diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/w6l/dyn.ww b/selfhost/cmd/w6l/dyn.ww
index 09d0aad8..5bc2cb7b 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/w6l/dyn.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/w6l/dyn.ww
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ export fn soprovides(so: *lso, name: str) i32 = {
 	if (so == nil) { return 0; };
 	let e: *lexport = so.exports;
 	for (e != nil) {
-		if (streq(e.name, name)) { return 1; };
+		if (strings.compare(e.name, name) == 0) { return 1; };
 		e = e.enext;
 	};
 	return 0;
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ export fn soversion(so: *lso, name: str) str = {
 	if (so == nil) { return result; };
 	let e: *lexport = so.exports;
 	for (e != nil) {
-		if (streq(e.name, name)) {
+		if (strings.compare(e.name, name) == 0) {
 			result.ptr = e.version.ptr;
 			result.len = e.version.len;
 			return result;
@@ -400,5 +400,3 @@ export fn soversion(so: *lso, name: str) str = {
 	};
 	return result;
 };
-
-// `streq` lives in sym.ww — same bundle, single definition.
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/w6l/dynout.ww b/selfhost/cmd/w6l/dynout.ww
index 8868f948..8f2f1e6c 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/w6l/dynout.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/w6l/dynout.ww
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ package w6l;
 
 import os;
 import rt;
+import strings;
 import sym;
 
 // ELF constants
@@ -152,16 +153,6 @@ fn alignup(off: u64, a: u64) u64 = {
 	return (off + a - 1u64) & ~(a - 1u64);
 };
 
-fn streqd(a: str, b: str) bool = {
-	if (a.len != b.len) { return false; };
-	let i: i32 = 0;
-	for (i < a.len) {
-		if (a[i] != b[i]) { return false; };
-		i += 1;
-	};
-	return true;
-};
-
 // ---- main entry --------------------------------------------------------
 
 export fn emitdynelf(l: *lnk, fd: i32, base: u64, entry: u64) i32 = {
@@ -274,7 +265,7 @@ export fn emitdynelf(l: *lnk, fd: i32, base: u64, entry: u64) i32 = {
 							let existing: str;
 							existing.ptr = vernameptrarr[kk];
 							existing.len = drdi32(vernamelenbuf.ptr, (kk: u64) * 4u64);
-							if (streqd(existing, vname)) {
+							if (strings.compare(existing, vname) == 0) {
 								seen = 1; k = added;
 							} else { k += 1; };
 						};
@@ -394,7 +385,7 @@ export fn emitdynelf(l: *lnk, fd: i32, base: u64, entry: u64) i32 = {
 					let exi: str;
 					exi.ptr = vernameptrarr[vk];
 					exi.len = drdi32(vernamelenbuf.ptr, (vk: u64) * 4u64);
-					if (streqd(exi, vname)) {
+					if (strings.compare(exi, vname) == 0) {
 						let other: u16 = drdu16(vervnaother.ptr, (vk: u64) * 2u64);
 						dwr16(versymfor.ptr, (pi: u64) * 2u64, other);
 						matched = 1;
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/w6l/main.combined.ww b/selfhost/cmd/w6l/main.combined.ww
index 129d09b1..18cf5c22 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/w6l/main.combined.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/w6l/main.combined.ww
@@ -2839,6 +2839,8 @@ export fn rpad(s: str, p: rune, maxlen: i32) str = {
 
 package w6l;
 
+import strings;
+
 type lsym = struct {
 	name:        str,
 	val:         u64,	// offset within combined .text (or .data when
@@ -2911,20 +2913,10 @@ type lnk = struct {
 	dynn:    i32,	// number of syms routed through PLT
 };
 
-fn streq(a: str, b: str) bool = {
-	if (a.len != b.len) { return false; };
-	let i: i32 = 0;
-	for (i < a.len) {
-		if (a[i] != b[i]) { return false; };
-		i += 1;
-	};
-	return true;
-};
-
 export fn intern(l: *lnk, name: str) *lsym = {
 	let s: *lsym = l.syms;
 	for (s != nil) {
-		if (streq(s.name, name)) { return s; };
+		if (strings.compare(s.name, name) == 0) { return s; };
 		s = s.snext;
 	};
 	let n: *lsym = alloc(lsym { name = name, snext = l.syms })!;
@@ -2935,7 +2927,7 @@ export fn intern(l: *lnk, name: str) *lsym = {
 export fn lookup(l: *lnk, name: str) *lsym = {
 	let s: *lsym = l.syms;
 	for (s != nil) {
-		if (streq(s.name, name)) { return s; };
+		if (strings.compare(s.name, name) == 0) { return s; };
 		s = s.snext;
 	};
 	return nil;
@@ -3938,7 +3930,7 @@ export fn soprovides(so: *lso, name: str) i32 = {
 	if (so == nil) { return 0; };
 	let e: *lexport = so.exports;
 	for (e != nil) {
-		if (streq(e.name, name)) { return 1; };
+		if (strings.compare(e.name, name) == 0) { return 1; };
 		e = e.enext;
 	};
 	return 0;
@@ -3953,7 +3945,7 @@ export fn soversion(so: *lso, name: str) str = {
 	if (so == nil) { return result; };
 	let e: *lexport = so.exports;
 	for (e != nil) {
-		if (streq(e.name, name)) {
+		if (strings.compare(e.name, name) == 0) {
 			result.ptr = e.version.ptr;
 			result.len = e.version.len;
 			return result;
@@ -3963,8 +3955,6 @@ export fn soversion(so: *lso, name: str) str = {
 	return result;
 };
 
