diff --git a/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/plPythonSDLModifier.cpp b/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/plPythonSDLModifier.cpp
index 8f231768..2b7947f4 100644
--- a/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/plPythonSDLModifier.cpp
+++ b/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/plPythonSDLModifier.cpp
@@ -699,48 +699,48 @@ PyObject* pySDLModifier::GetAgeSDL()
 }
 
 
-void pySDLModifier::SetDefault(pySDLModifier& self, std::string key, PyObject* value)
+void pySDLModifier::SetDefault(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& key, PyObject* value)
 {
-    self.fRecord->SetDefault(key.c_str(), value);
+    self.fRecord->SetDefault(key, value);
 }
 
-void pySDLModifier::SendToClients(pySDLModifier& self, std::string key)
+void pySDLModifier::SendToClients(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& key)
 {
-    self.fRecord->SendToClients(key.c_str());
+    self.fRecord->SendToClients(key);
 }
 
-void pySDLModifier::SetNotify(pySDLModifier& self, pyKey& selfkey, std::string key, float tolerance)
+void pySDLModifier::SetNotify(pySDLModifier& self, pyKey& selfkey, const plString& key, float tolerance)
 {
-    self.fRecord->SetNotify(selfkey, key.c_str(), tolerance);
+    self.fRecord->SetNotify(selfkey, key, tolerance);
 }
 
-PyObject* pySDLModifier::GetItem(pySDLModifier& self, std::string key)
+PyObject* pySDLModifier::GetItem(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& key)
 {
-    return self.fRecord->GetItem(key.c_str());
+    return self.fRecord->GetItem(key);
 }
 
-void pySDLModifier::SetItem(pySDLModifier& self, std::string key, PyObject* value)
+void pySDLModifier::SetItem(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& key, PyObject* value)
 {
-    self.fRecord->SetItem(key.c_str(), value);
+    self.fRecord->SetItem(key, value);
 }
 
 
-void pySDLModifier::SetItemIdx(pySDLModifier& self, std::string key, int idx, PyObject* value)
+void pySDLModifier::SetItemIdx(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& key, int idx, PyObject* value)
 {
-    self.fRecord->SetItemIdx(key.c_str(), idx, value);
+    self.fRecord->SetItemIdx(key, idx, value);
 }
 
-void pySDLModifier::SetItemIdxImmediate(pySDLModifier& self, std::string key, int idx, PyObject* value)
+void pySDLModifier::SetItemIdxImmediate(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& key, int idx, PyObject* value)
 {
-    self.fRecord->SetItemIdx(key.c_str(), idx, value, true);
+    self.fRecord->SetItemIdx(key, idx, value, true);
 }
 
-void pySDLModifier::SetFlags(pySDLModifier& self, const char* name, bool sendImmediate, bool skipOwnershipCheck)
+void pySDLModifier::SetFlags(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& name, bool sendImmediate, bool skipOwnershipCheck)
 {
     self.fRecord->SetFlags(name,sendImmediate,skipOwnershipCheck);
 }
 
-void pySDLModifier::SetTagString(pySDLModifier& self, const char* name, const char* tag)
+void pySDLModifier::SetTagString(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& name, const plString& tag)
 {
     self.fRecord->SetTagString(name,tag);
 }
diff --git a/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/plPythonSDLModifier.h b/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/plPythonSDLModifier.h
index 23ca43ea..c4349f0b 100644
--- a/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/plPythonSDLModifier.h
+++ b/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/plPythonSDLModifier.h
@@ -142,16 +142,16 @@ public:
     // global function to get the GrandMaster Age SDL object
     static PyObject* GetAgeSDL();
 
-    static void SetDefault(pySDLModifier& self, std::string key, PyObject* value);
-    static void SendToClients(pySDLModifier& self, std::string key);
-    static void SetNotify(pySDLModifier& self, pyKey& selfkey, std::string key, float tolerance);
+    static void SetDefault(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& key, PyObject* value);
+    static void SendToClients(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& key);
+    static void SetNotify(pySDLModifier& self, pyKey& selfkey, const plString& key, float tolerance);
     
