diff --git a/components/chmhelp/packages/idehelp/chmlangref.pas b/components/chmhelp/packages/idehelp/chmlangref.pas
index e7fda7a3f7..49ecb147ef 100644
--- a/components/chmhelp/packages/idehelp/chmlangref.pas
+++ b/components/chmhelp/packages/idehelp/chmlangref.pas
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@ interface
 
 uses
   Classes, SysUtils,
-  Dialogs, FileUtil, LazFileUtils, LazUTF8,
-  LazHelpIntf, HelpIntfs, IDEHelpIntf, MacroIntf;
+  Dialogs, LazHelpIntf, HelpIntfs,
+  FileUtil, LazFileUtils, LazUTF8,
+  IDEHelpIntf, MacroIntf;
 
 const
   sFPCLangRef = 'FPC Language Reference';
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ type
   private
     FCHMSearchPath: string;
     FKeywordNodes: TList;
-    FKeyWordsList: TStringList;
+    FKeyWordsList: TStringListUTF8Fast;
     FRTLIndex: TStringList;
     procedure ClearKeywordNodes;
     procedure LoadChmIndex(const Path, ChmFileName: string;
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ constructor TLangRefHelpDatabase.Create(TheOwner: TComponent);
 begin
   inherited Create(TheOwner);
   FKeywordNodes := TList.Create;
-  FKeyWordsList := TStringList.Create;
+  FKeyWordsList := TStringListUTF8Fast.Create;
   FKeyWordsList.CaseSensitive := False;
   FRTLIndex := TStringList.Create;
   FRTLIndex.CaseSensitive := False;
diff --git a/components/chmhelp/packages/idehelp/lazchmhelp.pas b/components/chmhelp/packages/idehelp/lazchmhelp.pas
index 6373573a19..ab7a092dd4 100644
--- a/components/chmhelp/packages/idehelp/lazchmhelp.pas
+++ b/components/chmhelp/packages/idehelp/lazchmhelp.pas
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ interface
 uses
   Classes, SysUtils,
   // LazUtils
-  FileUtil, LazLogger, LazFileUtils, LazConfigStorage, UTF8Process,
+  FileUtil, LazLogger, LazFileUtils, LazConfigStorage, UTF8Process, LazUTF8,
   // LCL
   Controls, Forms, Dialogs, LazHelpIntf, HelpIntfs, LCLPlatformDef, InterfaceBase,
   // IdeIntf
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ end;
 
 procedure TChmHelpViewer.OpenAllCHMsInSearchPath(const SearchPath: String);
 var
-  CHMFiles: TStringList;
+  CHMFiles: TStringListUTF8Fast;
   SearchPaths: TStringList; // SearchPath split to a StringList
   SearchFiles: TStringList; // Files found in SearchPath
   i: integer;
@@ -214,10 +214,8 @@ begin
    }
   // Just open all CHM files in all directories+subdirs in ;-delimited searchpath:
   SearchPaths:=TStringList.Create;
-  CHMFiles:=TStringList.Create;
+  CHMFiles:=TStringListUTF8Fast.Create;
   try
-    CHMFiles.Sorted:=true;
-    CHMFiles.Duplicates:=dupIgnore;
     SearchPaths.Delimiter:=';';
     SearchPaths.StrictDelimiter:=false;
     SearchPaths.DelimitedText:=SearchPath;
@@ -231,6 +229,8 @@ begin
       CHMFiles.AddStrings(SearchFiles);
       SearchFiles.Free;
     end;
+    CHMFiles.Sorted:=true;
+    CHMFiles.Duplicates:=dupIgnore;
     {$IFDEF CHMLOADTIMES}
     DebugLn(['CHMLOADTIMES: ',Format('Searching files in %s took %d ms',[SearchPath,DateTimeToTimeStamp(Now-StartTime).Time])]);
     StartTime := Now;
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ begin
     fHelpConnection.BeginUpdate;
     for i := 0 to CHMFiles.Count-1 do
     begin
-      if UpperCase(ExtractFileExt(CHMFiles[i]))='.CHM' then
+      if CompareFileExtQuick(CHMFiles[i], 'chm') = 0 then
       begin
         fHelpConnection.OpenURL(CHMFiles[i], '/index.html');
         // This is probably no longer necessary as we're now waiting for the viewer's
diff --git a/components/customform/custforms.pp b/components/customform/custforms.pp
index c147002d20..4785ff26bb 100644
--- a/components/customform/custforms.pp
+++ b/components/customform/custforms.pp
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ uses
   Classes, SysUtils, contnrs,
   // LCL
   Forms,
+  // LazUtils
+  LazUTF8,
   // IdeIntf
   ProjectIntf, NewItemIntf, FormEditingIntf;
 
