diff --git a/darwin/OLD_uipriv_darwin.h b/darwin/OLD_uipriv_darwin.h
index c45e450f..3cc41922 100644
--- a/darwin/OLD_uipriv_darwin.h
+++ b/darwin/OLD_uipriv_darwin.h
@@ -1,13 +1,4 @@
 
-#define toNSString(str) [NSString stringWithUTF8String:(str)]
-#define fromNSString(str) [(str) UTF8String]
-
-#ifndef NSAppKitVersionNumber10_9
-#define NSAppKitVersionNumber10_9 1265
-#endif
-
-/*TODO remove this*/typedef struct uiImage uiImage;
-
 // menu.m
 @interface menuManager : NSObject {
 	struct mapTable *items;
diff --git a/darwin/button.m b/darwin/button.m
index baccabbb..8e3fa51b 100644
--- a/darwin/button.m
+++ b/darwin/button.m
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ char *uiButtonText(uiButton *b)
 
 void uiButtonSetText(uiButton *b, const char *text)
 {
-	[b->button setTitle:toNSString(text)];
+	[b->button setTitle:uiprivToNSString(text)];
 }
 
 void uiButtonOnClicked(uiButton *b, void (*f)(uiButton *, void *), void *data)
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ uiButton *uiNewButton(const char *text)
 	uiDarwinNewControl(uiButton, b);
 
 	b->button = [[NSButton alloc] initWithFrame:NSZeroRect];
-	[b->button setTitle:toNSString(text)];
+	[b->button setTitle:uiprivToNSString(text)];
 	[b->button setButtonType:NSMomentaryPushInButton];
 	[b->button setBordered:YES];
 	[b->button setBezelStyle:NSRoundedBezelStyle];
diff --git a/darwin/checkbox.m b/darwin/checkbox.m
index dd1ce093..124258cd 100644
--- a/darwin/checkbox.m
+++ b/darwin/checkbox.m
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ char *uiCheckboxText(uiCheckbox *c)
 
 void uiCheckboxSetText(uiCheckbox *c, const char *text)
 {
-	[c->button setTitle:toNSString(text)];
+	[c->button setTitle:uiprivToNSString(text)];
 }
 
 void uiCheckboxOnToggled(uiCheckbox *c, void (*f)(uiCheckbox *, void *), void *data)
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ uiCheckbox *uiNewCheckbox(const char *text)
 	uiDarwinNewControl(uiCheckbox, c);
 
 	c->button = [[NSButton alloc] initWithFrame:NSZeroRect];
-	[c->button setTitle:toNSString(text)];
+	[c->button setTitle:uiprivToNSString(text)];
 	[c->button setButtonType:NSSwitchButton];
 	// doesn't seem to have an associated bezel style
 	[c->button setBordered:NO];
diff --git a/darwin/combobox.m b/darwin/combobox.m
index 89a2e28c..c282a2fc 100644
--- a/darwin/combobox.m
+++ b/darwin/combobox.m
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ static void uiComboboxDestroy(uiControl *cc)
 
 void uiComboboxAppend(uiCombobox *c, const char *text)
 {
-	[c->pbac addObject:toNSString(text)];
+	[c->pbac addObject:uiprivToNSString(text)];
 }
 
 int uiComboboxSelected(uiCombobox *c)
diff --git a/darwin/editablecombo.m b/darwin/editablecombo.m
index 434add70..d7f6c7e1 100644
--- a/darwin/editablecombo.m
+++ b/darwin/editablecombo.m
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ static void uiEditableComboboxDestroy(uiControl *cc)
 
 void uiEditableComboboxAppend(uiEditableCombobox *c, const char *text)
 {
-	[c->cb addItemWithObjectValue:toNSString(text)];
+	[c->cb addItemWithObjectValue:uiprivToNSString(text)];
 }
 
 char *uiEditableComboboxText(uiEditableCombobox *c)
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ void uiEditableComboboxSetText(uiEditableCombobox *c, const char *text)
 {
 	NSString *t;
 
