diff --git a/rust/src/macros.rs b/rust/src/macros.rs
index c42ecbde0..de04f1082 100644
--- a/rust/src/macros.rs
+++ b/rust/src/macros.rs
@@ -4,9 +4,7 @@
 
 #[allow(unused_imports)]
 // enjoy briefer doc comments
-use crate::{
-    notcurses_render, NcError, NcResult, Notcurses, NCRESULT_ERR, NCRESULT_OK, NcDirect,
-};
+use crate::{notcurses_render, NcDirect, NcError, NcResult, Notcurses, NCRESULT_ERR, NCRESULT_OK};
 
 // Sleep, Render & Flush Macros ------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -79,6 +77,16 @@ macro_rules! cstring {
     };
 }
 
+/// Converts a `*const c_char` into an `&str`.
+#[macro_export]
+macro_rules! rstring {
+    ($s:expr) => {
+        unsafe { std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr($s).to_str().unwrap() }
+        // possible alternative
+        // unsafe { std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr($s).to_string_lossy() }
+    };
+}
+
 /// Wrapper around [libc::printf].
 #[macro_export]
 macro_rules! printf {
diff --git a/rust/src/notcurses/methods.rs b/rust/src/notcurses/methods.rs
index 1d282cb7e..074b2f417 100644
--- a/rust/src/notcurses/methods.rs
+++ b/rust/src/notcurses/methods.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 //! `Notcurses*` methods and associated functions.
 
 use core::ptr::{null, null_mut};
-use std::ffi::CStr;
 
 use crate::{
-    cstring, error, notcurses_init, NcAlign, NcBlitter, NcChannelPair, NcDimension, NcEgc, NcError,
-    NcFile, NcInput, NcLogLevel, NcPlane, NcResult, NcScale, NcSignalSet, NcStats, NcStyleMask,
-    NcTime, Notcurses, NotcursesOptions, NCOPTION_NO_ALTERNATE_SCREEN, NCOPTION_SUPPRESS_BANNERS,
-    NCRESULT_ERR,
+    cstring, error, notcurses_init, rstring, NcAlign, NcBlitter, NcChannelPair, NcDimension, NcEgc,
+    NcError, NcFile, NcInput, NcLogLevel, NcPlane, NcResult, NcScale, NcSignalSet, NcStats,
+    NcStyleMask, NcTime, Notcurses, NotcursesOptions, NCOPTION_NO_ALTERNATE_SCREEN,
+    NCOPTION_SUPPRESS_BANNERS, NCRESULT_ERR,
 };
 
 /// # `NotcursesOptions` Constructors
@@ -554,22 +553,14 @@ impl Notcurses {
     ///
     /// *C style function: [notcurses_str_blitter()][crate::notcurses_str_blitter].*
     pub fn str_blitter(blitter: NcBlitter) -> String {
-        unsafe {
-            CStr::from_ptr(crate::notcurses_str_blitter(blitter))
-                .to_string_lossy()
-                .into_owned()
-        }
+        rstring![crate::notcurses_str_blitter(blitter)].to_string()
     }
 
     /// Gets the name of an [NcScale] scaling mode.
     ///
     /// *C style function: [notcurses_str_scalemode()][crate::notcurses_str_scalemode].*
     pub fn str_scalemode(scalemode: NcScale) -> String {
-        unsafe {
-            CStr::from_ptr(crate::notcurses_str_scalemode(scalemode))
-                .to_string_lossy()
-                .into_owned()
-        }
+        rstring![crate::notcurses_str_scalemode(scalemode)].to_string()
     }
 
     /// Returns an [NcStyleMask] with the supported curses-style attributes.
@@ -602,11 +593,7 @@ impl Notcurses {
     ///
     /// *C style function: [notcurses_version()][crate::notcurses_version].*
     pub fn version() -> String {
-        unsafe {
-            CStr::from_ptr(crate::notcurses_version())
-                .to_string_lossy()
-                .into_owned()
-        }
+        rstring![crate::notcurses_version()].to_string()
     }
 
