diff --git a/src/front/check.ts b/src/front/check.ts
index 6c9b9eb..0246e6d 100644
--- a/src/front/check.ts
+++ b/src/front/check.ts
@@ -205,7 +205,9 @@ class ExprChecker {
             case "IntExpr":
                 return this.checkIntExpr(node.as(tag));
             case "StrExpr":
-                return Ty.create("Ptr", { ty: Ty.Str });
+                return Ty.create("Ptr", {
+                    ty: Ty.create("Slice", { ty: Ty.U8 }),
+                });
             case "ArrayExpr":
                 return this.checkArrayExpr(node.as(tag));
             case "IndexExpr":
@@ -300,12 +302,6 @@ class ExprChecker {
         ) {
             return Ty.create("Slice", { ty: exprTy.kind.ty });
         }
-        if (
-            exprTy.is("Str") &&
-            argTy.compatibleWith(Ty.I32)
-        ) {
-            return Ty.I32;
-        }
         this.cx.error(
             node.loc,
             `cannot use index operator on '${exprTy.pretty()}' with '${argTy.pretty()}'`,
@@ -386,8 +382,7 @@ class ExprChecker {
                 !(argTy.is("Array") ||
                     argTy.is("Ptr") &&
                         (argTy.kind.ty.is("Array") ||
-                            argTy.kind.ty.is("Slice") ||
-                            argTy.kind.ty.is("Str")))
+                            argTy.kind.ty.is("Slice")))
             ) {
                 this.reportArgTypeNotCompatible(
                     node,
@@ -530,8 +525,6 @@ class TyChecker {
                         return Ty.Void;
                     case "bool":
                         return Ty.Bool;
-                    case "str":
-                        return Ty.Str;
                     case "i8":
                         return Ty.I8;
                     case "i16":
diff --git a/src/middle.ts b/src/middle.ts
index 8f29fbe..410a472 100644
--- a/src/middle.ts
+++ b/src/middle.ts
@@ -248,17 +248,6 @@ class FnLowerer {
                     );
                 }
             }
-            if (valueTy.is("Str")) {
-                const valueInst = this.lowerPlace(place.kind.value);
-                if (argTy.is("Int")) {
-                    const argInst = this.lowerExpr(arg);
-                    return this.pushInst(
-                        Ty.create("Ptr", { ty: Ty.I32 }),
-                        "GetElemPtr",
-                        { base: valueInst, offset: argInst },
-                    );
-                }
-            }
             throw new Error(
                 `${place.kind.tag} with arg ${argTy.pretty()} not handled`,
             );
diff --git a/src/mir.ts b/src/mir.ts
index 5b498ec..683557b 100644
--- a/src/mir.ts
+++ b/src/mir.ts
@@ -199,12 +199,13 @@ export type InstKind =
     | { tag: "Jump"; target: BasicBlock }
     | { tag: "Branch"; cond: Inst; truthy: BasicBlock; falsy: BasicBlock }
     | { tag: "Return"; source: Inst }
-    | { tag: "Not"; source: Inst }
-    | { tag: "Negate"; source: Inst }
+    | { tag: UnaryOp; source: Inst }
     | { tag: BinaryOp; left: Inst; right: Inst }
     | { tag: "Len"; source: Inst }
     | { tag: "DebugPrint"; args: Inst[] };
 
+export type UnaryOp = "Not" | "Negate";
+
 export type BinaryOp =
     | "Eq"
     | "Ne"
diff --git a/src/ty.ts b/src/ty.ts
index 52c8f1f..9bb5ba9 100644
--- a/src/ty.ts
+++ b/src/ty.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ export class Ty {
     static U64 = Ty.create("Int", { intTy: "u64" });
     static USize = Ty.create("Int", { intTy: "usize" });
     static Bool = Ty.create("Bool", {});
-    static Str = Ty.create("Str", {});
 
     private internHash(): string {
         return JSON.stringify(this.kind);
@@ -75,9 +74,6 @@ export class Ty {
         if (this.is("Bool")) {
             return other.is("Bool");
         }
-        if (this.is("Str")) {
-            return other.is("Str");
-        }
         if (this.is("Ptr")) {
             if (!other.is("Ptr")) {
                 return false;
@@ -142,7 +138,7 @@ export class Ty {
     }
 
     isSized(): boolean {
-        if (this.is("Slice") || this.is("Str")) {
+        if (this.is("Slice")) {
             return false;
         }
         return true;
@@ -160,8 +156,6 @@ export class Ty {
                 return `${this.kind.intTy}`;
             case "Bool":
                 return "bool";
-            case "Str":
-                return "str";
             case "Ptr":
                 return `*${this.kind.ty.pretty()}`;
             case "PtrMut":
@@ -199,7 +193,6 @@ export type TyKind =
     | { tag: "IntLiteral" }
     | { tag: "Int"; intTy: ast.IntTy }
     | { tag: "Bool" }
-    | { tag: "Str" }
     | { tag: "Ptr"; ty: Ty }
     | { tag: "PtrMut"; ty: Ty }
     | { tag: "Array"; ty: Ty; length: number }
diff --git a/tests/string.ethlang b/tests/string.ethlang
index f58587e..9d393ef 100644
--- a/tests/string.ethlang
+++ b/tests/string.ethlang
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 
 fn main()
 {
-    let my_string: *str = "hello world";
+    let my_string: *[u8] = "hello world";
     // expect: hello world
     print(my_string);
     // expect: 104