diff --git a/spa/examples/adapter-control.c b/spa/examples/adapter-control.c
index 87002e54f..af6f41f86 100644
--- a/spa/examples/adapter-control.c
+++ b/spa/examples/adapter-control.c
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 #include <spa/param/audio/format-utils.h>
 #include <spa/utils/names.h>
 #include <spa/utils/result.h>
+#include <spa/utils/string.h>
 
 static SPA_LOG_IMPL(default_log);
 
@@ -127,7 +128,7 @@ static int load_handle(struct data *data, struct spa_handle **handle, const char
 		}
 		if (factory->version < 1)
 			continue;
-		if (strcmp(factory->name, name))
+		if (!spa_streq(factory->name, name))
 			continue;
 
 		*handle = calloc(1, spa_handle_factory_get_size(factory, NULL));
@@ -239,7 +240,7 @@ static int make_node(struct data *data, struct spa_node **node, const char *lib,
 		}
 		if (factory->version < 1)
 			continue;
-		if (strcmp(factory->name, name))
+		if (!spa_streq(factory->name, name))
 			continue;
 
 		handle = calloc(1, spa_handle_factory_get_size(factory, NULL));
diff --git a/spa/examples/example-control.c b/spa/examples/example-control.c
index 29052f520..3eedc8710 100644
--- a/spa/examples/example-control.c
+++ b/spa/examples/example-control.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 #include <spa/param/audio/format-utils.h>
 #include <spa/utils/names.h>
 #include <spa/utils/result.h>
+#include <spa/utils/string.h>
 
 #define M_PI_M2 ( M_PI + M_PI )
 
@@ -171,7 +172,7 @@ static int make_node(struct data *data, struct spa_node **node, const char *lib,
 		}
 		if (factory->version < 1)
 			continue;
-		if (strcmp(factory->name, name))
+		if (!spa_streq(factory->name, name))
 			continue;
 
 		handle = calloc(1, spa_handle_factory_get_size(factory, NULL));
@@ -456,7 +457,7 @@ static int load_handle(struct data *data, struct spa_handle **handle, const char
 		}
 		if (factory->version < 1)
 			continue;
-		if (strcmp(factory->name, name))
+		if (!spa_streq(factory->name, name))
 			continue;
 
 		*handle = calloc(1, spa_handle_factory_get_size(factory, NULL));
diff --git a/spa/examples/local-libcamera.c b/spa/examples/local-libcamera.c
index 8bd66ff9d..17fed5981 100644
--- a/spa/examples/local-libcamera.c
+++ b/spa/examples/local-libcamera.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 #include <spa/support/plugin.h>
 #include <spa/utils/names.h>
 #include <spa/utils/result.h>
+#include <spa/utils/string.h>
 #include <spa/support/log-impl.h>
 #include <spa/support/loop.h>
 #include <spa/node/node.h>
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@ static int load_handle(struct data *data, struct spa_handle **handle, const char
 				printf("can't enumerate factories: %s\n", spa_strerror(res));
 			break;
 		}
-		if (strcmp(factory->name, name))
+		if (!spa_streq(factory->name, name))
 			continue;
 
 		*handle = calloc(1, spa_handle_factory_get_size(factory, NULL));
diff --git a/spa/examples/local-v4l2.c b/spa/examples/local-v4l2.c
index 7cb6aadc3..6968d3af7 100644
--- a/spa/examples/local-v4l2.c
+++ b/spa/examples/local-v4l2.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include <spa/support/plugin.h>
 #include <spa/utils/names.h>
 #include <spa/utils/result.h>
+#include <spa/utils/string.h>
 #include <spa/support/log-impl.h>
 #include <spa/support/loop.h>
 #include <spa/node/node.h>
@@ -122,7 +123,7 @@ static int load_handle(struct data *data, struct spa_handle **handle, const char
 		}
 		if (factory->version < 1)
 			continue;
-		if (strcmp(factory->name, name))
+		if (!spa_streq(factory->name, name))
 			continue;
 
 		*handle = calloc(1, spa_handle_factory_get_size(factory, NULL));
diff --git a/spa/plugins/bluez5/bluez5-dbus.c b/spa/plugins/bluez5/bluez5-dbus.c
index 0c6cc2de3..04684e20b 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/bluez5/bluez5-dbus.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/bluez5/bluez5-dbus.c
@@ -514,11 +514,11 @@ static struct spa_bt_adapter *adapter_find(struct spa_bt_monitor *monitor, const
 static bool check_iter_signature(DBusMessageIter *it, const char *sig)
 {
 	char *v;
-	int res;
+	bool res;
 	v = dbus_message_iter_get_signature(it);
-	res = strcmp(v, sig);
+	res = spa_streq(v, sig);
 	dbus_free(v);
-	return res == 0;
+	return res;
 }
 
 static int adapter_update_props(struct spa_bt_adapter *adapter,
diff --git a/src/examples/media-session/alsa-monitor.c b/src/examples/media-session/alsa-monitor.c
index 7a8cc256b..a9f2cbcaa 100644
--- a/src/examples/media-session/alsa-monitor.c
+++ b/src/examples/media-session/alsa-monitor.c
@@ -395,11 +395,11 @@ static struct node *alsa_create_node(struct device *device, uint32_t id,
 			pw_properties_set(node->props, PW_KEY_NODE_DESCRIPTION,
 				sm_media_session_sanitize_description(tmp, sizeof(tmp),
 					' ', "%s %s", desc, profile_desc));
-		} else if (strcmp(subdev, "0")) {
+		} else if (!spa_streq(subdev, "0")) {
 			pw_properties_set(node->props, PW_KEY_NODE_DESCRIPTION,
 				sm_media_session_sanitize_description(tmp, sizeof(tmp),
 					' ', "%s (%s %s)", desc, name, subdev));
-		} else if (strcmp(dev, "0")) {
+		} else if (!spa_streq(dev, "0")) {
 			pw_properties_set(node->props, PW_KEY_NODE_DESCRIPTION,
 				sm_media_session_sanitize_description(tmp, sizeof(tmp),
 					' ', "%s (%s)", desc, name));
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-cli.c b/src/tools/pw-cli.c
index cee33900c..f635ddd38 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-cli.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-cli.c
@@ -1968,7 +1968,7 @@ children_of(struct remote_data *rd, uint32_t parent_id,
 
 			global = item->data;
 
-			if (strcmp(global->type, child_type))
+			if (!spa_streq(global->type, child_type))
 				continue;
 
 			pd = pw_proxy_get_user_data(global->proxy);
@@ -1983,7 +1983,7 @@ children_of(struct remote_data *rd, uint32_t parent_id,
 			}
 
 			/* match? */
-			if (strcmp(parent_value, child_value))
+			if (!spa_streq(parent_value, child_value))
 				continue;
 
 			if (*children)