diff --git a/doc/effective_go.html b/doc/effective_go.html
index 684f108de9..728e07be11 100644
--- a/doc/effective_go.html
+++ b/doc/effective_go.html
@@ -2435,7 +2435,6 @@ import (
     "http"
     "io"
     "log"
-    "strings"
     "template"
 )
 
@@ -2460,7 +2459,7 @@ func QR(c *http.Conn, req *http.Request) {
 }
 
 func UrlHtmlFormatter(w io.Writer, v interface{}, fmt string) {
-    template.HTMLEscape(w, strings.Bytes(http.URLEscape(v.(string))))
+    template.HTMLEscape(w, []byte(http.URLEscape(v.(string))))
 }
 
 
diff --git a/doc/htmlgen.go b/doc/htmlgen.go
index 8d44fc0787..e4a2b52933 100644
--- a/doc/htmlgen.go
+++ b/doc/htmlgen.go
@@ -15,22 +15,21 @@ import (
 	"bytes";
 	"log";
 	"os";
-	"strings";
 )
 
 var (
 	lines = make([][]byte, 0, 10000);	// assume big enough
 	linebuf = make([]byte, 10000);		// assume big enough
 
-	empty = strings.Bytes("");
-	newline = strings.Bytes("\n");
-	tab = strings.Bytes("\t");
-	quote = strings.Bytes(`"`);
+	empty = []byte("");
+	newline = []byte("\n");
+	tab = []byte("\t");
+	quote = []byte(`"`);
 
-	sectionMarker = strings.Bytes("----\n");
-	preStart = strings.Bytes("<pre>");
-	preEnd = strings.Bytes("</pre>\n");
-	pp = strings.Bytes("<p>\n");
+	sectionMarker = []byte("----\n");
+	preStart = []byte("<pre>");
+	preEnd = []byte("</pre>\n");
+	pp = []byte("<p>\n");
 );
 
 func main() {
@@ -119,7 +118,7 @@ func headings() {
 	b := bufio.NewWriter(os.Stdout);
 	for i, l := range lines {
 		if i > 0 && bytes.Equal(l, sectionMarker) {
-			lines[i-1] = strings.Bytes("<h2>" + string(trim(lines[i-1])) + "</h2>\n");
+			lines[i-1] = []byte("<h2>" + string(trim(lines[i-1])) + "</h2>\n");
 			lines[i] = empty;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/pkg/compress/zlib/reader.go b/src/pkg/compress/zlib/reader.go
index 357a8a337b..c541a8d508 100644
--- a/src/pkg/compress/zlib/reader.go
+++ b/src/pkg/compress/zlib/reader.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ to a buffer:
 
 	var b bytes.Buffer
 	w, err := zlib.NewDeflater(&b)
-	w.Write(strings.Bytes("hello, world\n"))
+	w.Write([]byte("hello, world\n"))
 	w.Close()
 
 and to read that data back:
diff --git a/src/pkg/websocket/client.go b/src/pkg/websocket/client.go
index 9060f8b293..7bf53d840c 100644
--- a/src/pkg/websocket/client.go
+++ b/src/pkg/websocket/client.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func newClient(resourceName, host, origin, location, protocol string, rwc io.Rea
 	 	if err != nil {
 			panic("Dial: ", err.String())
 		}
-		if _, err := ws.Write(strings.Bytes("hello, world!\n")); err != nil {
+		if _, err := ws.Write([]byte("hello, world!\n")); err != nil {
 			panic("Write: ", err.String())
 		}
 		var msg = make([]byte, 512);