diff --git a/Robust.Shared/Serialization/RobustMappedStringSerializer.cs b/Robust.Shared/Serialization/RobustMappedStringSerializer.cs
index 38b1a3571..21ed8f490 100644
--- a/Robust.Shared/Serialization/RobustMappedStringSerializer.cs
+++ b/Robust.Shared/Serialization/RobustMappedStringSerializer.cs
@@ -1178,10 +1178,8 @@ namespace Robust.Shared.Serialization
 
             // indicate not mapped
             WriteCompressedUnsignedInt(stream, UnmappedString);
-            var buf = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(value);
-            //Logger.DebugS("szr", $"Encoded unmapped string: {value}");
-            WriteCompressedUnsignedInt(stream, (uint) buf.Length);
-            stream.Write(buf);
+
+            Primitives.WritePrimitive(stream, value);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -1224,13 +1222,7 @@ namespace Robust.Shared.Serialization
             if (mapIndex == UnmappedString)
             {
                 // not mapped
-                var length = checked((int)ReadCompressedUnsignedInt(stream, out _));
-                // ReSharper disable once SuggestVarOrType_Elsewhere
-                Span<byte> buf = stackalloc byte[length];
-                stream.Read(buf);
-                value = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(buf);
-                //Logger.DebugS("szr", $"Decoded unmapped string: {value}");
-
+                Primitives.ReadPrimitive(stream, out value);
                 return;
             }