diff --git a/src/lexer.c b/src/lexer.c
index a2832b44c..76f638fe2 100644
--- a/src/lexer.c
+++ b/src/lexer.c
@@ -102,9 +102,9 @@ static void lexer_advance_by(lexer_T* lexer, const size_t count) {
   }
 }
 
-static token_T* lexer_advance_with(lexer_T* lexer, const char* value, const token_type_T type) {
-  lexer_advance_by(lexer, strlen(value));
-  return token_init(hb_string(value), type, lexer);
+static token_T* lexer_advance_with(lexer_T* lexer, hb_string_T value, const token_type_T type) {
+  lexer_advance_by(lexer, value.length);
+  return token_init(value, type, lexer);
 }
 
 static token_T* lexer_advance_with_next(lexer_T* lexer, size_t count, token_type_T type) {
@@ -120,7 +120,11 @@ static token_T* lexer_advance_with_next(lexer_T* lexer, size_t count, token_type
 }
 
 static token_T* lexer_advance_current(lexer_T* lexer, const token_type_T type) {
-  return lexer_advance_with(lexer, (char[]) { lexer->current_character, '\0' }, type);
+  char buffer[2];
+  buffer[0] = lexer->current_character;
+  buffer[1] = '\0';
+
+  return lexer_advance_with(lexer, hb_string(buffer), type);
 }
 
 static token_T* lexer_advance_utf8_character(lexer_T* lexer, const token_type_T type) {
@@ -139,10 +143,9 @@ static token_T* lexer_advance_utf8_character(lexer_T* lexer, const token_type_T
   return token;
 }
 
-static token_T* lexer_match_and_advance(lexer_T* lexer, const char* value, const token_type_T type) {
-  if (strncmp(lexer->source.data + lexer->current_position, value, strlen(value)) == 0) {
-    return lexer_advance_with(lexer, value, type);
-  }
+static token_T* lexer_match_and_advance(lexer_T* lexer, hb_string_T value, const token_type_T type) {
+  hb_string_T remaining_source = hb_string_slice(lexer->source, lexer->current_position);
+  if (hb_string_starts_with(remaining_source, value)) { return lexer_advance_with(lexer, value, type); }
 
   return NULL;
 }
@@ -182,7 +185,8 @@ static token_T* lexer_parse_identifier(lexer_T* lexer) {
 // ===== ERB Parsing
 
 static token_T* lexer_parse_erb_open(lexer_T* lexer) {
-  const char* erb_patterns[] = { "<%==", "<%%=", "<%=", "<%#", "<%-", "<%%", "<%" };
+  hb_string_T erb_patterns[] = { hb_string("<%=="), hb_string("<%%="), hb_string("<%="), hb_string("<%#"),
+                                 hb_string("<%-"),  hb_string("<%%"),  hb_string("<%") };
 
   lexer->state = STATE_ERB_CONTENT;
 
@@ -230,11 +234,11 @@ static token_T* lexer_parse_erb_content(lexer_T* lexer) {
 static token_T* lexer_parse_erb_close(lexer_T* lexer) {
   lexer->state = STATE_DATA;
 
-  if (lexer_peek_erb_percent_close_tag(lexer, 0)) { return lexer_advance_with(lexer, "%%>", TOKEN_ERB_END); }
-  if (lexer_peek_erb_equals_close_tag(lexer, 0)) { return lexer_advance_with(lexer, "=%>", TOKEN_ERB_END); }
-  if (lexer_peek_erb_dash_close_tag(lexer, 0)) { return lexer_advance_with(lexer, "-%>", TOKEN_ERB_END); }
+  if (lexer_peek_erb_percent_close_tag(lexer, 0)) { return lexer_advance_with(lexer, hb_string("%%>"), TOKEN_ERB_END); }
+  if (lexer_peek_erb_equals_close_tag(lexer, 0)) { return lexer_advance_with(lexer, hb_string("=%>"), TOKEN_ERB_END); }
+  if (lexer_peek_erb_dash_close_tag(lexer, 0)) { return lexer_advance_with(lexer, hb_string("-%>"), TOKEN_ERB_END); }
 
-  return lexer_advance_with(lexer, "%>", TOKEN_ERB_END);
+  return lexer_advance_with(lexer, hb_string("%>"), TOKEN_ERB_END);
 }
 
 // ===== Tokenizing Function
@@ -277,33 +281,33 @@ token_T* lexer_next_token(lexer_T* lexer) {
       if (isalnum(lexer_peek(lexer, 1))) { return lexer_advance_current(lexer, TOKEN_HTML_TAG_START); }
 
       if (lexer_peek_for_html_comment_start(lexer, 0)) {
-        return lexer_advance_with(lexer, "<!--", TOKEN_HTML_COMMENT_START);
+        return lexer_advance_with(lexer, hb_string("<!--"), TOKEN_HTML_COMMENT_START);
       }
 
       if (lexer_peek_for_close_tag_start(lexer, 0)) {
-        return lexer_advance_with(lexer, "</", TOKEN_HTML_TAG_START_CLOSE);
+        return lexer_advance_with(lexer, hb_string("</"), TOKEN_HTML_TAG_START_CLOSE);
       }
 
       return lexer_advance_current(lexer, TOKEN_LT);
     }
 
     case '/': {
-      token_T* token = lexer_match_and_advance(lexer, "/>", TOKEN_HTML_TAG_SELF_CLOSE);
+      token_T* token = lexer_match_and_advance(lexer, hb_string("/>"), TOKEN_HTML_TAG_SELF_CLOSE);
       return token ? token : lexer_advance_current(lexer, TOKEN_SLASH);
     }
 
     case '?': {
-      token_T* token = lexer_match_and_advance(lexer, "?>", TOKEN_XML_DECLARATION_END);
+      token_T* token = lexer_match_and_advance(lexer, hb_string("?>"), TOKEN_XML_DECLARATION_END);
       return token ? token : lexer_advance_current(lexer, TOKEN_CHARACTER);
     }
 
     case '-': {
-      token_T* token = lexer_match_and_advance(lexer, "-->", TOKEN_HTML_COMMENT_END);
+      token_T* token = lexer_match_and_advance(lexer, hb_string("-->"), TOKEN_HTML_COMMENT_END);
       return token ? token : lexer_advance_current(lexer, TOKEN_DASH);
     }
 
     case ']': {
-      token_T* token = lexer_match_and_advance(lexer, "]]>", TOKEN_CDATA_END);
+      token_T* token = lexer_match_and_advance(lexer, hb_string("]]>"), TOKEN_CDATA_END);
       return token ? token : lexer_advance_current(lexer, TOKEN_CHARACTER);
     }