diff --git a/gio/glib-compile-schemas.c b/gio/glib-compile-schemas.c
index acabfb6b4..efe6f8e77 100644
--- a/gio/glib-compile-schemas.c
+++ b/gio/glib-compile-schemas.c
@@ -709,8 +709,8 @@ key_state_serialise (KeyState *state)
               gsize size;
               gsize i;
 
-              data = state->strinfo->str;
               size = state->strinfo->len;
+              data = g_string_free_and_steal (g_steal_pointer (&state->strinfo));
 
               words = data;
               for (i = 0; i < size / sizeof (guint32); i++)
@@ -720,9 +720,6 @@ key_state_serialise (KeyState *state)
                                                data, size, TRUE,
                                                g_free, data);
 
-              g_string_free (state->strinfo, FALSE);
-              state->strinfo = NULL;
-
               g_variant_builder_add (&builder, "(y@au)",
                                      state->is_flags ? 'f' :
                                      state->is_enum ? 'e' : 'c',
diff --git a/glib/gkeyfile.c b/glib/gkeyfile.c
index 6ae738ca1..fb65d55c5 100644
--- a/glib/gkeyfile.c
+++ b/glib/gkeyfile.c
@@ -3546,10 +3546,7 @@ g_key_file_get_key_comment (GKeyFile     *key_file,
     }
 
   if (string != NULL)
-    {
-      comment = string->str;
-      g_string_free (string, FALSE);
-    }
+    comment = g_string_free_and_steal (g_steal_pointer (&string));
   else
     comment = NULL;
 
diff --git a/glib/tests/markup-subparser.c b/glib/tests/markup-subparser.c
index e2e94ea90..626b4274d 100644
--- a/glib/tests/markup-subparser.c
+++ b/glib/tests/markup-subparser.c
@@ -83,9 +83,7 @@ subparser_end (GMarkupParseContext  *ctx,
   char *result;
 
   string = g_markup_parse_context_pop (ctx);
-  result = string->str;
-
-  g_string_free (string, FALSE);
+  result = g_string_free_and_steal (g_steal_pointer (&string));
   strings_allocated--;
 
   if (result == NULL || result[0] == '\0')
@@ -156,9 +154,7 @@ replay_parser_end (GMarkupParseContext  *ctx,
       return NULL;
     }
 
-  result = string->str;
-
-  g_string_free (string, FALSE);
+  result = g_string_free_and_steal (g_steal_pointer (&string));
   strings_allocated--;
 
   if (result == NULL || result[0] == '\0')