diff --git a/src/blitter/factory.hpp b/src/blitter/factory.hpp
--- a/src/blitter/factory.hpp
+++ b/src/blitter/factory.hpp
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@
  */
 class BlitterFactory {
 private:
-	const char *name;        ///< The name of the blitter factory.
-	const char *description; ///< The description of the blitter.
+	const std::string name;        ///< The name of the blitter factory.
+	const std::string description; ///< The description of the blitter.
 
-	typedef std::map<const char *, BlitterFactory *, StringCompare> Blitters; ///< Map of blitter factories.
+	typedef std::map<std::string, BlitterFactory *> Blitters; ///< Map of blitter factories.
 
 	/**
 	 * Get the map with currently known blitters.
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ protected:
 	 * @pre There is no blitter registered with this name.
 	 */
 	BlitterFactory(const char *name, const char *description, bool usable = true) :
-			name(stredup(name)), description(stredup(description))
+			name(name), description(description)
 	{
 		if (usable) {
 			/*
@@ -78,9 +78,6 @@ public:
 	{
 		GetBlitters().erase(this->name);
 		if (GetBlitters().empty()) delete &GetBlitters();
-
-		free(this->name);
-		free(this->description);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -88,7 +85,7 @@ public:
 	 * @param name the blitter to select.
 	 * @post Sets the blitter so GetCurrentBlitter() returns it too.
 	 */
-	static Blitter *SelectBlitter(const char *name)
+	static Blitter *SelectBlitter(const std::string &name)
 	{
 		BlitterFactory *b = GetBlitterFactory(name);
 		if (b == nullptr) return nullptr;
@@ -97,7 +94,7 @@ public:
 		delete *GetActiveBlitter();
 		*GetActiveBlitter() = newb;
 
-		DEBUG(driver, 1, "Successfully %s blitter '%s'", StrEmpty(name) ? "probed" : "loaded", newb->GetName());
+		DEBUG(driver, 1, "Successfully %s blitter '%s'", name.empty() ? "probed" : "loaded", newb->GetName());
 		return newb;
 	}
 
@@ -106,7 +103,7 @@ public:
 	 * @param name the blitter factory to select.
 	 * @return The blitter factory, or nullptr when there isn't one with the wanted name.
 	 */
-	static BlitterFactory *GetBlitterFactory(const char *name)
+	static BlitterFactory *GetBlitterFactory(const std::string &name)
 	{
 #if defined(DEDICATED)
 		const char *default_blitter = "null";
@@ -116,12 +113,12 @@ public:
 		const char *default_blitter = "8bpp-optimized";
 #endif
 		if (GetBlitters().size() == 0) return nullptr;
-		const char *bname = (StrEmpty(name)) ? default_blitter : name;
+		const char *bname = name.empty() ? default_blitter : name.c_str();
 
 		Blitters::iterator it = GetBlitters().begin();
 		for (; it != GetBlitters().end(); it++) {
 			BlitterFactory *b = (*it).second;
-			if (strcasecmp(bname, b->name) == 0) {
+			if (strcasecmp(bname, b->name.c_str()) == 0) {
 				return b;
 			}
 		}
@@ -148,7 +145,7 @@ public:
 		Blitters::iterator it = GetBlitters().begin();
 		for (; it != GetBlitters().end(); it++) {
 			BlitterFactory *b = (*it).second;
-			p += seprintf(p, last, "%18s: %s\n", b->name, b->GetDescription());
+			p += seprintf(p, last, "%18s: %s\n", b->name.c_str(), b->GetDescription().c_str());
 		}
 		p += seprintf(p, last, "\n");
 
@@ -158,7 +155,7 @@ public:
 	/**
 	 * Get the long, human readable, name for the Blitter-class.
 	 */
-	const char *GetName() const
+	const std::string &GetName() const
 	{
 		return this->name;
 	}
@@ -166,7 +163,7 @@ public:
 	/**
 	 * Get a nice description of the blitter-class.
 	 */
-	const char *GetDescription() const
+	const std::string &GetDescription() const
 	{
 		return this->description;
 	}
@@ -177,7 +174,7 @@ public:
 	virtual Blitter *CreateInstance() = 0;
 };
 
-extern char *_ini_blitter;
+extern std::string _ini_blitter;
 extern bool _blitter_autodetected;
 
 #endif /* BLITTER_FACTORY_HPP */