diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/codemap.rs b/src/comp/syntax/codemap.rs
index b94be023d9d..958ebf705f5 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/codemap.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/codemap.rs
@@ -108,8 +108,7 @@ fn maybe_highlight_lines(sp: &option::t[span], cm: &codemap,
 
         // FIXME: reading in the entire file is the worst possible way to
         //        get access to the necessary lines.
-        let rdr = ioivec::file_reader(lines.name);
-        let file = str::unsafe_from_bytes_ivec(rdr.read_whole_stream());
+        let file = ioivec::read_whole_file_str(lines.name);
         let fm = get_filemap(cm, lines.name);
 
         // arbitrarily only print up to six lines of the error
diff --git a/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs b/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs
index 58146b950ea..473ceb08b51 100644
--- a/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs
+++ b/src/comp/syntax/parse/parser.rs
@@ -62,8 +62,7 @@ fn new_parser_from_file(sess: parse_sess, cfg:
                         ast::crate_cfg, path: str,
                         chpos: uint, byte_pos: uint,
                         ftype: file_type) -> parser {
-    let srdr = ioivec::file_reader(path);
-    let src = str::unsafe_from_bytes_ivec(srdr.read_whole_stream());
+    let src = ioivec::read_whole_file_str(path);
     let filemap = codemap::new_filemap(path, chpos, byte_pos);
     sess.cm.files += ~[filemap];
     let itr = @interner::mk(str::hash, str::eq);
diff --git a/src/fuzzer/fuzzer.rs b/src/fuzzer/fuzzer.rs
index 3b7b2364771..e4a2c75fab6 100644
--- a/src/fuzzer/fuzzer.rs
+++ b/src/fuzzer/fuzzer.rs
@@ -21,11 +21,6 @@ import rustc::syntax::codemap;
 import rustc::syntax::parse::parser;
 import rustc::syntax::print::pprust;
 
-
-fn read_whole_file(filename: &str) -> str {
-    str::unsafe_from_bytes_ivec(ioivec::file_reader(filename).read_whole_stream())
-}
-
 fn write_file(filename: &str, content: &str) {
     ioivec::file_writer(filename,
                         ~[ioivec::create,
@@ -35,7 +30,7 @@ fn write_file(filename: &str, content: &str) {
 }
 
 fn file_contains(filename: &str, needle: &str) -> bool {
-    let contents = read_whole_file(filename);
+    let contents = ioivec::read_whole_file_str(filename);
     ret str::find(contents, needle) != -1;
 }
 
@@ -325,7 +320,7 @@ fn check_convergence(files: &str[]) {
     log_err #fmt("pp convergence tests: %u files", ivec::len(files));
     for file in files {
         if !file_is_confusing(file) {
-            let s = read_whole_file(file);
+            let s = ioivec::read_whole_file_str(file);
             if !content_is_confusing(s) {
                 log_err #fmt("pp converge: %s", file);
                 // Change from 7u to 2u when https://github.com/graydon/rust/issues/759 is fixed
@@ -338,7 +333,7 @@ fn check_convergence(files: &str[]) {
 fn check_variants(files: &str[]) {
     for file in files {
         if !file_is_confusing(file) {
-            let s = read_whole_file(file);
+            let s = ioivec::read_whole_file_str(file);
             if content_is_dangerous_to_modify(s) || content_is_confusing(s) { cont; }
             log_err "check_variants: " + file;
             let codemap = codemap::new_codemap();
diff --git a/src/test/compiletest/runtest.rs b/src/test/compiletest/runtest.rs
index 866fa4d2391..37a10633b07 100644
--- a/src/test/compiletest/runtest.rs
+++ b/src/test/compiletest/runtest.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import std::io;
+import std::ioivec;
 import std::str;
 import std::option;
 import std::vec;
@@ -86,8 +87,7 @@ fn run_pretty_test(cx: &cx, props: &test_props, testfile: &str) {
       option::none. { 2 }
     };
 
-    let srcs = ~[str::unsafe_from_bytes(
-        io::file_reader(testfile).read_whole_stream())];
+    let srcs = ~[ioivec::read_whole_file_str(testfile)];
 
     let round = 0;
     while round < rounds {
@@ -106,8 +106,7 @@ fn run_pretty_test(cx: &cx, props: &test_props, testfile: &str) {
     let expected = alt props.pp_exact {
       option::some(file) {
         let filepath = fs::connect(fs::dirname(testfile), file);
-        str::unsafe_from_bytes(
-            io::file_reader(filepath).read_whole_stream())
+        ioivec::read_whole_file_str(filepath)
       }
       option::none. {
         srcs.(ivec::len(srcs) - 2u)