-	t = toNSString(text);
+	t = uiprivToNSString(text);
 	[c->cb setStringValue:t];
 	// yes, let's imitate the behavior that caused uiEditableCombobox to be separate in the first place!
 	// just to avoid confusion when users see an option in the list in the text field but not selected in the list
diff --git a/darwin/entry.m b/darwin/entry.m
index 219d0805..821515b3 100644
--- a/darwin/entry.m
+++ b/darwin/entry.m
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ char *uiEntryText(uiEntry *e)
 
 void uiEntrySetText(uiEntry *e, const char *text)
 {
-	[e->textfield setStringValue:toNSString(text)];
+	[e->textfield setStringValue:uiprivToNSString(text)];
 	// don't queue the control for resize; entry sizes are independent of their contents
 }
 
diff --git a/darwin/form.m b/darwin/form.m
index 613818a9..f9b9b2a8 100644
--- a/darwin/form.m
+++ b/darwin/form.m
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ void uiFormAppend(uiForm *f, const char *label, uiControl *c, int stretchy)
 	// or at leat allow this and implicitly turn it into a spacer
 	if (c == NULL)
 		uiprivUserBug("You cannot add NULL to a uiForm.");
-	[f->view append:toNSString(label) c:c stretchy:stretchy];
+	[f->view append:uiprivToNSString(label) c:c stretchy:stretchy];
 }
 
 void uiFormDelete(uiForm *f, int n)
diff --git a/darwin/group.m b/darwin/group.m
index 0050bbdd..9c5824a7 100644
--- a/darwin/group.m
+++ b/darwin/group.m
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ char *uiGroupTitle(uiGroup *g)
 
 void uiGroupSetTitle(uiGroup *g, const char *title)
 {
-	[g->box setTitle:toNSString(title)];
+	[g->box setTitle:uiprivToNSString(title)];
 }
 
 void uiGroupSetChild(uiGroup *g, uiControl *child)
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ uiGroup *uiNewGroup(const char *title)
 	uiDarwinNewControl(uiGroup, g);
 
 	g->box = [[NSBox alloc] initWithFrame:NSZeroRect];
-	[g->box setTitle:toNSString(title)];
+	[g->box setTitle:uiprivToNSString(title)];
 	[g->box setBoxType:NSBoxPrimary];
 	[g->box setBorderType:NSLineBorder];
 	[g->box setTransparent:NO];
diff --git a/darwin/label.m b/darwin/label.m
index 897bc3ff..c06cb24a 100644
--- a/darwin/label.m
+++ b/darwin/label.m
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ char *uiLabelText(uiLabel *l)
 
 void uiLabelSetText(uiLabel *l, const char *text)
 {
-	[l->textfield setStringValue:toNSString(text)];
+	[l->textfield setStringValue:uiprivToNSString(text)];
 }
 
 NSTextField *newLabel(NSString *str)
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ uiLabel *uiNewLabel(const char *text)
 
 	uiDarwinNewControl(uiLabel, l);
 
-	l->textfield = newLabel(toNSString(text));
+	l->textfield = newLabel(uiprivToNSString(text));
 
 	return l;
 }
diff --git a/darwin/menu.m b/darwin/menu.m
index 79adbae6..aba63d2e 100644
--- a/darwin/menu.m
+++ b/darwin/menu.m
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ static uiMenuItem *newItem(uiMenu *m, int type, const char *name)
 		[m->menu addItem:item->item];
 		break;
 	default:
-		item->item = [[NSMenuItem alloc] initWithTitle:toNSString(name) action:@selector(onClicked:) keyEquivalent:@""];
+		item->item = [[NSMenuItem alloc] initWithTitle:uiprivToNSString(name) action:@selector(onClicked:) keyEquivalent:@""];
 		[item->item setTarget:appDelegate().menuManager];
 		[m->menu addItem:item->item];
 		break;
@@ -321,10 +321,10 @@ uiMenu *uiNewMenu(const char *name)
 
 	m = uiprivNew(uiMenu);
 
-	m->menu = [[NSMenu alloc] initWithTitle:toNSString(name)];
+	m->menu = [[NSMenu alloc] initWithTitle:uiprivToNSString(name)];
 	// use automatic menu item enabling for all menus for consistency's sake
 
-	m->item = [[NSMenuItem alloc] initWithTitle:toNSString(name) action:NULL keyEquivalent:@""];
+	m->item = [[NSMenuItem alloc] initWithTitle:uiprivToNSString(name) action:NULL keyEquivalent:@""];
 	[m->item setSubmenu:m->menu];
 
