diff --git a/src/_macosx.m b/src/_macosx.m
index 2c7733033f24..ef66f56ddadc 100644
--- a/src/_macosx.m
+++ b/src/_macosx.m
@@ -812,10 +812,10 @@ static CGFloat _get_device_scale(CGContextRef cr)
 FigureManager_set_window_title(FigureManager* self,
                                PyObject *args, PyObject *kwds)
 {
-    char* title;
-    if(!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "es", "UTF-8", &title))
+    const char* title;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "s", &title)) {
         return NULL;
-
+    }
     Window* window = self->window;
     if(window)
     {
@@ -826,7 +826,6 @@ static CGFloat _get_device_scale(CGContextRef cr)
         [window setTitle: ns_title];
         [pool release];
     }
-    PyMem_Free(title);
     Py_RETURN_NONE;
 }
 
@@ -1369,10 +1368,10 @@ -(void)save_figure:(id)sender
 {
     int result;
     const char* title;
-    char* default_filename;
-    if(!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "ses", &title, "UTF-8", &default_filename))
+    const char* default_filename;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "ss", &title, &default_filename)) {
         return NULL;
-
+    }
     NSSavePanel* panel = [NSSavePanel savePanel];
     [panel setTitle: [NSString stringWithCString: title
                                         encoding: NSASCIIStringEncoding]];
@@ -1380,7 +1379,6 @@ -(void)save_figure:(id)sender
         [[NSString alloc]
          initWithCString: default_filename
          encoding: NSUTF8StringEncoding];
-    PyMem_Free(default_filename);
 #ifdef COMPILING_FOR_10_6
     [panel setNameFieldStringValue: ns_default_filename];
     result = [panel runModal];
diff --git a/src/ft2font_wrapper.cpp b/src/ft2font_wrapper.cpp
index f71b62813fc0..fbde6fd8d05e 100644
--- a/src/ft2font_wrapper.cpp
+++ b/src/ft2font_wrapper.cpp
@@ -1066,15 +1066,10 @@ static PyObject *PyFT2Font_get_name_index(PyFT2Font *self, PyObject *args, PyObj
 {
     char *glyphname;
     long name_index;
-
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "es:get_name_index", "ascii", &glyphname)) {
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "s:get_name_index", &glyphname)) {
         return NULL;
     }
-
     CALL_CPP("get_name_index", name_index = self->x->get_name_index(glyphname));
-
-    PyMem_Free(glyphname);
-
     return PyLong_FromLong(name_index);
 }
 
@@ -1114,8 +1109,7 @@ const char *PyFT2Font_get_sfnt_table__doc__ =
 static PyObject *PyFT2Font_get_sfnt_table(PyFT2Font *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwds)
 {
     char *tagname;
-
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "es:get_sfnt_table", "ascii", &tagname)) {
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "s:get_sfnt_table", &tagname)) {
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -1128,8 +1122,6 @@ static PyObject *PyFT2Font_get_sfnt_table(PyFT2Font *self, PyObject *args, PyObj
         }
     }
 
-    PyMem_Free(tagname);
-
     void *table = FT_Get_Sfnt_Table(self->x->get_face(), (FT_Sfnt_Tag)tag);
     if (!table) {
         Py_RETURN_NONE;