diff --git a/src/emu/ui/barcode.c b/src/emu/ui/barcode.c
index 3ad1154e963..c7cdd730ad0 100644
--- a/src/emu/ui/barcode.c
+++ b/src/emu/ui/barcode.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ void ui_menu_barcode_reader::populate()
 		const char *new_barcode;
 
 		// selected device
-		item_append(current_display_name().cstr(), "", current_display_flags(), ITEMREF_SELECT_READER);
+		item_append(current_display_name(), "", current_display_flags(), ITEMREF_SELECT_READER);
 
 		// append the "New Barcode" item
 		if (get_selection() == ITEMREF_NEW_BARCODE)
diff --git a/src/emu/ui/selgame.c b/src/emu/ui/selgame.c
index be31999204a..0d2b76c7d27 100644
--- a/src/emu/ui/selgame.c
+++ b/src/emu/ui/selgame.c
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ void ui_menu_select_game::populate()
 					emulator_info::get_gamesnoun(),
 					emulator_info::get_configname(),
 					emulator_info::get_appname(),emulator_info::get_appname() );
-		item_append(txt.cstr(), NULL, MENU_FLAG_MULTILINE | MENU_FLAG_REDTEXT, NULL);
+		item_append(txt, NULL, MENU_FLAG_MULTILINE | MENU_FLAG_REDTEXT, NULL);
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/emu/ui/tapectrl.c b/src/emu/ui/tapectrl.c
index 168d227440e..df4ca3bf11f 100644
--- a/src/emu/ui/tapectrl.c
+++ b/src/emu/ui/tapectrl.c
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ void ui_menu_tape_control::populate()
 	if (current_device())
 	{		
 		// name of tape
-		item_append(current_display_name().cstr(), current_device()->exists() ? current_device()->filename() : "No Tape Image loaded", current_display_flags(), TAPECMD_SELECT);
+		item_append(current_display_name(), current_device()->exists() ? current_device()->filename() : "No Tape Image loaded", current_display_flags(), TAPECMD_SELECT);
 
 		if (current_device()->exists())
 		{