diff --git a/src/unity.c b/src/unity.c
index 5cd9ec9e..50b63238 100644
--- a/src/unity.c
+++ b/src/unity.c
@@ -608,38 +608,10 @@ static void UnityPrintFirstStringDifference(const char *expected, const char *ac
 }
 
 /*-----------------------------------------------*/
-static void UnityPrintExpectedAndActualStrings(const char* expected, const char* actual, UNITY_UINT32 i_diff)
-{
-    UnityPrint(UnityStrExpected);
-    if (expected != NULL)
-    {
-        UNITY_OUTPUT_CHAR('\'');
-        UnityPrint(expected);
-        UNITY_OUTPUT_CHAR('\'');
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        UnityPrint(UnityStrNull);
-    }
-    UnityPrint(UnityStrWas);
-    if (actual != NULL)
-    {
-        UNITY_OUTPUT_CHAR('\'');
-        UnityPrint(actual);
-        UNITY_OUTPUT_CHAR('\'');
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        UnityPrint(UnityStrNull);
-    }
-    UnityPrintFirstStringDifference(expected, actual, i_diff);
-}
-
-/*-----------------------------------------------*/
-static void UnityPrintExpectedAndActualStringsLen(const char* expected,
-                                                  const char* actual,
-                                                  UNITY_UINT32 length,
-                                                  UNITY_UINT32 i_diff)
+static void UnityPrintExpectedAndActualStrings(const char* expected,
+                                               const char* actual,
+                                               UNITY_UINT32 length,
+                                               UNITY_UINT32 i_diff)
 {
     UnityPrint(UnityStrExpected);
     if (expected != NULL)
@@ -1605,20 +1577,17 @@ void UnityAssertNumbersArrayWithin(const UNITY_UINT delta,
 }
 
 /*-----------------------------------------------*/
-void UnityAssertEqualString(const char* expected,
-                            const char* actual,
-                            const char* msg,
-                            const UNITY_LINE_TYPE lineNumber)
+static UNITY_UINT32 UnityEnsureStringsEqual(const char *expected,
+                                        const char *actual,
+                                        UNITY_UINT32 length)
 {
     UNITY_UINT32 i;
     UNITY_UINT32 i_diff = 0;
 
-    RETURN_IF_FAIL_OR_IGNORE;
-
     /* if both pointers not null compare the strings */
     if (expected && actual)
     {
-        for (i = 0; expected[i] || actual[i]; i++)
+        for (i = 0; (i < length) && (expected[i] || actual[i]); i++)
         {
             if (expected[i] != actual[i])
             {
@@ -1635,14 +1604,7 @@ void UnityAssertEqualString(const char* expected,
             Unity.CurrentTestFailed = 1;
         }
     }
-
-    if (Unity.CurrentTestFailed)
-    {
-        UnityTestResultsFailBegin(lineNumber);
-        UnityPrintExpectedAndActualStrings(expected, actual, i_diff);
-        UnityAddMsgIfSpecified(msg);
-        UNITY_FAIL_AND_BAIL;
-    }
+    return i_diff;
 }
 
 /*-----------------------------------------------*/
@@ -1652,36 +1614,14 @@ void UnityAssertEqualStringLen(const char* expected,
                                const char* msg,
                                const UNITY_LINE_TYPE lineNumber)
 {
-    UNITY_UINT32 i;
-    UNITY_UINT32 i_diff = 0;
-
     RETURN_IF_FAIL_OR_IGNORE;
 
