diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/Interface/QRDInterface.h b/qrenderdoc/Code/Interface/QRDInterface.h
index e1860826f..14f76185f 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/Interface/QRDInterface.h
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/Interface/QRDInterface.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #define QFormatStr(fmt) QStringLiteral(fmt)
 
 // we depend on the internal RenderDoc API, but the bindings for that are imported entirely
+#define RENDERDOC_QT_COMPAT
 #include "renderdoc_replay.h"
 
 // this is pre-declared as an opaque type as we only support converting to QWidget* via PySide
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/Interface/RemoteHost.cpp b/qrenderdoc/Code/Interface/RemoteHost.cpp
index 255216ee8..5082333c8 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/Interface/RemoteHost.cpp
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/Interface/RemoteHost.cpp
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 #include <QThread>
 #include "Code/QRDUtils.h"
 #include "QRDInterface.h"
-#include "renderdoc_replay.h"
 
 RemoteHost::RemoteHost()
 {
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/QRDUtils.h b/qrenderdoc/Code/QRDUtils.h
index 11ce54817..e0361fb78 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/QRDUtils.h
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/QRDUtils.h
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@
 #include <QSemaphore>
 #include <QSortFilterProxyModel>
 #include "Code/Interface/QRDInterface.h"
-#include "renderdoc_replay.h"
 
 template <typename T>
 inline T AlignUp(T x, T a)
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/ReplayManager.h b/qrenderdoc/Code/ReplayManager.h
index 52034c533..3eb681de7 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/ReplayManager.h
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/ReplayManager.h
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 #include <functional>
 #include "Interface/QRDInterface.h"
 #include "QRDUtils.h"
-#include "renderdoc_replay.h"
 
 struct IReplayController;
 class LambdaThread;
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.cpp b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.cpp
index 2a1945903..a6c17fdf9 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.cpp
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.cpp
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ PyTypeObject **SbkPySide2_QtWidgetsTypes = NULL;
 #include <QTimer>
 #include "Code/QRDUtils.h"
 #include "PythonContext.h"
-#include "renderdoc_replay.h"
 
 // defined in SWIG-generated renderdoc_python.cpp
 extern "C" PyObject *PyInit__renderdoc(void);
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.h b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.h
index 45ac84ebc..233d33965 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.h
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/PythonContext.h
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
 #include <QWidget>
 #include <typeinfo>
 #include "Code/QRDUtils.h"
-#include "renderdoc_replay.h"
 
 class QThread;
 
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/renderdoc.i b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/renderdoc.i
index af387464b..0bfee7103 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/renderdoc.i
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Code/pyrenderdoc/renderdoc.i
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ CONTAINER_TYPEMAPS(rdctype::array)
 %ignore rdctype::array::operator=;
 %ignore rdctype::array::operator[];
 %ignore rdctype::str::operator=;
-%ignore rdctype::str::operator const char *;
+%ignore rdctype::str::operator std::string;
 
 // add __str__ functions
 %feature("python:tp_str") ResourceId "resid_str";
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Styles/StyleData.cpp b/qrenderdoc/Styles/StyleData.cpp
index 1a24899c0..4659093d2 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Styles/StyleData.cpp
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Styles/StyleData.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #include "StyleData.h"
 #include <QApplication>
+#include "Code/QRDUtils.h"
 #include "RDStyle/RDStyle.h"
 #include "RDTweakedNativeStyle/RDTweakedNativeStyle.h"
 
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Widgets/CustomPaintWidget.cpp b/qrenderdoc/Widgets/CustomPaintWidget.cpp
index 7d516f188..177f21593 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Widgets/CustomPaintWidget.cpp
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Widgets/CustomPaintWidget.cpp
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 #include <math.h>
 #include <QPainter>
 #include "Code/CaptureContext.h"
-#include "renderdoc_replay.h"
 
 CustomPaintWidget::CustomPaintWidget(QWidget *parent) : QWidget(parent)
 {
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Windows/Dialogs/TextureSaveDialog.h b/qrenderdoc/Windows/Dialogs/TextureSaveDialog.h
index ba3a5e7e6..5dad109e0 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Windows/Dialogs/TextureSaveDialog.h
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Windows/Dialogs/TextureSaveDialog.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 #include <QDialog>
 #include <QTimer>
-#include "renderdoc_replay.h"
+#include "Code/Interface/QRDInterface.h"
 
 namespace Ui
 {
diff --git a/qrenderdoc/Windows/Dialogs/VirtualFileDialog.cpp b/qrenderdoc/Windows/Dialogs/VirtualFileDialog.cpp
index d3b375be2..a6699f0dc 100644
--- a/qrenderdoc/Windows/Dialogs/VirtualFileDialog.cpp
+++ b/qrenderdoc/Windows/Dialogs/VirtualFileDialog.cpp
@@ -55,15 +55,16 @@ public:
     makeIconStates(exeIcon, Pixmaps::page_white_code(parent));
     makeIconStates(dirIcon, Pixmaps::folder(parent));
 
