diff --git a/spa/include/spa/pod/iter.h b/spa/include/spa/pod/iter.h
index e5ce3f719..cf65b8c62 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/pod/iter.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/pod/iter.h
@@ -297,10 +297,8 @@ SPA_API_POD_ITER int spa_pod_get_string(const struct spa_pod *pod, const char **
 SPA_API_POD_ITER int spa_pod_copy_string(const struct spa_pod *pod, size_t maxlen, char *dest)
 {
 	const char *s;
-	if (!spa_pod_is_string(pod) || maxlen < 1)
+	if (spa_pod_get_string(pod, &s) < 0 || maxlen < 1)
 		return -EINVAL;
-	maxlen = SPA_MIN(maxlen, pod->size);
-	s = (const char *)SPA_POD_CONTENTS(struct spa_pod_string, pod);
 	strncpy(dest, s, maxlen-1);
 	dest[maxlen-1]= '\0';
 	return 0;
diff --git a/test/test-spa-pod.c b/test/test-spa-pod.c
index f499e818b..5c4308b46 100644
--- a/test/test-spa-pod.c
+++ b/test/test-spa-pod.c
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ PWTEST(pod_init)
 		spa_assert_se(SPA_POD_SIZE(&pod) == 14);
 		spa_assert_se(SPA_POD_TYPE(&pod) == SPA_TYPE_String);
 		spa_assert_se(SPA_POD_BODY_SIZE(&pod) == 6);
-		spa_assert_se(!spa_pod_is_string(&pod.pod.pod));
+		spa_assert_se(spa_pod_is_string(&pod.pod.pod));
 		spa_assert_se(spa_pod_copy_string(&pod.pod.pod, sizeof(val), val) < 0);
 	}
 	{