diff --git a/src/libstd/ebml.rs b/src/libstd/ebml.rs
index 331bede5b7a..513897997a5 100644
--- a/src/libstd/ebml.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/ebml.rs
@@ -311,11 +311,8 @@ pub mod reader {
         fn read_f64(&self) -> f64 { fail!(~"read_f64()"); }
         fn read_f32(&self) -> f32 { fail!(~"read_f32()"); }
         fn read_float(&self) -> float { fail!(~"read_float()"); }
-
         fn read_char(&self) -> char { fail!(~"read_char()"); }
-
-        fn read_owned_str(&self) -> ~str { doc_as_str(self.next_doc(EsStr)) }
-        fn read_managed_str(&self) -> @str { fail!(~"read_managed_str()"); }
+        fn read_str(&self) -> ~str { doc_as_str(self.next_doc(EsStr)) }
 
         // Compound types:
         fn read_owned<T>(&self, f: &fn() -> T) -> T {
@@ -650,18 +647,10 @@ pub mod writer {
             fail!(~"Unimplemented: serializing a char");
         }
 
-        fn emit_borrowed_str(&self, v: &str) {
+        fn emit_str(&self, v: &str) {
             self.wr_tagged_str(EsStr as uint, v)
         }
 
-        fn emit_owned_str(&self, v: &str) {
-            self.emit_borrowed_str(v)
-        }
-
-        fn emit_managed_str(&self, v: &str) {
-            self.emit_borrowed_str(v)
-        }
-
         fn emit_borrowed(&self, f: &fn()) { f() }
         fn emit_owned(&self, f: &fn()) { f() }
         fn emit_managed(&self, f: &fn()) { f() }
diff --git a/src/libstd/json.rs b/src/libstd/json.rs
index 4b0e313330d..373131e9e65 100644
--- a/src/libstd/json.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/json.rs
@@ -105,20 +105,14 @@ impl serialize::Encoder for Encoder {
         self.wr.write_str(float::to_str_digits(v, 6u));
     }
 
-    fn emit_char(&self, v: char) { self.emit_borrowed_str(str::from_char(v)) }
-
-    fn emit_borrowed_str(&self, v: &str) { self.wr.write_str(escape_str(v)) }
-    fn emit_owned_str(&self, v: &str) { self.emit_borrowed_str(v) }
-    fn emit_managed_str(&self, v: &str) { self.emit_borrowed_str(v) }
+    fn emit_char(&self, v: char) { self.emit_str(str::from_char(v)) }
+    fn emit_str(&self, v: &str) { self.wr.write_str(escape_str(v)) }
 
     fn emit_borrowed(&self, f: &fn()) { f() }
     fn emit_owned(&self, f: &fn()) { f() }
     fn emit_managed(&self, f: &fn()) { f() }
 
-    fn emit_enum(&self, _name: &str, f: &fn()) {
-        f()
-    }
-
+    fn emit_enum(&self, _name: &str, f: &fn()) { f() }
     fn emit_enum_variant(&self, name: &str, _id: uint, cnt: uint, f: &fn()) {
         // enums are encoded as strings or vectors:
         // Bunny => "Bunny"
@@ -224,15 +218,8 @@ impl serialize::Encoder for PrettyEncoder {
         self.wr.write_str(float::to_str_digits(v, 6u));
     }
 
-    fn emit_char(&self, v: char) { self.emit_borrowed_str(str::from_char(v)) }
-
-    fn emit_borrowed_str(&self, v: &str) { self.wr.write_str(escape_str(v)); }
-    fn emit_owned_str(&self, v: &str) { self.emit_borrowed_str(v) }
-    fn emit_managed_str(&self, v: &str) { self.emit_borrowed_str(v) }
-
-    fn emit_borrowed(&self, f: &fn()) { f() }
-    fn emit_owned(&self, f: &fn()) { f() }
-    fn emit_managed(&self, f: &fn()) { f() }
+    fn emit_char(&self, v: char) { self.emit_str(str::from_char(v)) }
+    fn emit_str(&self, v: &str) { self.wr.write_str(escape_str(v)); }
 
     fn emit_enum(&self, _name: &str, f: &fn()) { f() }
     fn emit_enum_variant(&self, name: &str, _id: uint, cnt: uint, f: &fn()) {
@@ -818,36 +805,19 @@ impl<'self> serialize::Decoder for Decoder<'self> {
 
     fn read_char(&self) -> char {
         let mut v = ~[];
-        for str::each_char(self.read_owned_str()) |c| { v.push(c) }
+        for str::each_char(self.read_str()) |c| { v.push(c) }
         if v.len() != 1 { fail!(~"string must have one character") }
         v[0]
     }
 
-    fn read_owned_str(&self) -> ~str {
-        debug!("read_owned_str");
+    fn read_str(&self) -> ~str {
+        debug!("read_str");
         match *self.pop() {
             String(ref s) => copy *s,
             ref json => fail!(fmt!("not a string: %?", *json))
         }
     }
 
