diff --git a/cores/libretro-ffmpeg/ffmpeg_core.c b/cores/libretro-ffmpeg/ffmpeg_core.c
index 13ea915762..0569b7341b 100644
--- a/cores/libretro-ffmpeg/ffmpeg_core.c
+++ b/cores/libretro-ffmpeg/ffmpeg_core.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #include <rthreads/rthreads.h>
 #include <queues/fifo_queue.h>
+#include <string/stdstring.h>
 
 #include <libretro.h>
 #ifdef RARCH_INTERNAL
@@ -339,9 +340,9 @@ static void check_variables(void)
 
    if (CORE_PREFIX(environ_cb)(RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_GET_VARIABLE, &var) && var.value)
    {
-      if (!strcmp(var.value, "enabled"))
+      if (string_is_equal(var.value, "enabled"))
          temporal_interpolation = true;
-      else if (!strcmp(var.value, "disabled"))
+      else if (string_is_equal(var.value, "disabled"))
          temporal_interpolation = false;
    }
 
@@ -373,13 +374,13 @@ static void check_variables(void)
    if (CORE_PREFIX(environ_cb)(RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_GET_VARIABLE, &color_var) && color_var.value)
    {
       slock_lock(decode_thread_lock);
-      if (!strcmp(color_var.value, "BT.709"))
+      if (string_is_equal(color_var.value, "BT.709"))
          colorspace = AVCOL_SPC_BT709;
-      else if (!strcmp(color_var.value, "BT.601"))
+      else if (string_is_equal(color_var.value, "BT.601"))
          colorspace = AVCOL_SPC_BT470BG;
-      else if (!strcmp(color_var.value, "FCC"))
+      else if (string_is_equal(color_var.value, "FCC"))
          colorspace = AVCOL_SPC_FCC;
-      else if (!strcmp(color_var.value, "SMPTE240M"))
+      else if (string_is_equal(color_var.value, "SMPTE240M"))
          colorspace = AVCOL_SPC_SMPTE240M;
       else
          colorspace = AVCOL_SPC_UNSPECIFIED;
diff --git a/cores/libretro-video-processor/video_processor_v4l2.c b/cores/libretro-video-processor/video_processor_v4l2.c
index f562781dd3..d49d0900aa 100644
--- a/cores/libretro-video-processor/video_processor_v4l2.c
+++ b/cores/libretro-video-processor/video_processor_v4l2.c
@@ -59,7 +59,10 @@
 #include <libudev.h>
 #endif
 
-struct video_buffer {
+#include <string/stdstring.h>
+
+struct video_buffer
+{
    void   *start;
    size_t   len;
 };
@@ -215,7 +218,7 @@ enumerate_audio_devices(char *buf, size_t buflen)
    {
       name = snd_device_name_get_hint(*n, "NAME");
       ioid = snd_device_name_get_hint(*n, "IOID");
-      if ((ioid == NULL || !strcmp(ioid, "Input")) &&
+      if ((ioid == NULL || string_is_equal(ioid, "Input")) &&
           (!strncmp(name, "hw:", strlen("hw:")) || 
            !strncmp(name, "default:", strlen("default:"))))
       {
diff --git a/libretro-common/audio/dsp_filters/iir.c b/libretro-common/audio/dsp_filters/iir.c
index 015b275900..801e908569 100644
--- a/libretro-common/audio/dsp_filters/iir.c
+++ b/libretro-common/audio/dsp_filters/iir.c
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 #include <retro_miscellaneous.h>
 #include <libretro_dspfilter.h>
+#include <string/stdstring.h>
 
 #define sqr(a) ((a) * (a))
 
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ static void iir_process(void *data, struct dspfilter_output *output,
    iir->r.yn2 = yn2_r;
 }
 
-#define CHECK(x) if (!strcmp(str, #x)) return x
+#define CHECK(x) if (string_is_equal(str, #x)) return x
 static enum IIRFilter str_to_type(const char *str)
 {
    CHECK(LPF);
diff --git a/libretro-common/file/file_path.c b/libretro-common/file/file_path.c
index 61ac4b3182..7438cd51d1 100644
--- a/libretro-common/file/file_path.c
+++ b/libretro-common/file/file_path.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ bool path_mkdir(const char *dir)
       return false;
 
    path_parent_dir(basedir);
-   if (!*basedir || !strcmp(basedir, dir))
+   if (!*basedir || string_is_equal(basedir, dir))
       goto end;
 
    if (path_is_directory(basedir))
diff --git a/libretro-common/formats/xml/rxml.c b/libretro-common/formats/xml/rxml.c
index 1150e8e1b9..c53ed9220a 100644
--- a/libretro-common/formats/xml/rxml.c
+++ b/libretro-common/formats/xml/rxml.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include <boolean.h>
 #include <streams/file_stream.h>
 #include <compat/posix_string.h>
+#include <string/stdstring.h>
 
 #include <formats/rxml.h>
 
@@ -483,7 +484,7 @@ char *rxml_node_attrib(struct rxml_node *node, const char *attrib)
    struct rxml_attrib_node *attribs = NULL;
    for (attribs = node->attrib; attribs; attribs = attribs->next)
    {
-      if (!strcmp(attrib, attribs->attrib))
+      if (string_is_equal(attrib, attribs->attrib))
          return attribs->value;
    }
 
diff --git a/libretro-common/utils/sha1.c b/libretro-common/utils/sha1.c
index 20741db2f0..9539880d7d 100644
--- a/libretro-common/utils/sha1.c
+++ b/libretro-common/utils/sha1.c
@@ -437,6 +437,7 @@ void SHA1PadMessage(SHA1Context *context)
 #include <io.h>
 #endif
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <string/stdstring.h>
 /*#include "sha1.h"*/
 
 /*
@@ -477,8 +478,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     *  Check the program arguments and print usage information if -?
     *  or --help is passed as the first argument.
     */
-   if (argc > 1 && (!strcmp(argv[1],"-?") ||
-            !strcmp(argv[1],"--help")))
+   if (argc > 1 && (string_is_equal(argv[1],"-?") ||
+            string_is_equal(argv[1],"--help")))
    {
       usage();
       return 1;
@@ -498,7 +499,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
       if (i == 0)
          i++;
 
-      if (argc == 1 || !strcmp(argv[i],"-"))
+      if (argc == 1 || string_is_equal(argv[i],"-"))
       {
 #ifdef WIN32
          setmode(fileno(stdin), _O_BINARY);
diff --git a/libretro-db/lua/lua_common.c b/libretro-db/lua/lua_common.c
index d7e87bee75..9b80712bae 100644
--- a/libretro-db/lua/lua_common.c
+++ b/libretro-db/lua/lua_common.c
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
+#include <string/stdstring.h>
+
 int libretrodb_lua_to_rmsgpack_value(lua_State *L, int index,
       struct rmsgpack_dom_value * out)
 {
@@ -137,7 +139,7 @@ set_nil:
       int j;
       for(j = 0; j < out->val.map.len; j++)
       {
-         if(!strcmp(ordered_keys[i], out->val.map.items[j].key.val.string.buff))
+         if(string_is_equal(ordered_keys[i], out->val.map.items[j].key.val.string.buff))
          {
             *ordered_pairs_outp++ = out->val.map.items[j];
             break;