-    Renderer.GetHomeFolder(true, [this](const char *path, const rdctype::array<PathEntry> &files) {
-      QString homeDir = QString::fromUtf8(path);
+    Renderer.GetHomeFolder(true, [this](const rdctype::str &path,
+                                        const rdctype::array<PathEntry> &files) {
+      QString homeDir = path;
 
       if(QChar(QLatin1Char(path[0])).isLetter() && path[1] == ':')
       {
         NTPaths = true;
 
         // NT paths
-        Renderer.ListFolder(lit("/"), true, [this, homeDir](const char *path,
+        Renderer.ListFolder(lit("/"), true, [this, homeDir](const rdctype::str &path,
                                                             const rdctype::array<PathEntry> &files) {
           for(int i = 0; i < files.count; i++)
           {
@@ -448,37 +449,37 @@ private:
     if(!(node->file.flags & PathProperty::Directory))
       return;
 
-    Renderer.ListFolder(
-        makePath(node), true, [this, node](const char *path, const rdctype::array<PathEntry> &files) {
+    Renderer.ListFolder(makePath(node), true, [this, node](const rdctype::str &path,
+                                                           const rdctype::array<PathEntry> &files) {
 
-          if(files.count == 1 && (files[0].flags & PathProperty::ErrorAccessDenied))
-          {
-            node->file.flags |= PathProperty::ErrorAccessDenied;
-            return;
-          }
+      if(files.count == 1 && (files[0].flags & PathProperty::ErrorAccessDenied))
+      {
+        node->file.flags |= PathProperty::ErrorAccessDenied;
+        return;
+      }
 
-          QVector<PathEntry> sortedFiles;
-          sortedFiles.reserve(files.count);
-          for(const PathEntry &f : files)
-            sortedFiles.push_back(f);
+      QVector<PathEntry> sortedFiles;
+      sortedFiles.reserve(files.count);
+      for(const PathEntry &f : files)
+        sortedFiles.push_back(f);
 
-          qSort(sortedFiles.begin(), sortedFiles.end(), [](const PathEntry &a, const PathEntry &b) {
-            // sort greater than so that files with the flag are sorted before those without
-            if((a.flags & PathProperty::Directory) != (b.flags & PathProperty::Directory))
-              return (a.flags & PathProperty::Directory) > (b.flags & PathProperty::Directory);
+      qSort(sortedFiles.begin(), sortedFiles.end(), [](const PathEntry &a, const PathEntry &b) {
+        // sort greater than so that files with the flag are sorted before those without
+        if((a.flags & PathProperty::Directory) != (b.flags & PathProperty::Directory))
+          return (a.flags & PathProperty::Directory) > (b.flags & PathProperty::Directory);
 
-            return strcmp(a.filename.c_str(), b.filename.c_str()) < 0;
-          });
+        return strcmp(a.filename.c_str(), b.filename.c_str()) < 0;
+      });
 
-          for(int i = 0; i < sortedFiles.count(); i++)
-          {
-            FSNode *child = new FSNode();
-            child->parent = node;
-            child->parentIndex = i;
-            child->file = sortedFiles[i];
-            node->children.push_back(child);
-          }
-        });
+      for(int i = 0; i < sortedFiles.count(); i++)
+      {
+        FSNode *child = new FSNode();
+        child->parent = node;
+        child->parentIndex = i;
+        child->file = sortedFiles[i];
+        node->children.push_back(child);
+      }
+    });
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/renderdoc/api/replay/basic_types.h b/renderdoc/api/replay/basic_types.h
index 6ac2b7d98..68590c883 100644
--- a/renderdoc/api/replay/basic_types.h
+++ b/renderdoc/api/replay/basic_types.h
@@ -262,8 +262,11 @@ struct str : public rdctype::array<char>
     }
   }
 
-  operator const char *() const { return elems ? elems : ""; }
-  DOCUMENT("");
+#if defined(RENDERDOC_QT_COMPAT)
+  operator QString() const { return QString::fromUtf8(elems, count); }
+#endif
+
+  operator std::string() const { return std::string(elems, elems + count); }
   const char *c_str() const { return elems ? elems : ""; }
 };
 
diff --git a/renderdoc/driver/ihv/amd/amd_counters.cpp b/renderdoc/driver/ihv/amd/amd_counters.cpp
index a0d4879fd..d3d408068 100644
--- a/renderdoc/driver/ihv/amd/amd_counters.cpp
+++ b/renderdoc/driver/ihv/amd/amd_counters.cpp
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ vector<AMDCounters::InternalCounterDescription> AMDCounters::EnumerateCounters()
     internalDesc.desc = InternalGetCounterDescription(i);
 
     // We ignore any D3D11 counters, as those are handled elsewhere
-    if(strncmp(internalDesc.desc.description, "#D3D11#", 7) == 0)
+    if(strncmp(internalDesc.desc.description.c_str(), "#D3D11#", 7) == 0)
     {
       continue;
     }