diff --git a/daemon/codec.c b/daemon/codec.c
index eacbbbdba..c0a01b790 100644
--- a/daemon/codec.c
+++ b/daemon/codec.c
@@ -2560,9 +2560,9 @@ void codec_init_payload_type(rtp_payload_type *pt, enum media_type type) {
 
 	// allocate strings
 	str_init_dup_str(&pt->encoding, &pt->encoding);
-	str_init_dup(&pt->encoding_with_params, full_encoding);
-	str_init_dup(&pt->encoding_with_full_params, full_full_encoding);
-	str_init_dup(&pt->encoding_parameters, params);
+	pt->encoding_with_params = STR_DUP(full_encoding);
+	pt->encoding_with_full_params = STR_DUP(full_full_encoding);
+	pt->encoding_parameters = STR_DUP(params);
 	str_init_dup_str(&pt->format_parameters, &pt->format_parameters);
 	str_init_dup_str(&pt->codec_opts, &pt->codec_opts);
 
diff --git a/daemon/janus.c b/daemon/janus.c
index f202a78c7..41aab265a 100644
--- a/daemon/janus.c
+++ b/daemon/janus.c
@@ -851,7 +851,7 @@ static const char *janus_videoroom_configure(struct websocket_message *wm, struc
 		if (strcmp(jsep_type, "offer"))
 			return "Not an offer";
 
-		g_auto(str) sdp_in = STR_INIT_DUP(jsep_sdp);
+		g_auto(str) sdp_in = STR_DUP(jsep_sdp);
 
 		g_auto(sdp_ng_flags) flags;
 		g_auto(sdp_sessions_q) parsed = TYPED_GQUEUE_INIT;
@@ -956,7 +956,7 @@ static const char *janus_videoroom_start(struct websocket_message *wm, struct ja
 	if (strcmp(jsep_type, "answer"))
 		return "Not an answer";
 
-	g_auto(str) sdp_in = STR_INIT_DUP(jsep_sdp);
+	g_auto(str) sdp_in = STR_DUP(jsep_sdp);
 
 	g_auto(sdp_ng_flags) flags;
 	g_auto(sdp_sessions_q) parsed = TYPED_GQUEUE_INIT;
diff --git a/daemon/main.c b/daemon/main.c
index 9a7d3a7d1..8a0ed69b1 100644
--- a/daemon/main.c
+++ b/daemon/main.c
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ static int if_addr_parse(intf_config_q *q, char *s, struct ifaddrs *ifas) {
 			// foo=bar
 			ifa = g_slice_alloc0(sizeof(*ifa));
 			str_init_dup_str(&ifa->name, &name);
-			str_init_dup(&ifa->alias, s);
+			ifa->alias = STR_DUP(s);
 			t_queue_push_tail(q, ifa);
 			return 0;
 		}
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ static int redis_ep_parse(endpoint_t *ep, int *db, char **auth, const char *auth
 static void parse_cn_payload(str *out, char **in, const char *def, const char *name) {
 	if (!in || !*in) {
 		if (def)
-			str_init_dup(out, def);
+			*out = STR_DUP(def);
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/str.h b/lib/str.h
index 658ec165a..fbb5be34a 100644
--- a/lib/str.h
+++ b/lib/str.h
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ TYPED_GQUEUE(str, str)
 #define STR_GS(s) ((str) { (s)->str, (s)->len })
 #define STR_LEN(s, len) ((str) { (char *) (s), len })
 #define STR_LEN_ASSERT(s, len) ({ assert(sizeof(s) >= len); (str) { (char *) (s), len }; })
-#define STR_INIT_DUP(s) ((str) { g_strdup(s), strlen(s) })
+#define STR_DUP(s) ((str) { g_strdup(s), strlen(s) })
 #define STR_CONST_BUF(buf) ((str) { (char *) &buf, sizeof(buf) })
 
 
@@ -86,10 +86,6 @@ INLINE int str_cmp_str0(const str *a, const str *b);
 __attribute__((nonnull(1)))
 ACCESS(write_only, 1)
 ACCESS(read_only, 2)
-INLINE str *str_init_dup(str *out, const char *s);
-__attribute__((nonnull(1)))
-ACCESS(write_only, 1)
-ACCESS(read_only, 2)
 INLINE str *str_init_dup_str(str *out, const str *s);
 INLINE void str_free_dup(str *out);
 /* returns new str object with uninitialized buffer large enough to hold `len` characters (+1 for null byte) */
@@ -295,11 +291,6 @@ INLINE int str_cmp_str0(const str *a, const str *b) {
 	}
 	return str_cmp_str(a, b);
 }
-INLINE str *str_init_dup(str *out, const char *s) {
-	out->s = s ? g_strdup(s) : NULL;
-	out->len = s ? strlen(s) : 0;
-	return out;
-}
 INLINE str *str_init_dup_str(str *out, const str *s) {
 	if (!s) {
 		*out = STR_NULL;
diff --git a/t/test-amr-encode.c b/t/test-amr-encode.c
index 8702411b6..d60edf235 100644
--- a/t/test-amr-encode.c
+++ b/t/test-amr-encode.c
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ static void do_test_amr_xx(const char *file, int line,
 	const format_t fmt = { .clockrate = clockrate, .channels = 1, .format = 0 };
 	str fmtp = STR_NULL;
 	if (fmtp_s)
-		str_init_dup(&fmtp, fmtp_s);
+		fmtp = STR_DUP(fmtp_s);
 	encoder_t *e = encoder_new();
 	assert(e);
 	format_t actual_fmt;
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ static void do_test_amr_xx(const char *file, int line,
 	assert(expect_s == NULL);
 
 	encoder_free(e);
-	free(fmtp.s);
+	g_free(fmtp.s);
 	av_frame_free(&frame);
 
 	printf("test ok: %s:%i\n", file, line);