@@ -156,16 +158,14 @@ Var
   D : TCustomFormDescr;
   
 begin
-  L:=TStringList.Create;
+  L:=TStringListUTF8Fast.Create;
   Try
     L.Sorted:=True;
     L.Duplicates:=dupIgnore;
     For I:=0 to CustomFormList.Count-1 do
       L.Add(TCustomFormDescr(CustomFormList[i]).Category);
     For I:=0 to L.Count-1 do
-    begin
       RegisterNewItemCategory(TNewIDEItemCategory.Create(L[i]));
-    end;
   Finally
     L.Free;
   end;
diff --git a/components/fppkg/src/fppkg_packageoptionsfrm.pas b/components/fppkg/src/fppkg_packageoptionsfrm.pas
index 5c9d31097d..c5b2d6a0b7 100644
--- a/components/fppkg/src/fppkg_packageoptionsfrm.pas
+++ b/components/fppkg/src/fppkg_packageoptionsfrm.pas
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ uses
   ExtCtrls,
   Dialogs,
   ActnList, ComboEx,
+  LazUTF8,
   PackageIntf,
   IDEOptEditorIntf,
   IDEOptionsIntf, SynEdit,
@@ -429,7 +430,7 @@ constructor TFppkgPackageOptionsFrm.Create(AOwner: TComponent);
 begin
   inherited Create(AOwner);
   FPackageVariantList := TFppkgPackageVariantList.Create(True);
-  FPackageList := TStringList.Create;
+  FPackageList := TStringListUTF8Fast.Create;
   TStringList(FPackageList).Sorted := True;
   TStringList(FPackageList).Duplicates := dupIgnore;
 end;
diff --git a/components/synunihighlighter/synunidesigner.pas b/components/synunihighlighter/synunidesigner.pas
index 6248913a34..38eba3e508 100644
--- a/components/synunihighlighter/synunidesigner.pas
+++ b/components/synunihighlighter/synunidesigner.pas
@@ -961,15 +961,21 @@ begin
 end;
 
 procedure TSynUniDesigner.SortClick(Sender: TObject);
-var i:integer;
+var
+  i: integer;
+  s: String;
 begin
   With TStringList.Create do
     try
+      for i:=0 to Memo.Lines.Count-1 do
+      begin
+        s := Trim(Memo.Lines[i]);
+        if s<>'' then
+          Add(s);
+      end;
       Sorted:=true;
       Duplicates:=dupIgnore;
-      for i:=0 to Memo.Lines.Count-1 do if trim(Memo.lines[i])<>'' then add(trim(Memo.lines[i]));
-      sort;
-      Memo.text:=trim(text);
+      Memo.Text:=Trim(text);
     finally
       free;
     end;
diff --git a/components/synunihighlighter/synunihighlighter.pas b/components/synunihighlighter/synunihighlighter.pas
index 1e0a19bcfa..fa6f3e4513 100644
--- a/components/synunihighlighter/synunihighlighter.pas
+++ b/components/synunihighlighter/synunihighlighter.pas
@@ -555,8 +555,7 @@ end;
 
 { TSynSymbolGroup }
 
-constructor TSynSymbolGroup.Create(s: string;
-  attr: TSynHighlighterAttributes);
+constructor TSynSymbolGroup.Create(s: string; attr: TSynHighlighterAttributes);
 begin
   Attribs:=attr;
   KeywordsList:=TStringList.Create;
@@ -933,7 +932,7 @@ var
   CurTagIndex:Integer;
   LineNumber:integer;
   Param:string;
-  xmlInfoTags:TStringList;
+  xmlInfoTags: TStringList;
 
   ////TL Guess FPC doesn't support optional parameters. Never used this in Delphi or Kylix.
   ////TL I'm going to remove them and explicitly state the parms in each call.
@@ -2699,11 +2698,11 @@ end;
 
 procedure TSynUniSyn.LoadFromFile(FileName: string);
 var
-  F: TFileStreamUTF8;
+  F: TFileStream;
 begin
   if FileName = '' then
     raise exception.Create('FileName is empty');
-  F:=TFileStreamUTF8.Create(FileName,fmOpenRead or fmShareDenyWrite);
+  F:=TFileStream.Create(FileName,fmOpenRead or fmShareDenyWrite);
   try
     LoadFromStream( F );
   finally
@@ -2713,11 +2712,11 @@ end;
 
 procedure TSynUniSyn.SaveToFile(FileName: string);
 var
-  F: TFileStreamUTF8;
+  F: TFileStream;
 begin
   if FileName = '' then
     raise exception.Create('FileName is empty');
-  F:=TFileStreamUTF8.Create(FileName,fmOpenWrite or fmShareDenyNone);
+  F:=TFileStream.Create(FileName,fmOpenWrite or fmShareDenyNone);
   try
     SaveToStream( F );
   finally