diff --git a/components/gfx/platform/freetype/font_list.rs b/components/gfx/platform/freetype/font_list.rs
index 9f6a62a0a38..9e412bad6b0 100644
--- a/components/gfx/platform/freetype/font_list.rs
+++ b/components/gfx/platform/freetype/font_list.rs
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ use libc::c_int;
 use std::ptr;
 use std::string;
 
+static FC_FAMILY: &'static [u8] = b"family\0";
+static FC_FILE: &'static [u8] = b"file\0";
+static FC_INDEX: &'static [u8] = b"index\0";
+
 pub fn get_available_families(callback: |String|) {
     unsafe {
         let config = FcConfigGetCurrent();
@@ -33,9 +37,7 @@ pub fn get_available_families(callback: |String|) {
             let font = (*fontSet).fonts.offset(i);
             let mut family: *mut FcChar8 = ptr::mut_null();
             let mut v: c_int = 0;
-            let mut FC_FAMILY_C = "family".to_c_str();
-            let FC_FAMILY = FC_FAMILY_C.as_mut_ptr();
-            while FcPatternGetString(*font, FC_FAMILY, v, &mut family) == FcResultMatch {
+            while FcPatternGetString(*font, FC_FAMILY.as_ptr() as *mut i8, v, &mut family) == FcResultMatch {
                 let family_name = string::raw::from_buf(family as *const i8 as *const u8);
                 callback(family_name);
                 v += 1;
@@ -52,22 +54,16 @@ pub fn get_variations_for_family(family_name: &str, callback: |String|) {
         let font_set_array_ptr = &mut font_set;
         let pattern = FcPatternCreate();
         assert!(pattern.is_not_null());
-        let mut FC_FAMILY_C = "family".to_c_str();
-        let FC_FAMILY = FC_FAMILY_C.as_mut_ptr();
         let mut family_name_c = family_name.to_c_str();
         let family_name = family_name_c.as_mut_ptr();
-        let ok = FcPatternAddString(pattern, FC_FAMILY, family_name as *mut FcChar8);
+        let ok = FcPatternAddString(pattern, FC_FAMILY.as_ptr() as *mut i8, family_name as *mut FcChar8);
         assert!(ok != 0);
 
         let object_set = FcObjectSetCreate();
         assert!(object_set.is_not_null());
 
-        let mut FC_FILE_C = "file".to_c_str();
-        let FC_FILE = FC_FILE_C.as_mut_ptr();
-        FcObjectSetAdd(object_set, FC_FILE);
-        let mut FC_INDEX_C = "index".to_c_str();
-        let FC_INDEX = FC_INDEX_C.as_mut_ptr();
-        FcObjectSetAdd(object_set, FC_INDEX);
+        FcObjectSetAdd(object_set, FC_FILE.as_ptr() as *mut i8);
+        FcObjectSetAdd(object_set, FC_INDEX.as_ptr() as *mut i8);
 
         let matches = FcFontSetList(config, font_set_array_ptr, 1, pattern, object_set);
 
@@ -75,18 +71,14 @@ pub fn get_variations_for_family(family_name: &str, callback: |String|) {
 
         for i in range(0, (*matches).nfont as int) {
             let font = (*matches).fonts.offset(i);
-            let mut FC_FILE_C = "file".to_c_str();
-            let FC_FILE = FC_FILE_C.as_mut_ptr();
             let mut file: *mut FcChar8 = ptr::mut_null();
-            let file = if FcPatternGetString(*font, FC_FILE, 0, &mut file) == FcResultMatch {
+            let file = if FcPatternGetString(*font, FC_FILE.as_ptr() as *mut i8, 0, &mut file) == FcResultMatch {
                 string::raw::from_buf(file as *const i8 as *const u8)
             } else {
                 fail!();
             };
-            let mut FC_INDEX_C = "index".to_c_str();
-            let FC_INDEX = FC_INDEX_C.as_mut_ptr();
             let mut index: libc::c_int = 0;
-            let index = if FcPatternGetInteger(*font, FC_INDEX, 0, &mut index) == FcResultMatch {
+            let index = if FcPatternGetInteger(*font, FC_INDEX.as_ptr() as *mut i8, 0, &mut index) == FcResultMatch {
                 index
             } else {
                 fail!();
@@ -118,10 +110,8 @@ pub fn get_system_default_family(generic_name: &str) -> Option<String> {
         let family_match = FcFontMatch(ptr::mut_null(), pattern, &mut result);
 
         let family_name = if result == FcResultMatch {
-            let mut FC_FAMILY_C = "family".to_c_str();
-            let FC_FAMILY = FC_FAMILY_C.as_mut_ptr();
             let mut match_string: *mut FcChar8 = ptr::mut_null();
-            FcPatternGetString(family_match, FC_FAMILY, 0, &mut match_string);
+            FcPatternGetString(family_match, FC_FAMILY.as_ptr() as *mut i8, 0, &mut match_string);
             let result = string::raw::from_buf(match_string as *const i8 as *const u8);
             FcPatternDestroy(family_match);
             Some(result)