diff --git a/src/domain.cpp b/src/domain.cpp
index 1becba5e0b..c6dee63221 100644
--- a/src/domain.cpp
+++ b/src/domain.cpp
@@ -1826,10 +1826,10 @@ void Domain::delete_region(int narg, char **arg)
    return -1 if no such region
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
-int Domain::find_region(char *name)
+int Domain::find_region(const std::string &name)
 {
   for (int iregion = 0; iregion < nregion; iregion++)
-    if (strcmp(name,regions[iregion]->id) == 0) return iregion;
+    if (name == regions[iregion]->id) return iregion;
   return -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/domain.h b/src/domain.h
index c3ea9e2bea..99349edb5d 100644
--- a/src/domain.h
+++ b/src/domain.h
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ class Domain : protected Pointers {
   void set_lattice(int, char **);
   void add_region(int, char **);
   void delete_region(int, char **);
-  int find_region(char *);
+  int find_region(const std::string &);
   void set_boundary(int, char **, int);
   void set_box(int, char **);
   void print_box(const std::string &);
diff --git a/src/group.cpp b/src/group.cpp
index e523fd9cf2..00677cca5a 100644
--- a/src/group.cpp
+++ b/src/group.cpp
@@ -66,10 +66,7 @@ Group::Group(LAMMPS *lmp) : Pointers(lmp)
 
   // create "all" group
 
-  char *str = (char *) "all";
-  int n = strlen(str) + 1;
-  names[0] = new char[n];
-  strcpy(names[0],str);
+  names[0] = utils::strdup("all");
   ngroup = 1;
 }
 
@@ -157,9 +154,7 @@ void Group::assign(int narg, char **arg)
   if (igroup == -1) {
     if (ngroup == MAX_GROUP) error->all(FLERR,"Too many groups");
     igroup = find_unused();
-    int n = strlen(arg[0]) + 1;
-    names[igroup] = new char[n];
-    strcpy(names[igroup],arg[0]);
+    names[igroup] = utils::strdup(arg[0]);
     ngroup++;
   }
 
@@ -563,9 +558,7 @@ void Group::create(char *name, int *flag)
   if (igroup == -1) {
     if (ngroup == MAX_GROUP) error->all(FLERR,"Too many groups");
     igroup = find_unused();
-    int n = strlen(name) + 1;
-    names[igroup] = new char[n];
-    strcpy(names[igroup],name);
+    names[igroup] = utils::strdup(name);
     ngroup++;
   }
 
@@ -602,9 +595,7 @@ int Group::find_or_create(const char *name)
 
   if (ngroup == MAX_GROUP) error->all(FLERR,"Too many groups");
   igroup = find_unused();
-  int n = strlen(name) + 1;
-  names[igroup] = new char[n];
-  strcpy(names[igroup],name);
+  names[igroup] = utils::strdup(name);
   ngroup++;
 
   return igroup;