diff --git a/extra/elf/nm/nm-tests.factor b/extra/elf/nm/nm-tests.factor
index 90d9634750..7d8779633c 100644
--- a/extra/elf/nm/nm-tests.factor
+++ b/extra/elf/nm/nm-tests.factor
@@ -48,6 +48,6 @@ STRING: validation-output
 
 cpu ppc? [
     { $ validation-output }
-    [ <string-writer> dup [ "resource:extra/elf/a.elf" elf-nm ] with-output-stream >string ]
+    [ [ "resource:extra/elf/a.elf" elf-nm ] with-string-writer ]
     unit-test
 ] unless
diff --git a/extra/macho/macho-tests.factor b/extra/macho/macho-tests.factor
index 561a98cd70..76772f5bce 100644
--- a/extra/macho/macho-tests.factor
+++ b/extra/macho/macho-tests.factor
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ STRING: validation-output
 
 cpu ppc? [
     { $ validation-output }
-    [ <string-writer> dup [ "resource:extra/macho/a.macho" macho-nm ] with-output-stream >string ]
+    [ [ "resource:extra/macho/a.macho" macho-nm ] with-string-writer ]
     unit-test
-    
+
     { t } [
         "resource:extra/macho/a2.macho" [
             >c-ptr fat-binary-members first data>> >c-ptr macho-header 64-bit?
diff --git a/extra/tar/tar.factor b/extra/tar/tar.factor
index e56f398008..13dc84643b 100644
--- a/extra/tar/tar.factor
+++ b/extra/tar/tar.factor
@@ -155,8 +155,8 @@ C: <symbolic-link> symbolic-link
 : typeflag-L ( header -- )
     drop
     ;
-    ! <string-writer> [ read-data-blocks ] keep
-    ! >string [ zero? ] trim-tail filename set
+    ! [ read-data-blocks ] with-string-writer
+    ! [ zero? ] trim-tail filename set
     ! filename get prepend-current-directory make-directories ;
 
 ! Multi volume continuation entry