-    fn read_managed_str(&self) -> @str {
-        debug!("read_managed_str");
-        match *self.pop() {
-            String(ref s) => s.to_managed(),
-            ref json => fail!(fmt!("not a string: %?", *json))
-        }
-    }
-
-    fn read_owned<T>(&self, f: &fn() -> T) -> T {
-        debug!("read_owned()");
-        f()
-    }
-
-    fn read_managed<T>(&self, f: &fn() -> T) -> T {
-        debug!("read_managed()");
-        f()
-    }
 
     fn read_enum<T>(&self, name: &str, f: &fn() -> T) -> T {
         debug!("read_enum(%s)", name);
diff --git a/src/libstd/serialize.rs b/src/libstd/serialize.rs
index 3c9ad0d77d1..daf834dad2e 100644
--- a/src/libstd/serialize.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/serialize.rs
@@ -38,9 +38,7 @@ pub trait Encoder {
     fn emit_f64(&self, v: f64);
     fn emit_f32(&self, v: f32);
     fn emit_char(&self, v: char);
-    fn emit_borrowed_str(&self, v: &str);
-    fn emit_owned_str(&self, v: &str);
-    fn emit_managed_str(&self, v: &str);
+    fn emit_str(&self, v: &str);
 
     // Compound types:
     fn emit_borrowed(&self, f: &fn());
@@ -87,20 +85,16 @@ pub trait Decoder {
     fn read_f32(&self) -> f32;
     fn read_float(&self) -> float;
     fn read_char(&self) -> char;
-    fn read_owned_str(&self) -> ~str;
-    fn read_managed_str(&self) -> @str;
+    fn read_str(&self) -> ~str;
 
     // Compound types:
     fn read_enum<T>(&self, name: &str, f: &fn() -> T) -> T;
-
     #[cfg(stage0)]
     fn read_enum_variant<T>(&self, f: &fn(uint) -> T) -> T;
-
     #[cfg(stage1)]
     #[cfg(stage2)]
     #[cfg(stage3)]
     fn read_enum_variant<T>(&self, names: &[&str], f: &fn(uint) -> T) -> T;
-
     fn read_enum_variant_arg<T>(&self, idx: uint, f: &fn() -> T) -> T;
 
     fn read_owned<T>(&self, f: &fn() -> T) -> T;
@@ -230,27 +224,25 @@ impl<D:Decoder> Decodable<D> for i64 {
 }
 
 impl<'self, S:Encoder> Encodable<S> for &'self str {
-    fn encode(&self, s: &S) { s.emit_borrowed_str(*self) }
+    fn encode(&self, s: &S) { s.emit_str(*self) }
 }
 
 impl<S:Encoder> Encodable<S> for ~str {
-    fn encode(&self, s: &S) { s.emit_owned_str(*self) }
+    fn encode(&self, s: &S) { s.emit_str(*self) }
 }
 
 impl<D:Decoder> Decodable<D> for ~str {
     fn decode(d: &D) -> ~str {
-        d.read_owned_str()
+        d.read_str()
     }
 }
 
 impl<S:Encoder> Encodable<S> for @str {
-    fn encode(&self, s: &S) { s.emit_managed_str(*self) }
+    fn encode(&self, s: &S) { s.emit_str(*self) }
 }
 
 impl<D:Decoder> Decodable<D> for @str {
-    fn decode(d: &D) -> @str {
-        d.read_managed_str()
-    }
+    fn decode(d: &D) -> @str { d.read_str().to_managed() }
 }
 
 impl<S:Encoder> Encodable<S> for float {
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/ast.rs b/src/libsyntax/ast.rs
index c2f098f3c3e..78debbba31c 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/ast.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/ast.rs
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ impl<S:Encoder> Encodable<S> for ident {
             Some(intr) => intr
         };
 
-        s.emit_owned_str(*(*intr).get(*self));
+        s.emit_str(*(*intr).get(*self));
     }
 }
 
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ impl<D:Decoder> Decodable<D> for ident {
             Some(intr) => intr
         };
 
-        (*intr).intern(@d.read_owned_str())
+        (*intr).intern(@d.read_str())
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/ext/auto_encode.rs b/src/libsyntax/ext/auto_encode.rs
index d7e0e9aa550..54f9967e64a 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/ext/auto_encode.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/ext/auto_encode.rs
@@ -1240,10 +1240,7 @@ mod test {
         fn emit_float(&self, +_v: float) { self.add_unknown_to_log(); }
 
         fn emit_char(&self, +_v: char) { self.add_unknown_to_log(); }
-
-        fn emit_borrowed_str(&self, +_v: &str) { self.add_unknown_to_log(); }
-        fn emit_owned_str(&self, +_v: &str) { self.add_unknown_to_log(); }
-        fn emit_managed_str(&self, +_v: &str) { self.add_unknown_to_log(); }
+        fn emit_str(&self, +_v: &str) { self.add_unknown_to_log(); }
 
         fn emit_borrowed(&self, f: &fn()) { self.add_unknown_to_log(); f() }
         fn emit_owned(&self, f: &fn()) { self.add_unknown_to_log(); f() }