diff --git a/examples/repl/cmdline.rs b/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
index 09c0225a6..0e608e415 100644
--- a/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
+++ b/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ unsafe fn log_msg(context: &Context, prefix: impl AsRef<str>, msg: *mut dc_msg_t
         DC_STATE_OUT_FAILED => " !!",
         _ => "",
     };
-    let temp2: *mut libc::c_char = dc_timestamp_to_str(dc_msg_get_timestamp(msg));
+    let temp2 = dc_timestamp_to_str(dc_msg_get_timestamp(msg));
     let msgtext: *mut libc::c_char = dc_msg_get_text(msg);
     info!(
         context,
@@ -266,10 +266,9 @@ unsafe fn log_msg(context: &Context, prefix: impl AsRef<str>, msg: *mut dc_msg_t
             ""
         },
         statestr,
-        as_str(temp2),
+        &temp2,
     );
     free(msgtext as *mut libc::c_void);
-    free(temp2 as *mut libc::c_void);
     free(contact_name as *mut libc::c_void);
     dc_contact_unref(contact);
 }
@@ -682,7 +681,7 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_cmdline(context: &Context, line: &str) -> Result<(), failure::E
                         if !text1.is_null() { ": " } else { "" },
                         to_string(text2),
                         statestr,
-                        as_str(timestr),
+                        &timestr,
                         if 0 != dc_chat_is_sending_locations(chat) {
                             "📍"
                         } else {
@@ -691,7 +690,6 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_cmdline(context: &Context, line: &str) -> Result<(), failure::E
                     );
                     free(text1 as *mut libc::c_void);
                     free(text2 as *mut libc::c_void);
-                    free(timestr as *mut libc::c_void);
                     dc_lot_unref(lot);
                     dc_chat_unref(chat);
                     info!(
@@ -886,7 +884,7 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_cmdline(context: &Context, line: &str) -> Result<(), failure::E
                     0,
                     "Loc#{}: {}: lat={} lng={} acc={} Chat#{} Contact#{} Msg#{} {}",
                     dc_array_get_id(loc, j as size_t),
-                    as_str(timestr_0),
+                    &timestr_0,
                     dc_array_get_latitude(loc, j as size_t),
                     dc_array_get_longitude(loc, j as size_t),
                     dc_array_get_accuracy(loc, j as size_t),
@@ -899,7 +897,6 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_cmdline(context: &Context, line: &str) -> Result<(), failure::E
                         "-"
                     },
                 );
-                free(timestr_0 as *mut libc::c_void);
                 free(marker as *mut libc::c_void);
                 j += 1
             }
diff --git a/src/dc_msg.rs b/src/dc_msg.rs
index 1361af3f8..b6548f770 100644
--- a/src/dc_msg.rs
+++ b/src/dc_msg.rs
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_get_msg_info(context: &Context, msg_id: u32) -> *mut libc::c_ch
     let rawtxt = rawtxt.unwrap();
     let rawtxt = dc_truncate_str(rawtxt.trim(), 100000);
 
-    let fts = dc_timestamp_to_str_safe(dc_msg_get_timestamp(msg));
+    let fts = dc_timestamp_to_str(dc_msg_get_timestamp(msg));
     ret += &format!("Sent: {}", fts);
 
     p = dc_contact_get_name_n_addr(contact_from);
@@ -79,13 +79,12 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_get_msg_info(context: &Context, msg_id: u32) -> *mut libc::c_ch
     ret += "\n";
 
     if (*msg).from_id != 1 as libc::c_uint {
-        p = dc_timestamp_to_str(if 0 != (*msg).timestamp_rcvd {
+        let s = dc_timestamp_to_str(if 0 != (*msg).timestamp_rcvd {
             (*msg).timestamp_rcvd
         } else {
             (*msg).timestamp_sort
         });
-        ret += &format!("Received: {}", as_str(p));
-        free(p as *mut libc::c_void);
+        ret += &format!("Received: {}", &s);
         ret += "\n";
     }
 
@@ -109,7 +108,7 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_get_msg_info(context: &Context, msg_id: u32) -> *mut libc::c_ch
             |rows| {
                 for row in rows {
                     let (contact_id, ts) = row?;
-                    let fts = dc_timestamp_to_str_safe(ts);
+                    let fts = dc_timestamp_to_str(ts);
                     ret += &format!("Read: {}", fts);
 
                     let contact = dc_contact_new(context);
diff --git a/src/dc_tools.rs b/src/dc_tools.rs
index b9e425b2e..d2db0afa2 100644
--- a/src/dc_tools.rs
+++ b/src/dc_tools.rs
@@ -669,13 +669,7 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_timestamp_from_date(date_time: *mut mailimf_date_time) -> i64 {
  * date/time tools
  ******************************************************************************/
 
-/* the return value must be free()'d */
-pub unsafe fn dc_timestamp_to_str(wanted: i64) -> *mut libc::c_char {
-    let res = dc_timestamp_to_str_safe(wanted);
-    to_cstring(res)
-}
-
-pub fn dc_timestamp_to_str_safe(wanted: i64) -> String {
+pub fn dc_timestamp_to_str(wanted: i64) -> String {
     let ts = chrono::Utc.timestamp(wanted, 0);
     ts.format("%Y.%m.%d %H:%M:%S").to_string()
 }