diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/db/Time/Time.C b/src/OpenFOAM/db/Time/Time.C
index 2dabf589ea..208f046737 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/db/Time/Time.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/db/Time/Time.C
@@ -1201,7 +1201,7 @@ Foam::Time& Foam::Time::operator++()
             // reinterpretation of the word
             if
             (
-                readScalar(dimensionedScalar::name().c_str(), timeNameValue)
+                readScalar(dimensionedScalar::name(), timeNameValue)
              && (mag(timeNameValue - oldTimeValue - userDeltaT) > timeTol)
             )
             {
@@ -1209,7 +1209,7 @@ Foam::Time& Foam::Time::operator++()
                 while
                 (
                     precision_ < maxPrecision_
-                 && readScalar(dimensionedScalar::name().c_str(), timeNameValue)
+                 && readScalar(dimensionedScalar::name(), timeNameValue)
                  && (mag(timeNameValue - oldTimeValue - userDeltaT) > timeTol)
                 )
                 {
@@ -1242,7 +1242,7 @@ Foam::Time& Foam::Time::operator++()
                     scalar oldTimeNameValue = -VGREAT;
                     if
                     (
-                        readScalar(oldTimeName.c_str(), oldTimeNameValue)
+                        readScalar(oldTimeName, oldTimeNameValue)
                      && (
                             sign(timeNameValue - oldTimeNameValue)
                          != sign(deltaT_)
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/fileOperation/fileOperation.C b/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/fileOperation/fileOperation.C
index 110849d575..7e3065a343 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/fileOperation/fileOperation.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/fileOperation/fileOperation.C
@@ -105,12 +105,8 @@ Foam::instantList Foam::fileOperation::sortTimes
     // Read and parse all the entries in the directory
     forAll(dirEntries, i)
     {
-        //IStringStream timeStream(dirEntries[i]);
-        //token timeToken(timeStream);
-
-        //if (timeToken.isNumber() && timeStream.eof())
         scalar timeValue;
-        if (readScalar(dirEntries[i].c_str(), timeValue))
+        if (readScalar(dirEntries[i], timeValue))
         {
             Times[nTimes].value() = timeValue;
             Times[nTimes].name() = dirEntries[i];
diff --git a/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/masterUncollatedFileOperation/masterUncollatedFileOperation.C b/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/masterUncollatedFileOperation/masterUncollatedFileOperation.C
index 41c949fe50..f915eb5806 100644
--- a/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/masterUncollatedFileOperation/masterUncollatedFileOperation.C
+++ b/src/OpenFOAM/global/fileOperations/masterUncollatedFileOperation/masterUncollatedFileOperation.C
@@ -291,25 +291,24 @@ Foam::fileOperations::masterUncollatedFileOperation::splitProcessorPath
         local = objectPath.substr(pos+9);
     }
 
+    label proci;
+
     pos = local.find('/');
     if (pos == string::npos)
     {
         // processorXXX without local
-        label proci;
-        if (Foam::read(local.c_str(), proci))
+        if (Foam::read(local, proci))
         {
             local.clear();
             return proci;
         }
-        return -1;
     }
-    string procName(local.substr(0, pos));
-    label proci;
-    if (Foam::read(procName.c_str(), proci))
+    else if (Foam::read(local.substr(0, pos), proci))
     {
         local = local.substr(pos+1);
         return proci;
     }
+
     return -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Pstream/mpi/UPstream.C b/src/Pstream/mpi/UPstream.C
index c29c6f742d..004bbc74a4 100644
--- a/src/Pstream/mpi/UPstream.C
+++ b/src/Pstream/mpi/UPstream.C
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ bool Foam::UPstream::init(int& argc, char**& argv)
         int bufSize = 0;
 
         const std::string str = Foam::getEnv("MPI_BUFFER_SIZE");
-        if (str.empty() || !Foam::read(str.c_str(), bufSize) || bufSize <= 0)
+        if (str.empty() || !Foam::read(str, bufSize) || bufSize <= 0)
         {
             bufSize = mpiBufferSize;
         }