diff --git a/samples/geotag.cpp b/samples/geotag.cpp
index 1b5b222421..dad727e7c5 100644
--- a/samples/geotag.cpp
+++ b/samples/geotag.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <fstream>
 #include <iostream>
 
 #if __has_include(<filesystem>)
@@ -475,48 +476,55 @@ bool readDir(const char* path, Options& options) {
   return bResult;
 }
 
-inline size_t sip(FILE* f, char* buffer, size_t max_len, size_t len) {
-  while (!feof(f) && len < max_len && buffer[len - 1] != '>')
-    buffer[len++] = fgetc(f);
+inline size_t sip(std::ifstream& f, char* buffer, size_t max_len, size_t len) {
+  while (f && len < max_len && buffer[len - 1] != '>') {
+    char c;
+    f.get(c);
+    buffer[len++] = c;
+  }
   return len;
 }
 
 bool readXML(const char* path, Options& options) {
-  FILE* f = fopen(path, "r");
+  std::ifstream file(path);
+  if (!file) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
   XML_Parser parser = XML_ParserCreate(nullptr);
-  bool bResult = f && parser;
-  if (bResult) {
-    char buffer[8 * 1024];
-    UserData me(options);
-
-    XML_SetUserData(parser, &me);
-    XML_SetElementHandler(parser, startElement, endElement);
-    XML_SetCharacterDataHandler(parser, charHandler);
-
-    // a little sip at the data
-    size_t len = fread(buffer, 1, sizeof(buffer) - 100, f);
-    const char* lead = "<?xml";
-    bResult = strncmp(lead, buffer, strlen(lead)) == 0;
-
-    // swallow it
-    if (bResult) {
-      len = sip(f, buffer, sizeof buffer, len);
-      bResult = XML_Parse(parser, buffer, static_cast<int>(len), len == 0) == XML_STATUS_OK;
-    }
+  if (!parser) {
+    return false;
+  }
 
-    // drink the rest of the file
-    while (bResult && len != 0) {
-      len = fread(buffer, 1, sizeof(buffer) - 100, f);
-      len = sip(f, buffer, sizeof buffer, len);
-      bResult = XML_Parse(parser, buffer, static_cast<int>(len), len == 0) == XML_STATUS_OK;
-    };
+  bool bResult = true;
+  std::vector<char> buffer(8 * 1024);
+  UserData me(options);
+
+  XML_SetUserData(parser, &me);
+  XML_SetElementHandler(parser, startElement, endElement);
+  XML_SetCharacterDataHandler(parser, charHandler);
+
+  // A little sip at the data
+  file.read(buffer.data(), buffer.size() - 100);
+  std::streamsize len = file.gcount();
+  const char* lead = "<?xml";
+  bResult = len > 0 && strncmp(lead, buffer.data(), strlen(lead)) == 0;
+
+  // Swallow it
+  if (bResult) {
+    len = sip(file, buffer.data(), buffer.size(), len);
+    bResult = XML_Parse(parser, buffer.data(), static_cast<int>(len), len == 0) == XML_STATUS_OK;
   }
 
-  if (f)
-    fclose(f);
-  if (parser)
-    XML_ParserFree(parser);
+  // Drink the rest of the file
+  while (bResult && len > 0) {
+    file.read(buffer.data(), buffer.size() - 100);
+    len = file.gcount();
+    len = sip(file, buffer.data(), buffer.size(), len);
+    bResult = XML_Parse(parser, buffer.data(), static_cast<int>(len), len == 0) == XML_STATUS_OK;
+  }
 
+  XML_ParserFree(parser);
   return bResult;
 }
 
@@ -547,8 +555,7 @@ time_t readImageTime(const std::string& path, std::string* pS = nullptr) {
   for (size_t i = 0; !result && dateStrings[i]; i++) {
     const char* dateString = dateStrings[i];
     try {
-      Image::UniquePtr image = ImageFactory::open(path);
-      if (image.get()) {
+      if (auto image = ImageFactory::open(path)) {
         image->readMetadata();
         ExifData& exifData = image->exifData();
         //  printf("%s => %s\n",dateString, exifData[dateString].toString().c_str());
@@ -579,22 +586,21 @@ bool sina(const char* s, const char** a) {
 }
 