-    /* if both pointers not null compare the strings */
-    if (expected && actual)
-    {
-        for (i = 0; (i < length) && (expected[i] || actual[i]); i++)
-        {
-            if (expected[i] != actual[i])
-            {
-                Unity.CurrentTestFailed = 1;
-                i_diff = i;
-                break;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-    else
-    { /* fail if either null but not if both */
-        if (expected || actual)
-        {
-            Unity.CurrentTestFailed = 1;
-        }
-    }
+    UNITY_UINT32 i_diff = UnityEnsureStringsEqual(expected, actual, length);
 
     if (Unity.CurrentTestFailed)
     {
         UnityTestResultsFailBegin(lineNumber);
-        UnityPrintExpectedAndActualStringsLen(expected, actual, length, i_diff);
+        UnityPrintExpectedAndActualStrings(expected, actual, length, i_diff);
         UnityAddMsgIfSpecified(msg);
         UNITY_FAIL_AND_BAIL;
     }
@@ -1695,8 +1635,6 @@ void UnityAssertEqualStringArray(UNITY_INTERNAL_PTR expected,
                                  const UNITY_LINE_TYPE lineNumber,
                                  const UNITY_FLAGS_T flags)
 {
-    UNITY_UINT32 i = 0;
-    UNITY_UINT32 i_diff = 0;
     UNITY_UINT32 j = 0;
     const char* expd = NULL;
     const char* act = NULL;
@@ -1736,26 +1674,7 @@ void UnityAssertEqualStringArray(UNITY_INTERNAL_PTR expected,
             expd = ((const char* const*)expected)[j];
         }
 
-        /* if both pointers not null compare the strings */
-        if (expd && act)
-        {
-            for (i = 0; expd[i] || act[i]; i++)
-            {
-                if (expd[i] != act[i])
-                {
-                    Unity.CurrentTestFailed = 1;
-                    i_diff = i;
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        else
-        { /* handle case of one pointers being null (if both null, test should pass) */
-            if (expd != act)
-            {
-                Unity.CurrentTestFailed = 1;
-            }
-        }
+        UNITY_UINT32 i_diff = UnityEnsureStringsEqual(expd, act, 0xFFFFFFFFU);
 
         if (Unity.CurrentTestFailed)
         {
@@ -1765,7 +1684,7 @@ void UnityAssertEqualStringArray(UNITY_INTERNAL_PTR expected,
                 UnityPrint(UnityStrElement);
                 UnityPrintNumberUnsigned(j);
             }
-            UnityPrintExpectedAndActualStrings(expd, act, i_diff);
+            UnityPrintExpectedAndActualStrings(expd, act, 0xFFFFFFFFU, i_diff);
             UnityAddMsgIfSpecified(msg);
             UNITY_FAIL_AND_BAIL;
         }
diff --git a/src/unity_internals.h b/src/unity_internals.h
index 65938ff7..b6101867 100644
--- a/src/unity_internals.h
+++ b/src/unity_internals.h
@@ -987,7 +987,7 @@ int UnityTestMatches(void);
 
 
 #define UNITY_TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_PTR(expected, actual, line, message)                             UnityAssertEqualNumber((UNITY_PTR_TO_INT)(expected), (UNITY_PTR_TO_INT)(actual), (message), (UNITY_LINE_TYPE)(line), UNITY_DISPLAY_STYLE_POINTER)
-#define UNITY_TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_STRING(expected, actual, line, message)                          UnityAssertEqualString((const char*)(expected), (const char*)(actual), (message), (UNITY_LINE_TYPE)(line))
+#define UNITY_TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_STRING(expected, actual, line, message)                          UnityAssertEqualStringLen((const char*)(expected), (const char*)(actual), (UNITY_UINT32)0xFFFFFFFFU, (message), (UNITY_LINE_TYPE)(line))
 #define UNITY_TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_STRING_LEN(expected, actual, len, line, message)                 UnityAssertEqualStringLen((const char*)(expected), (const char*)(actual), (UNITY_UINT32)(len), (message), (UNITY_LINE_TYPE)(line))
 #define UNITY_TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_MEMORY(expected, actual, len, line, message)                     UnityAssertEqualMemory((UNITY_INTERNAL_PTR)(expected), (UNITY_INTERNAL_PTR)(actual), (UNITY_UINT32)(len), 1, (message), (UNITY_LINE_TYPE)(line), UNITY_ARRAY_TO_ARRAY)