     /// Returns the running Notcurses version components
diff --git a/rust/src/notcurses/mod.rs b/rust/src/notcurses/mod.rs
index 5dff1d03a..5dba5ee52 100644
--- a/rust/src/notcurses/mod.rs
+++ b/rust/src/notcurses/mod.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 //W  notcurses_supported_styles
 //W  notcurses_top
 //~  notcurses_ucs32_to_utf8 (not needed in rust)
-//W  notcurses_version
+//W# notcurses_version
 //W  notcurses_version_components
 //
 // functions manually reimplemented: 6
diff --git a/rust/src/notcurses/test/reimplemented.rs b/rust/src/notcurses/test/reimplemented.rs
index f0e7b2433..d816091dc 100644
--- a/rust/src/notcurses/test/reimplemented.rs
+++ b/rust/src/notcurses/test/reimplemented.rs
@@ -161,3 +161,12 @@ fn notcurses_debug() {
         assert_eq![&string1[0..string2.len()], &string2[..]];
     }
 }
+
+#[test]
+#[serial]
+// TODO test version_components
+fn notcurses_version() {
+    let c_str = unsafe { crate::notcurses_version() };
+    assert!(!c_str.is_null());
+    print!("v{} ", crate::rstring![c_str]);
+}
diff --git a/rust/src/plane/methods.rs b/rust/src/plane/methods.rs
index c6e9cfec2..9db9dc91c 100644
--- a/rust/src/plane/methods.rs
+++ b/rust/src/plane/methods.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 //! `NcPlane*` methods and associated functions.
 
 use core::ptr::{null, null_mut};
-use std::ffi::CStr;
 
 use crate::{
-    cstring, NcAlign, NcAlphaBits, NcBoxMask, NcCell, NcChannel, NcChannelPair, NcColor,
+    cstring, rstring, NcAlign, NcAlphaBits, NcBoxMask, NcCell, NcChannel, NcChannelPair, NcColor,
     NcDimension, NcEgc, NcFadeCb, NcIntResult, NcOffset, NcPaletteIndex, NcPlane, NcPlaneOptions,
     NcResizeCb, NcRgb, NcStyleMask, NcTime, Notcurses, NCRESULT_OK,
 };
@@ -607,17 +606,14 @@ impl NcPlane {
         if through_x {
             len_x = -1;
         }
-        unsafe {
-            CStr::from_ptr(crate::ncplane_contents(
-                self,
-                beg_y as i32,
-                beg_x as i32,
-                len_y,
-                len_x,
-            ))
-            .to_string_lossy()
-            .into_owned()
-        }
+        rstring![crate::ncplane_contents(
+            self,
+            beg_y as i32,
+            beg_x as i32,
+            len_y,
+            len_x
+        )]
+        .to_string()
     }
 
     /// Erases every NcCell in this NcPlane, resetting all attributes to normal,
diff --git a/rust/tests/notcurses.rs b/rust/tests/notcurses.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index 740889a43..000000000
--- a/rust/tests/notcurses.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,48 +0,0 @@
-use core::ptr::{null, null_mut};
-use std::ffi::{CStr, CString};
-
-use serial_test::serial; // serialize tests w/ sys::notcurses_init()
-
-use libnotcurses_sys as sys;
-
-#[test]
-#[serial]
-fn get_notcurses_version() {
-    let c_str = unsafe {
-        let s = sys::notcurses_version();
-        assert!(!s.is_null());
-        CStr::from_ptr(s)
-    };
-    let r_str = c_str.to_str().unwrap();
-    print!("rust-bound notcurses v{} ", r_str);
-}
-
-#[test]
-#[serial]
-fn create_notcurses_context() {
-    unsafe {
-        let _ = libc::setlocale(libc::LC_ALL, CString::new("").unwrap().as_ptr());
-        let opts = sys::NotcursesOptions {
-            loglevel: 0,
-            termtype: null(),
-            renderfp: null_mut(),
-            margin_t: 0,
-            margin_r: 0,
-            margin_b: 0,
-            margin_l: 0,
-            flags: (sys::NCOPTION_NO_ALTERNATE_SCREEN | sys::NCOPTION_INHIBIT_SETLOCALE | sys::NCOPTION_SUPPRESS_BANNERS),
-        };
-        let nc = sys::notcurses_init(&opts, null_mut());
-        sys::notcurses_stop(nc);
-    }
-}
-
-#[test]
-#[serial]
-fn create_direct_context() {
-    unsafe {
-        let _ = libc::setlocale(libc::LC_ALL, CString::new("").unwrap().as_ptr());
-        let nc = sys::ncdirect_init(null_mut(), null_mut(), 0);
-        sys::ncdirect_stop(nc);
-    }
-}