diff --git a/core/io/encodings/string/string.factor b/core/io/encodings/string/string.factor
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..acfe2edd89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/io/encodings/string/string.factor
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+USING: io.encodings io io.streams.byte-array ;
+IN: io.encodings.string
+
+: decode-string ( byte-array encoding -- string )
+    <byte-reader> contents ;
diff --git a/extra/http/http.factor b/extra/http/http.factor
index 35fe3ce544..7ed921480c 100755
--- a/extra/http/http.factor
+++ b/extra/http/http.factor
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
 USING: hashtables io io.streams.string kernel math namespaces
 math.parser assocs sequences strings splitting ascii
-io.encodings.utf8 namespaces unicode.case combinators
-vectors sorting new-slots accessors calendar calendar.format
-quotations arrays ;
+io.encodings.utf8 io.encodings io.encodings.string namespaces
+unicode.case combinators vectors sorting new-slots accessors
+calendar calendar.format quotations arrays ;
 IN: http
 
 : http-port 80 ; inline
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ IN: http
     swap "/_-." member? or ; foldable
 
 : push-utf8 ( ch -- )
-    1string encode-utf8 [ CHAR: % , >hex 2 CHAR: 0 pad-left % ] each ;
+    1string utf8 encode-string [ CHAR: % , >hex 2 CHAR: 0 pad-left % ] each ;
 
 : url-encode ( str -- str )
     [ [
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ IN: http
     ] if ;
 
 : url-decode ( str -- str )
-    [ 0 swap url-decode-iter ] "" make decode-utf8 ;
+    [ 0 swap url-decode-iter ] "" make utf8 decode-string ;
 
 : crlf "\r\n" write ;
 
diff --git a/extra/ui/x11/x11.factor b/extra/ui/x11/x11.factor
index 1fec668717..ae56c6a43f 100755
--- a/extra/ui/x11/x11.factor
+++ b/extra/ui/x11/x11.factor
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 USING: alien alien.c-types arrays ui ui.gadgets ui.gestures
 ui.backend ui.clipboards ui.gadgets.worlds assocs kernel math
 namespaces opengl sequences strings x11.xlib x11.events x11.xim
-x11.glx x11.clipboard x11.constants x11.windows
+x11.glx x11.clipboard x11.constants x11.windows io.encodings
 io.encodings.utf8 combinators debugger system command-line
 ui.render math.vectors tuples opengl.gl threads ;
 IN: ui.x11
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ M: world selection-notify-event
 
 : encode-clipboard ( string type -- bytes )
     XSelectionRequestEvent-target XA_UTF8_STRING =
-    [ encode-utf8 ] [ string>char-alien ] if ;
+    [ utf8 encode-string ] [ string>char-alien ] if ;
 
 : set-selection-prop ( evt -- )
     dpy get swap
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ M: x-clipboard paste-clipboard
 : set-title-new ( dpy window string -- )
     >r
     XA_NET_WM_NAME XA_UTF8_STRING 8 PropModeReplace
-    r> encode-utf8 dup length XChangeProperty drop ;
+    r> utf8 encode-string dup length XChangeProperty drop ;
 
 M: x11-ui-backend set-title ( string world -- )
     world-handle x11-handle-window swap dpy get -rot
diff --git a/extra/x11/clipboard/clipboard.factor b/extra/x11/clipboard/clipboard.factor
index eb4191ebb1..b839e262d9 100755
--- a/extra/x11/clipboard/clipboard.factor
+++ b/extra/x11/clipboard/clipboard.factor
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 ! Copyright (C) 2006, 2007 Slava Pestov
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
 USING: alien alien.c-types alien.syntax arrays kernel math
-namespaces sequences io.encodings.utf8 x11.xlib x11.constants ;
+namespaces sequences io.encodings.string io.encodings.utf8 x11.xlib
+x11.constants ;
 IN: x11.clipboard
 
 ! This code was based on by McCLIM's Backends/CLX/port.lisp
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ TUPLE: x-clipboard atom contents ;
     >r XSelectionEvent-property zero? [
         r> drop f
     ] [
-        r> selection-property 1 window-property decode-utf8
+        r> selection-property 1 window-property utf8 decode-string
     ] if ;
 
 : own-selection ( prop win -- )