 	m->items = [NSMutableArray new];
diff --git a/darwin/multilineentry.m b/darwin/multilineentry.m
index 605e9004..fdd7cf11 100644
--- a/darwin/multilineentry.m
+++ b/darwin/multilineentry.m
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ char *uiMultilineEntryText(uiMultilineEntry *e)
 void uiMultilineEntrySetText(uiMultilineEntry *e, const char *text)
 {
 	[[e->tv textStorage] replaceCharactersInRange:NSMakeRange(0, [[e->tv string] length])
-		withString:toNSString(text)];
+		withString:uiprivToNSString(text)];
 	// must be called explicitly according to the documentation of shouldChangeTextInRange:replacementString:
 	e->changing = YES;
 	[e->tv didChangeText];
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ void uiMultilineEntrySetText(uiMultilineEntry *e, const char *text)
 void uiMultilineEntryAppend(uiMultilineEntry *e, const char *text)
 {
 	[[e->tv textStorage] replaceCharactersInRange:NSMakeRange([[e->tv string] length], 0)
-		withString:toNSString(text)];
+		withString:uiprivToNSString(text)];
 	e->changing = YES;
 	[e->tv didChangeText];
 	e->changing = NO;
diff --git a/darwin/radiobuttons.m b/darwin/radiobuttons.m
index 25d773c9..986c477d 100644
--- a/darwin/radiobuttons.m
+++ b/darwin/radiobuttons.m
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ void uiRadioButtonsAppend(uiRadioButtons *r, const char *text)
 	NSLayoutConstraint *constraint;
 
 	b = [[NSButton alloc] initWithFrame:NSZeroRect];
-	[b setTitle:toNSString(text)];
+	[b setTitle:uiprivToNSString(text)];
 	[b setButtonType:NSRadioButton];
 	// doesn't seem to have an associated bezel style
 	[b setBordered:NO];
diff --git a/darwin/stddialogs.m b/darwin/stddialogs.m
index 57ce9596..be7e2dd6 100644
--- a/darwin/stddialogs.m
+++ b/darwin/stddialogs.m
@@ -103,8 +103,8 @@ static void msgbox(NSWindow *parent, const char *title, const char *description,
 	[a setAlertStyle:style];
 	[a setShowsHelp:NO];
 	[a setShowsSuppressionButton:NO];
-	[a setMessageText:toNSString(title)];
-	[a setInformativeText:toNSString(description)];
+	[a setMessageText:uiprivToNSString(title)];
+	[a setInformativeText:uiprivToNSString(description)];
 	[a addButtonWithTitle:@"OK"];
 	cm = [[libuiCodeModalAlertPanel alloc] initWithPanel:a parent:parent];
 	[cm run];
diff --git a/darwin/tab.m b/darwin/tab.m
index 3d2ca9f0..4ca2bec3 100644
--- a/darwin/tab.m
+++ b/darwin/tab.m
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ void uiTabInsertAt(uiTab *t, const char *name, int n, uiControl *child)
 	[t->pages insertObject:page atIndex:n];
 
 	i = [[[NSTabViewItem alloc] initWithIdentifier:pageID] autorelease];
-	[i setLabel:toNSString(name)];
+	[i setLabel:uiprivToNSString(name)];
 	[i setView:view];
 	[t->tabview insertTabViewItem:i atIndex:n];
 
diff --git a/darwin/uipriv_darwin.h b/darwin/uipriv_darwin.h
index 6b8c1179..33e7e486 100644
--- a/darwin/uipriv_darwin.h
+++ b/darwin/uipriv_darwin.h
@@ -12,4 +12,14 @@
 #error Sorry, libui cannot be compiled with ARC.
 #endif
 
+#define uiprivToNSString(str) [NSString stringWithUTF8String:(str)]
+#define uiprivFromNSString(str) [(str) UTF8String]
+
+// TODO find a better place for this
+#ifndef NSAppKitVersionNumber10_9
+#define NSAppKitVersionNumber10_9 1265
+#endif
+
+/*TODO remove this*/typedef struct uiImage uiImage;
+
 #import "OLD_uipriv_darwin.h"
diff --git a/darwin/window.m b/darwin/window.m
index 97c22e62..cf14a1f5 100644
--- a/darwin/window.m
+++ b/darwin/window.m
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ char *uiWindowTitle(uiWindow *w)
 
 void uiWindowSetTitle(uiWindow *w, const char *title)
 {
-	[w->window setTitle:toNSString(title)];
+	[w->window setTitle:uiprivToNSString(title)];
 }
 
 void uiWindowContentSize(uiWindow *w, int *width, int *height)
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ uiWindow *uiNewWindow(const char *title, int width, int height, int hasMenubar)
 		styleMask:defaultStyleMask
 		backing:NSBackingStoreBuffered
 		defer:YES];
-	[w->window setTitle:toNSString(title)];
+	[w->window setTitle:uiprivToNSString(title)];
 
 	// do NOT release when closed
 	// we manually do this in uiWindowDestroy() above