diff --git a/templates/ext/herb/error_helpers.c.erb b/templates/ext/herb/error_helpers.c.erb
index a85bbf005..da80b05a1 100644
--- a/templates/ext/herb/error_helpers.c.erb
+++ b/templates/ext/herb/error_helpers.c.erb
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ static VALUE rb_<%= error.human %>_from_c_struct(<%= error.struct_type %>* <%= e
 
   ERROR_T* error = &<%= error.human %>->base;
 
-  VALUE type = rb_utf8_str_new_cstr(error_type_to_string(error));
+  VALUE type = rb_string_from_hb_string(error_type_to_string(error));
   VALUE location = rb_location_from_c_struct(error->location);
-  VALUE message = rb_utf8_str_new_cstr(error->message);
+  VALUE message = rb_string_from_hb_string(error->message);
 
   <%- error.fields.each do |field| -%>
   <%- case field -%>
diff --git a/templates/java/error_helpers.c.erb b/templates/java/error_helpers.c.erb
index e5ca9cca5..afd569bd2 100644
--- a/templates/java/error_helpers.c.erb
+++ b/templates/java/error_helpers.c.erb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ jobject <%= error.name %>FromCStruct(JNIEnv* env, <%= error.struct_type %>* <%=
 
   jstring jtype = (*env)->NewStringUTF(env, "<%= error.name %>");
   jobject location = CreateLocation(env, <%= error.human %>->base.location);
-  jstring jmessage = (*env)->NewStringUTF(env, <%= error.human %>->base.message);
+  jstring jmessage = CreateStringFromHbString(env, <%= error.human %>->base.message);
 
   return (*env)->NewObject(env, errorClass, constructor, jtype, location, jmessage);
 }
diff --git a/templates/javascript/packages/node/extension/error_helpers.cpp.erb b/templates/javascript/packages/node/extension/error_helpers.cpp.erb
index 4997b24b1..54a6e85b0 100644
--- a/templates/javascript/packages/node/extension/error_helpers.cpp.erb
+++ b/templates/javascript/packages/node/extension/error_helpers.cpp.erb
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ napi_value <%= error.name %>FromCStruct(napi_env env, <%= error.struct_type %>*
   napi_value result;
   napi_create_object(env, &result);
 
-  napi_value type = CreateString(env, error_type_to_string(&<%= error.human %>->base));
+  napi_value type = CreateStringFromHbString(env, error_type_to_string(&<%= error.human %>->base));
   napi_set_named_property(env, result, "type", type);
 
-  napi_value message = CreateString(env, <%= error.human %>->base.message);
+  napi_value message = CreateStringFromHbString(env, <%= error.human %>->base.message);
   napi_set_named_property(env, result, "message", message);
 
   napi_value location = CreateLocation(env, <%= error.human %>->base.location);
diff --git a/templates/rust/src/ast/nodes.rs.erb b/templates/rust/src/ast/nodes.rs.erb
index ad481c1a3..4786469c8 100644
--- a/templates/rust/src/ast/nodes.rs.erb
+++ b/templates/rust/src/ast/nodes.rs.erb
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ use crate::errors::*;
 use crate::nodes::*;
 use crate::union_types::*;
 use crate::{Location, Position};
-use std::ffi::CStr;
 use std::os::raw::c_void;
 
 unsafe fn convert_location(c_location: location_T) -> Location {
@@ -22,11 +21,7 @@ unsafe fn convert_position(c_position: position_T) -> Position {
 <%- snake_name = error.name.gsub(/([A-Z]+)([A-Z][a-z])/, '\1_\2').gsub(/([a-z\d])([A-Z])/, '\1_\2').downcase -%>
 unsafe fn convert_<%= snake_name %>(error_ptr: *const <%= error.c_type %>) -> <%= error.name %> {
   let error_ref = &*error_ptr;
-  let message = if error_ref.base.message.is_null() {
-    String::new()
-  } else {
-    CStr::from_ptr(error_ref.base.message).to_string_lossy().into_owned()
-  };
+  let message = string_from_hb_string(error_ref.base.message);
   let location = convert_location(error_ref.base.location);
 
   <%= error.name %>::new(
diff --git a/templates/src/errors.c.erb b/templates/src/errors.c.erb
index 74afc8e67..9e6514017 100644
--- a/templates/src/errors.c.erb
+++ b/templates/src/errors.c.erb
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@ void error_init(ERROR_T* error, const error_type_T type, position_T start, posit
   if (truncated_c_string_<%= i %>) { free(truncated_c_string_<%= i %>); }
   <%- end -%>
   <%- end -%>
-  <%= error.human %>->base.message = hb_allocator_strdup(allocator, message);
+  <%= error.human %>->base.message = hb_string_copy(hb_string(message), allocator);
   <%- else -%>
-  <%= error.human %>->base.message = hb_allocator_strdup(allocator, "<%= error.message_template %>");
+  <%= error.human %>->base.message = hb_string_copy(hb_string("<%= error.message_template %>"), allocator);
   <%- end -%>
 
