diff --git a/libguile/strings.c b/libguile/strings.c
index 8f0e06da3..bf7266e4e 100644
--- a/libguile/strings.c
+++ b/libguile/strings.c
@@ -136,19 +136,6 @@ scm_i_take_stringbufn (char *str, size_t len)
 			  (scm_t_bits) len, (scm_t_bits) 0);
 }
 
-SCM
-scm_i_stringbuf_mark (SCM buf)
-{
-  return SCM_BOOL_F;
-}
-
-void
-scm_i_stringbuf_free (SCM buf)
-{
-  if (!STRINGBUF_INLINE (buf))
-    scm_gc_free (STRINGBUF_OUTLINE_CHARS (buf),
-		 STRINGBUF_OUTLINE_LENGTH (buf) + 1, "string");
-}
 
 scm_i_pthread_mutex_t stringbuf_write_mutex = SCM_I_PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 
@@ -306,20 +293,7 @@ scm_c_substring_shared (SCM str, size_t start, size_t end)
   return scm_i_substring_shared (str, start, end);
 }
 
-SCM
-scm_i_string_mark (SCM str)
-{
-  if (IS_SH_STRING (str))
-    return SH_STRING_STRING (str);
-  else
-    return STRING_STRINGBUF (str);
-}
-
-void
-scm_i_string_free (SCM str)
-{
-}
-
+
 /* Internal accessors
  */
 
@@ -472,18 +446,6 @@ scm_i_symbol_chars (SCM sym)
   return STRINGBUF_CHARS (buf);
 }
 
-SCM
-scm_i_symbol_mark (SCM sym)
-{
-  scm_gc_mark (SYMBOL_STRINGBUF (sym));
-  return SCM_CELL_OBJECT_3 (sym);
-}
-
-void
-scm_i_symbol_free (SCM sym)
-{
-}
-
 SCM
 scm_i_symbol_substring (SCM sym, size_t start, size_t end)
 {
diff --git a/libguile/strings.h b/libguile/strings.h
index ca5f52cd2..e81ee3d98 100644
--- a/libguile/strings.h
+++ b/libguile/strings.h
@@ -135,15 +135,6 @@ SCM_INTERNAL const char *scm_i_symbol_chars (SCM sym);
 SCM_INTERNAL size_t scm_i_symbol_length (SCM sym);
 SCM_INTERNAL SCM scm_i_symbol_substring (SCM sym, size_t start, size_t end);
 
-/* internal GC functions. */
-
-SCM_INTERNAL SCM scm_i_string_mark (SCM str);
-SCM_INTERNAL SCM scm_i_stringbuf_mark (SCM buf);
-SCM_INTERNAL SCM scm_i_symbol_mark (SCM buf);
-SCM_INTERNAL void scm_i_string_free (SCM str);
-SCM_INTERNAL void scm_i_stringbuf_free (SCM buf);
-SCM_INTERNAL void scm_i_symbol_free (SCM sym);
-
 /* internal utility functions. */
 
 SCM_INTERNAL char **scm_i_allocate_string_pointers (SCM list);