 int readFile(const char* path, const Options& /* options */) {
-  FILE* f = fopen(path, "r");
-  int nResult = f ? typeFile : typeUnknown;
-  if (f) {
-    const char* ext = strstr(path, ".");
-    if (ext) {
-      const char* docs[] = {".doc", ".txt", nullptr};
-      const char* code[] = {".cpp", ".h", ".pl", ".py", ".pyc", nullptr};
-      if (sina(ext, docs))
-        nResult = typeDoc;
-      if (sina(ext, code))
-        nResult = typeCode;
-    }
-    fclose(f);
+  if (!fs::exists(path)) {
+    return typeUnknown;
+  }
+
+  const char* ext = strstr(path, ".");
+  if (ext) {
+    const char* docs[] = {".doc", ".txt", nullptr};
+    const char* code[] = {".cpp", ".h", ".pl", ".py", ".pyc", nullptr};
+    if (sina(ext, docs))
+      return typeDoc;
+    if (sina(ext, code))
+      return typeCode;
   }
 
-  return nResult;
+  return typeFile;
 }
 
 Position* searchTimeDict(TimeDict_t& td, const time_t& time, long long delta) {
diff --git a/samples/path-test.cpp b/samples/path-test.cpp
index 5046a7c49b..56c25d55f6 100644
--- a/samples/path-test.cpp
+++ b/samples/path-test.cpp
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* const argv[]) {
     std::istringstream is(line);
     is >> path >> dir >> base;
     auto p = fs::path(path);
-    std::string d = p.parent_path().string();
-    std::string b = p.filename().string();
+    auto d = p.parent_path();
+    auto b = p.filename();
 
     if (d != dir || b != base) {
       std::cout << path << "\t'" << d << "'\t '" << b << "'\t ==> Testcase failed\n";
diff --git a/src/basicio.cpp b/src/basicio.cpp
index 4c3b5c428f..0a905078af 100644
--- a/src/basicio.cpp
+++ b/src/basicio.cpp
@@ -942,7 +942,7 @@ std::string XPathIo::writeDataToFile(const std::string& orgPath) {
     if (_setmode(_fileno(stdin), _O_BINARY) == -1)
       throw Error(ErrorCode::kerInputDataReadFailed);
 #endif
-    std::ofstream fs(path.c_str(), std::ios::out | std::ios::binary | std::ios::trunc);
+    std::ofstream fs(path, std::ios::out | std::ios::binary | std::ios::trunc);
     // read stdin and write to the temp file.
     char readBuf[100 * 1024];
     std::streamsize readBufSize = 0;
@@ -955,7 +955,7 @@ std::string XPathIo::writeDataToFile(const std::string& orgPath) {
     } while (readBufSize);
     fs.close();
   } else if (prot == pDataUri) {
-    std::ofstream fs(path.c_str(), std::ios::out | std::ios::binary | std::ios::trunc);
+    std::ofstream fs(path, std::ios::out | std::ios::binary | std::ios::trunc);
     // read data uri and write to the temp file.
     size_t base64Pos = orgPath.find("base64,");
     if (base64Pos == std::string::npos) {
diff --git a/src/version.cpp b/src/version.cpp
index 09ea5b7875..dbf65ed7e1 100644
--- a/src/version.cpp
+++ b/src/version.cpp
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ static std::vector<std::string> getLoadedLibraries() {
 
   // read file /proc/self/maps which has a list of files in memory
   // (this doesn't yield anything on __sun__)
-  std::ifstream maps("/proc/self/maps", std::ifstream::in);
+  std::ifstream maps("/proc/self/maps");
   std::string string;
   while (std::getline(maps, string)) {
     std::size_t pos = string.find_last_of(' ');
diff --git a/unitTests/test_futils.cpp b/unitTests/test_futils.cpp
index 755b06a023..f13055f42b 100644
--- a/unitTests/test_futils.cpp
+++ b/unitTests/test_futils.cpp
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@ TEST(strError, returnSuccessAfterClosingFile) {
   // -> reset errno so that a real failure is only detected here
   errno = 0;
 
-  std::string tmpFile("tmp.dat");
-  std::ofstream auxFile(tmpFile.c_str());
+  fs::path tmpFile("tmp.dat");
+  std::ofstream auxFile(tmpFile);
   auxFile.close();
-  fs::remove(tmpFile.c_str());
+  fs::remove(tmpFile);
   ASSERT_TRUE(Internal::contains(strError(), "(errno = 0)"));
 }