   <%- error.fields.each do |field| -%>
@@ -95,30 +95,30 @@ void append_<%= error.human %>(<%= (arguments + ["hb_array_T* errors"]).join(",
 }
 <%- end -%>
 
-const char* error_type_to_string(ERROR_T* error) {
+hb_string_T error_type_to_string(ERROR_T* error) {
   switch (error->type) {
     <%- errors.each do |error| -%>
-    case <%= error.type %>: return "<%= error.type %>";
+    case <%= error.type %>: return hb_string("<%= error.type %>");
     <%- end -%>
   }
 
-  return "Unknown error_type_T";
+  return hb_string("Unknown error_type_T");
 }
 
-const char* error_human_type(ERROR_T* error) {
+hb_string_T error_human_type(ERROR_T* error) {
   switch (error->type) {
     <%- errors.each do |error| -%>
-    case <%= error.type %>: return "<%= error.name %>";
+    case <%= error.type %>: return hb_string("<%= error.name %>");
     <%- end -%>
   }
 
-  return "Unknown error_type_T";
+  return hb_string("Unknown error_type_T");
 }
 
 void error_free_base_error(ERROR_T* error, hb_allocator_T* allocator) {
   if (error == NULL) { return; }
 
-  if (error->message != NULL) { hb_allocator_dealloc(allocator, error->message); }
+  if (!hb_string_is_null(error->message)) { hb_allocator_dealloc(allocator, error->message.data); }
 
   hb_allocator_dealloc(allocator, error);
 }
@@ -210,13 +210,13 @@ static void error_pretty_print_<%= error.human %>(<%= error.struct_type %>* erro
   if (!error) { return; }
 
   hb_buffer_append(buffer, "@ ");
-  hb_buffer_append(buffer, error_human_type((ERROR_T*) error));
+  hb_buffer_append_string(buffer, error_human_type((ERROR_T*) error));
   hb_buffer_append(buffer, " ");
 
   pretty_print_location(error->base.location, buffer);
   hb_buffer_append(buffer, "\n");
 
-  pretty_print_quoted_property(hb_string("message"), hb_string(error->base.message), indent, relative_indent, <%= error.fields.none? %>, buffer);
+  pretty_print_quoted_property(hb_string("message"), error->base.message, indent, relative_indent, <%= error.fields.none? %>, buffer);
   <%- error.fields.each_with_index do |field, index| -%>
   <%- case field -%>
   <%- when Herb::Template::PositionField -%>
diff --git a/templates/src/include/errors.h.erb b/templates/src/include/errors.h.erb
index f74b14a72..5b01db595 100644
--- a/templates/src/include/errors.h.erb
+++ b/templates/src/include/errors.h.erb
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "util/hb_allocator.h"
 #include "util/hb_array.h"
 #include "util/hb_buffer.h"
+#include "util/hb_string.h"
 
 typedef enum {
 <%- errors.each do |error| -%>
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ typedef enum {
 typedef struct ERROR_STRUCT {
   error_type_T type;
   location_T location;
-  char* message;
+  hb_string_T message;
 } ERROR_T;
 
 <%- errors.each do |error| -%>
@@ -42,10 +43,10 @@ void error_init(ERROR_T* error, error_type_T type, position_T start, position_T
 size_t error_sizeof(void);
 error_type_T error_type(ERROR_T* error);
 
-char* error_message(ERROR_T* error);
+hb_string_T error_message(ERROR_T* error);
 
-const char* error_type_to_string(ERROR_T* error);
-const char* error_human_type(ERROR_T* error);
+hb_string_T error_type_to_string(ERROR_T* error);
+hb_string_T error_human_type(ERROR_T* error);
 
 void error_free(ERROR_T* error, hb_allocator_T* allocator);
 
diff --git a/templates/wasm/error_helpers.cpp.erb b/templates/wasm/error_helpers.cpp.erb
index f9ca9c4e5..c7cf5f22b 100644
--- a/templates/wasm/error_helpers.cpp.erb
+++ b/templates/wasm/error_helpers.cpp.erb
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ val <%= error.name %>FromCStruct(<%= error.struct_type %>* <%= error.human %>) {
   val Object = val::global("Object");
   val result = Object.new_();
 
-  result.set("type", CreateString(error_type_to_string(&<%= error.human %>->base)));
-  result.set("message", CreateString(<%= error.human %>->base.message));
+  result.set("type", CreateStringFromHbString(error_type_to_string(&<%= error.human %>->base)));
+  result.set("message", CreateStringFromHbString(<%= error.human %>->base.message));
   result.set("location", CreateLocation(<%= error.human %>->base.location));
   <%- error.fields.each do |field| -%>
   <%- case field -%>