diff --git a/Annex/UUID.hs b/Annex/UUID.hs
index 872fb9091a..8986f2d7a0 100644
--- a/Annex/UUID.hs
+++ b/Annex/UUID.hs
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import Config
 import qualified Data.UUID as U
 import qualified Data.UUID.V4 as U4
 import qualified Data.UUID.V5 as U5
+import qualified Data.ByteString as S
 import Data.String
 
 configkeyUUID :: ConfigKey
@@ -53,13 +54,13 @@ genUUID = toUUID <$> U4.nextRandom
 {- Generates a UUID from a given string, using a namespace.
  - Given the same namespace, the same string will always result
  - in the same UUID. -}
-genUUIDInNameSpace :: U.UUID -> String -> UUID
-genUUIDInNameSpace namespace = toUUID . U5.generateNamed namespace . s2w8
+genUUIDInNameSpace :: U.UUID -> S.ByteString -> UUID
+genUUIDInNameSpace namespace = toUUID . U5.generateNamed namespace . S.unpack
 
 {- Namespace used for UUIDs derived from git-remote-gcrypt ids. -}
 gCryptNameSpace :: U.UUID
 gCryptNameSpace = U5.generateNamed U5.namespaceURL $
-	s2w8 "http://git-annex.branchable.com/design/gcrypt/" 
+	S.unpack "http://git-annex.branchable.com/design/gcrypt/" 
 
 {- Get current repository's UUID. -}
 getUUID :: Annex UUID
diff --git a/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Ssh.hs b/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Ssh.hs
index 86065b8fc4..04ac8ceb1d 100644
--- a/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Ssh.hs
+++ b/Assistant/WebApp/Configurators/Ssh.hs
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ testServer sshinput@(SshInput { inputHostname = Just hn }) = do
 		finduuid (k, v)
 			| k == "annex.uuid" = Just $ toUUID v
 			| k == fromConfigKey GCrypt.coreGCryptId =
-				Just $ genUUIDInNameSpace gCryptNameSpace v
+				Just $ genUUIDInNameSpace gCryptNameSpace (encodeBS v)
 			| otherwise = Nothing
 	
 	checkcommand c = "if which " ++ c ++ "; then " ++ report c ++ "; fi"
diff --git a/Command/GCryptSetup.hs b/Command/GCryptSetup.hs
index fe2f06ad9b..ae17702cce 100644
--- a/Command/GCryptSetup.hs
+++ b/Command/GCryptSetup.hs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ start gcryptid = starting "gcryptsetup" (ActionItemOther Nothing) (SeekInput [gc
 	
 	g <- gitRepo
 	gu <- Remote.GCrypt.getGCryptUUID True g
-	let newgu = genUUIDInNameSpace gCryptNameSpace gcryptid
+	let newgu = genUUIDInNameSpace gCryptNameSpace (encodeBS gcryptid)
 	if isNothing gu || gu == Just newgu
 		then if Git.repoIsLocalBare g
 			then do
diff --git a/Remote/GCrypt.hs b/Remote/GCrypt.hs
index 213265dfa2..d9a581596d 100644
--- a/Remote/GCrypt.hs
+++ b/Remote/GCrypt.hs
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ gen baser u rc gc rs = do
 	-- that is now available. Also need to set the gcrypt particiants
 	-- correctly.
 	resetup gcryptid r = do
-		let u' = genUUIDInNameSpace gCryptNameSpace gcryptid
+		let u' = genUUIDInNameSpace gCryptNameSpace (encodeBS gcryptid)
 		v <- M.lookup u' <$> remoteConfigMap
 		case (Git.remoteName baser, v) of
 			(Just remotename, Just rc') -> do
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ gCryptSetup _ mu _ c gc = go $ fromProposedAccepted <$> M.lookup gitRepoField c
 		case Git.GCrypt.remoteRepoId g (Just remotename) of
 			Nothing -> giveup "unable to determine gcrypt-id of remote"
 			Just gcryptid -> do
-				let u = genUUIDInNameSpace gCryptNameSpace gcryptid
+				let u = genUUIDInNameSpace gCryptNameSpace (encodeBS gcryptid)
 				if Just u == mu || isNothing mu
 					then do
 						method <- setupRepo gcryptid =<< inRepo (Git.Construct.fromRemoteLocation gitrepo False)
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ toAccessMethod _ = AccessRsyncOverSsh
 getGCryptUUID :: Bool -> Git.Repo -> Annex (Maybe UUID)
 getGCryptUUID fast r = do
 	dummycfg <- liftIO dummyRemoteGitConfig
-	(genUUIDInNameSpace gCryptNameSpace <$>) . fst
+	(genUUIDInNameSpace gCryptNameSpace . encodeBS <$>) . fst
 		<$> getGCryptId fast r dummycfg
 
 coreGCryptId :: ConfigKey
diff --git a/Remote/Git.hs b/Remote/Git.hs
index 157499aa25..180d522d04 100644
--- a/Remote/Git.hs
+++ b/Remote/Git.hs
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ tryGitConfigRead autoinit r hasuuid
 		case Git.GCrypt.remoteRepoId g (Git.remoteName r) of
 			Nothing -> return r
 			Just v -> storeUpdatedRemote $ liftIO $ setUUID r $
-				genUUIDInNameSpace gCryptNameSpace v
+				genUUIDInNameSpace gCryptNameSpace (encodeBS v)
 
 	{- The local repo may not yet be initialized, so try to initialize
 	 - it if allowed. However, if that fails, still return the read
diff --git a/Utility/Data.hs b/Utility/Data.hs
index faf9b34ecc..af8c5580b5 100644
--- a/Utility/Data.hs
+++ b/Utility/Data.hs
@@ -10,12 +10,8 @@
 module Utility.Data (
 	firstJust,
 	eitherToMaybe,
-	s2w8,
-	w82s,
 ) where
 
-import Data.Word
-
 {- First item in the list that is not Nothing. -}
 firstJust :: Eq a => [Maybe a] -> Maybe a
 firstJust ms = case dropWhile (== Nothing) ms of
@@ -24,15 +20,3 @@ firstJust ms = case dropWhile (== Nothing) ms of
 
 eitherToMaybe :: Either a b -> Maybe b
 eitherToMaybe = either (const Nothing) Just
-
-c2w8 :: Char -> Word8
-c2w8 = fromIntegral . fromEnum
-
-w82c :: Word8 -> Char
-w82c = toEnum . fromIntegral
-
-s2w8 :: String -> [Word8]
-s2w8 = map c2w8
-
-w82s :: [Word8] -> String
-w82s = map w82c