_ui.cc
index d49efa8c..e5b58a4a 100644
--- a/src/ncurses_ui.cc
+++ b/src/ncurses_ui.cc
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ using std::max;
 
 struct NCursesWin : WINDOW {};
 
-static const StringView assistant_cat[] =
+static constexpr StringView assistant_cat[] =
     { R"(           ___   )",
       R"(          / __)  )",
       R"(          \ \   ╭)",
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ static const StringView assistant_cat[] =
       R"( /_/   /_/       )",
       R"(                 )"};
 
-static const StringView assistant_clippy[] =
+static constexpr StringView assistant_clippy[] =
     { " ╭──╮   ",
       " │  │   ",
       " @  @  ╭",
diff --git a/src/shared_string.hh b/src/shared_string.hh
index 0725c613..f9adf737 100644
--- a/src/shared_string.hh
+++ b/src/shared_string.hh
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ struct StringStorage : UseMemoryDomain<MemoryDomain::SharedString>
         const int len = (int)str.length() + (back != 0 ? 1 : 0);
         void* ptr = StringStorage::operator new(sizeof(StringStorage) + len + 1);
         StringStorage* res = reinterpret_cast<StringStorage*>(ptr);
-        memcpy(res->data(), str.data(), (int)str.length());
+        std::copy(str.begin(), str.end(), res->data());
         res->refcount = 0;
         res->length = len;
         if (back != 0)
diff --git a/src/string.cc b/src/string.cc
index dab1d2fe..db2a7e21 100644
--- a/src/string.cc
+++ b/src/string.cc
@@ -11,10 +11,7 @@ namespace Kakoune
 
 bool operator<(StringView lhs, StringView rhs)
 {
-    int cmp = strncmp(lhs.data(), rhs.data(), (int)std::min(lhs.length(), rhs.length()));
-    if (cmp == 0)
-        return lhs.length() < rhs.length();
-    return cmp < 0;
+    return std::lexicographical_compare(lhs.begin(), lhs.end(), rhs.begin(), rhs.end());
 }
 
 Vector<String> split(StringView str, char separator, char escape)
diff --git a/src/string.hh b/src/string.hh
index 62cbe5cc..7166c8b3 100644
--- a/src/string.hh
+++ b/src/string.hh
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <climits>
-#include <cstring>
 
 namespace Kakoune
 {
@@ -18,6 +17,11 @@ class StringView;
 using StringBase = std::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>,
                                      Allocator<char, MemoryDomain::String>>;
 
+constexpr ByteCount strlen(const char* s)
+{
+    return *s == 0 ? 0 : strlen(s+1) + 1;
+}
+
 class String : public  StringBase
 {
 public:
@@ -65,7 +69,7 @@ public:
     constexpr StringView() : m_data{nullptr}, m_length{0} {}
     constexpr StringView(const char* data, ByteCount length)
         : m_data{data}, m_length{length} {}
-    StringView(const char* data) : m_data{data}, m_length{(int)strlen(data)} {}
+    constexpr StringView(const char* data) : m_data{data}, m_length{strlen(data)} {}
     constexpr StringView(const char* begin, const char* end) : m_data{begin}, m_length{(int)(end - begin)} {}
     template<typename Char, typename Traits, typename Alloc>
     StringView(const std::basic_string<Char, Traits, Alloc>& str) : m_data{str.data()}, m_length{(int)str.length()} {}
@@ -136,7 +140,8 @@ private:
 
 inline bool operator==(StringView lhs, StringView rhs)
 {
-    return lhs.m_length == rhs.m_length and memcmp(lhs.m_data, rhs.m_data, (int)lhs.m_length) == 0;
+    return lhs.m_length == rhs.m_length and
+           std::equal(lhs.begin(), lhs.end(), rhs.begin());
 }
 
 inline bool operator!=(StringView lhs, StringView rhs)