diff --git a/taglib/toolkit/tfilestream.cpp b/taglib/toolkit/tfilestream.cpp
index 882b3cdc..5705a5b3 100644
--- a/taglib/toolkit/tfilestream.cpp
+++ b/taglib/toolkit/tfilestream.cpp
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ namespace
   {
     const DWORD access = readOnly ? GENERIC_READ : (GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE);
 
-    if(!path.wstr().empty())
-      return CreateFileW(path.wstr().c_str(), access, FILE_SHARE_READ, NULL, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, NULL);
-    else if(!path.str().empty())
-      return CreateFileA(path.str().c_str(), access, FILE_SHARE_READ, NULL, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, NULL);
+    if(path.wstr()[0] != L'\0')
+      return CreateFileW(path.wstr(), access, FILE_SHARE_READ, NULL, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, NULL);
+    else if(path.str()[0] != '\0')
+      return CreateFileA(path.str(), access, FILE_SHARE_READ, NULL, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, NULL);
     else
       return InvalidFileHandle;
   }
diff --git a/taglib/toolkit/tiostream.cpp b/taglib/toolkit/tiostream.cpp
index 80570cab..6c1ed6f7 100644
--- a/taglib/toolkit/tiostream.cpp
+++ b/taglib/toolkit/tiostream.cpp
@@ -129,14 +129,14 @@ FileName &FileName::operator=(const FileName &name)
   return *this;
 }
 
-const std::wstring &FileName::wstr() const
+const wchar_t *FileName::wstr() const
 {
-  return d->data->wname;
+  return d->data->wname.c_str();
 }
 
-const std::string &FileName::str() const
+const char *FileName::str() const
 {
-  return d->data->name;
+  return d->data->name.c_str();
 }
 
 String FileName::toString() const
diff --git a/taglib/toolkit/tiostream.h b/taglib/toolkit/tiostream.h
index e856f765..d0aa8877 100644
--- a/taglib/toolkit/tiostream.h
+++ b/taglib/toolkit/tiostream.h
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ namespace TagLib {
 
     FileName &operator=(const FileName &name);
 
-    const std::wstring &wstr() const;
-    const std::string  &str() const;
+    const wchar_t *wstr() const;
+    const char *str() const;
 
     String toString() const;