diff --git a/Modules/_ctypes/_ctypes.c b/Modules/_ctypes/_ctypes.c
index 2935292..2f3495e 100644
--- a/Modules/_ctypes/_ctypes.c
+++ b/Modules/_ctypes/_ctypes.c
@@ -734,8 +734,7 @@
         return -1;
 
     if (value && PyUnicode_Check(key) &&
-        /* XXX struni _PyUnicode_AsString can fail (also in other places)! */
-        0 == strcmp(_PyUnicode_AsString(key), "_fields_"))
+        _PyUnicode_EqualToASCIIString(key, "_fields_"))
         return PyCStructUnionType_update_stgdict(self, value, 1);
     return 0;
 }
@@ -749,7 +748,7 @@
         return -1;
 
     if (PyUnicode_Check(key) &&
-        0 == strcmp(_PyUnicode_AsString(key), "_fields_"))
+        _PyUnicode_EqualToASCIIString(key, "_fields_"))
         return PyCStructUnionType_update_stgdict(self, value, 0);
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/Modules/_ctypes/callproc.c b/Modules/_ctypes/callproc.c
index 30e3a96..abd3bc9 100644
--- a/Modules/_ctypes/callproc.c
+++ b/Modules/_ctypes/callproc.c
@@ -1670,7 +1670,9 @@
         return result;
     }
     if (PyUnicode_CheckExact(cls)) {
-        char *name = _PyUnicode_AsString(cls);
+        const char *name = PyUnicode_AsUTF8(cls);
+        if (name == NULL)
+            return NULL;
         buf = PyMem_Malloc(strlen(name) + 3 + 1);
         if (buf == NULL)
             return PyErr_NoMemory();
diff --git a/Modules/ossaudiodev.c b/Modules/ossaudiodev.c
index d2fd5c8..5423308 100644
--- a/Modules/ossaudiodev.c
+++ b/Modules/ossaudiodev.c
@@ -925,11 +925,14 @@
 static PyObject *
 oss_getattro(oss_audio_t *self, PyObject *nameobj)
 {
-    char *name = "";
+    const char *name = "";
     PyObject * rval = NULL;
 
-    if (PyUnicode_Check(nameobj))
-        name = _PyUnicode_AsString(nameobj);
+    if (PyUnicode_Check(nameobj)) {
+        name = PyUnicode_AsUTF8(nameobj);
+        if (name == NULL)
+            return NULL;
+    }
 
     if (strcmp(name, "closed") == 0) {
         rval = (self->fd == -1) ? Py_True : Py_False;