-    static PyObject* GetItem(pySDLModifier& self, std::string key);
-    static void SetItem(pySDLModifier& self, std::string key, PyObject* value);
-    static void SetItemIdx(pySDLModifier& self, std::string key, int idx, PyObject* value);
-    static void SetItemIdxImmediate(pySDLModifier& self, std::string key, int idx, PyObject* value);
-    static void SetFlags(pySDLModifier& self, const char* name, bool sendImmediate, bool skipOwnershipCheck);
-    static void SetTagString(pySDLModifier& self, const char* name, const char* tag);
+    static PyObject* GetItem(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& key);
+    static void SetItem(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& key, PyObject* value);
+    static void SetItemIdx(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& key, int idx, PyObject* value);
+    static void SetItemIdxImmediate(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& key, int idx, PyObject* value);
+    static void SetFlags(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& name, bool sendImmediate, bool skipOwnershipCheck);
+    static void SetTagString(pySDLModifier& self, const plString& name, const plString& tag);
     
 };
 
diff --git a/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/plPythonSDLModifierGlue.cpp b/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/plPythonSDLModifierGlue.cpp
index be102ee1..3dbefead 100644
--- a/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/plPythonSDLModifierGlue.cpp
+++ b/Sources/Plasma/FeatureLib/pfPython/plPythonSDLModifierGlue.cpp
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ PYTHON_METHOD_DEFINITION(ptSDL, setIndexNow, args)
     char* key;
     int idx;
     PyObject* value = NULL;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "siO", &key, &idx, &value))
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "etiO", "utf8", &key, &idx, &value))
     {
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "setIndexNow expects a string, int, and an object");
         PYTHON_RETURN_ERROR;
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ PYTHON_METHOD_DEFINITION(ptSDL, setDefault, args)
 {
     char* key;
     PyObject* value = NULL;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "sO", &key, &value))
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "etO", "utf8", &key, &value))
     {
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "setDefault expects a string and a tuple");
         PYTHON_RETURN_ERROR;
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ PYTHON_METHOD_DEFINITION(ptSDL, setDefault, args)
 PYTHON_METHOD_DEFINITION(ptSDL, sendToClients, args)
 {
     char* key;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "s", &key))
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "et", "utf8", &key))
     {
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "sendToClients expects a string");
         PYTHON_RETURN_ERROR;
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ PYTHON_METHOD_DEFINITION(ptSDL, setNotify, args)
     PyObject* selfKeyObj;
     char* key;
     float tolerance;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "Osf", &selfKeyObj, &key, &tolerance))
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "Oetf", &selfKeyObj, "utf8", &key, &tolerance))
     {
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "setNotify expects a ptKey, string, and float");
         PYTHON_RETURN_ERROR;
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ PYTHON_METHOD_DEFINITION(ptSDL, setFlags, args)
 {
     char* key;
     char sendImmediate, skipOwnershipCheck;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "sbb", &key, &sendImmediate, &skipOwnershipCheck))
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "etbb", "utf8", &key, &sendImmediate, &skipOwnershipCheck))
     {
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "setFlags expects a string and two booleans");
         PYTHON_RETURN_ERROR;
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ PYTHON_METHOD_DEFINITION(ptSDL, setTagString, args)
 {
     char* key;
     char* tag;
-    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "ss", &key, &tag))
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "etet", "utf8", &key, "utf8", &tag))
     {
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "setTagString expects two strings");
         PYTHON_RETURN_ERROR;
@@ -179,12 +179,12 @@ PYTHON_END_METHODS_TABLE;
 
 PyObject* ptSDL_subscript(ptSDL* self, PyObject* key)
 {
-    if (!PyString_Check(key))
+    if (!PyString_CheckEx(key))
     {
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "SDL indexes must be strings");
         PYTHON_RETURN_ERROR;
     }
-    char *keyStr = PyString_AsString(key);
+    plString keyStr = PyString_AsStringEx(key);
     return pySDLModifier::GetItem(*(self->fThis), keyStr);
 }
 
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ int ptSDL_ass_subscript(ptSDL* self, PyObject* key, PyObject* value)
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError, "Cannot remove sdl records");
         return -1; // error return
     }
-    if (!PyString_Check(key))
+    if (!PyString_CheckEx(key))
     {
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "SDL indexes must be strings");
         return -1; // error return
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ int ptSDL_ass_subscript(ptSDL* self, PyObject* key, PyObject* value)
         PyErr_SetString(PyExc_TypeError, "SDL values must be tuples");
         return -1; // error return
     }
-    char* keyStr = PyString_AsString(key);
+    plString keyStr = PyString_AsStringEx(key);
     pySDLModifier::SetItem(*(self->fThis), keyStr, value);
     return 0; // success return
 }