-// `streq` lives in sym.ww — same bundle, single definition.
-
 // selfhost/cmd/w6l/pass.ww — port of cmd/w6l/pass.c.
 //
 // Resolution + relocation. l_resolve flags every undefined symbol
@@ -4125,6 +4115,7 @@ package w6l;
 
 import os;
 import rt;
+import strings;
 import sym;
 
 // ELF constants
@@ -4251,16 +4242,6 @@ fn alignup(off: u64, a: u64) u64 = {
 	return (off + a - 1u64) & ~(a - 1u64);
 };
 
-fn streqd(a: str, b: str) bool = {
-	if (a.len != b.len) { return false; };
-	let i: i32 = 0;
-	for (i < a.len) {
-		if (a[i] != b[i]) { return false; };
-		i += 1;
-	};
-	return true;
-};
-
 // ---- main entry --------------------------------------------------------
 
 export fn emitdynelf(l: *lnk, fd: i32, base: u64, entry: u64) i32 = {
@@ -4373,7 +4354,7 @@ export fn emitdynelf(l: *lnk, fd: i32, base: u64, entry: u64) i32 = {
 							let existing: str;
 							existing.ptr = vernameptrarr[kk];
 							existing.len = drdi32(vernamelenbuf.ptr, (kk: u64) * 4u64);
-							if (streqd(existing, vname)) {
+							if (strings.compare(existing, vname) == 0) {
 								seen = 1; k = added;
 							} else { k += 1; };
 						};
@@ -4493,7 +4474,7 @@ export fn emitdynelf(l: *lnk, fd: i32, base: u64, entry: u64) i32 = {
 					let exi: str;
 					exi.ptr = vernameptrarr[vk];
 					exi.len = drdi32(vernamelenbuf.ptr, (vk: u64) * 4u64);
-					if (streqd(exi, vname)) {
+					if (strings.compare(exi, vname) == 0) {
 						let other: u16 = drdu16(vervnaother.ptr, (vk: u64) * 2u64);
 						dwr16(versymfor.ptr, (pi: u64) * 2u64, other);
 						matched = 1;
diff --git a/selfhost/cmd/w6l/sym.ww b/selfhost/cmd/w6l/sym.ww
index 1cefcb19..7e0fba74 100644
--- a/selfhost/cmd/w6l/sym.ww
+++ b/selfhost/cmd/w6l/sym.ww
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 
 package w6l;
 
+import strings;
+
 type lsym = struct {
 	name:        str,
 	val:         u64,	// offset within combined .text (or .data when
@@ -77,20 +79,10 @@ type lnk = struct {
 	dynn:    i32,	// number of syms routed through PLT
 };
 
-fn streq(a: str, b: str) bool = {
-	if (a.len != b.len) { return false; };
-	let i: i32 = 0;
-	for (i < a.len) {
-		if (a[i] != b[i]) { return false; };
-		i += 1;
-	};
-	return true;
-};
-
 export fn intern(l: *lnk, name: str) *lsym = {
 	let s: *lsym = l.syms;
 	for (s != nil) {
-		if (streq(s.name, name)) { return s; };
+		if (strings.compare(s.name, name) == 0) { return s; };
 		s = s.snext;
 	};
 	let n: *lsym = alloc(lsym { name = name, snext = l.syms })!;
@@ -101,7 +93,7 @@ export fn intern(l: *lnk, name: str) *lsym = {
 export fn lookup(l: *lnk, name: str) *lsym = {
 	let s: *lsym = l.syms;
 	for (s != nil) {
-		if (streq(s.name, name)) { return s; };
+		if (strings.compare(s.name, name) == 0) { return s; };
 		s = s.snext;
 	};
 	return nil;