diff --git a/js/ui/components/networkAgent.js b/js/ui/components/networkAgent.js
index 1033a6de3..32ec1da85 100644
--- a/js/ui/components/networkAgent.js
+++ b/js/ui/components/networkAgent.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 /* exported Component */
 
 const { Clutter, Gio, GLib, GObject, NM, Pango, Shell, St } = imports.gi;
+const ByteArray = imports.byteArray;
 const Signals = imports.signals;
 
 const Dialog = imports.ui.dialog;
@@ -522,13 +523,7 @@ var VPNRequestHandler = class {
         let contentOverride;
 
         try {
-            data = this._dataStdout.peek_buffer();
-
-            if (data instanceof Uint8Array)
-                data = imports.byteArray.toGBytes(data);
-            else
-                data = data.toGBytes();
-
+            data = ByteArray.toGBytes(this._dataStdout.peek_buffer());
             keyfile.load_from_bytes(data, GLib.KeyFileFlags.NONE);
 
             if (keyfile.get_integer(VPN_UI_GROUP, 'Version') != 2)
diff --git a/js/ui/extensionSystem.js b/js/ui/extensionSystem.js
index f0b836171..41ef98d70 100644
--- a/js/ui/extensionSystem.js
+++ b/js/ui/extensionSystem.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 /* exported init connect disconnect */
 
 const { GLib, Gio, GObject, Shell, St } = imports.gi;
+const ByteArray = imports.byteArray;
 const Signals = imports.signals;
 
 const ExtensionDownloader = imports.ui.extensionDownloader;
@@ -282,8 +283,7 @@ var ExtensionManager = class {
         let metadataContents, success_;
         try {
             [success_, metadataContents] = metadataFile.load_contents(null);
-            if (metadataContents instanceof Uint8Array)
-                metadataContents = imports.byteArray.toString(metadataContents);
+            metadataContents = ByteArray.toString(metadataContents);
         } catch (e) {
             throw new Error('Failed to load metadata.json: %s'.format(e.toString()));
         }
diff --git a/js/ui/keyboard.js b/js/ui/keyboard.js
index 90bd17b86..a579495ad 100644
--- a/js/ui/keyboard.js
+++ b/js/ui/keyboard.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 /* exported KeyboardManager */
 
 const { Clutter, Gio, GLib, GObject, Meta, St } = imports.gi;
+const ByteArray = imports.byteArray;
 const Signals = imports.signals;
 
 const InputSourceManager = imports.ui.status.keyboard;
@@ -532,8 +533,7 @@ var KeyboardModel = class {
     _loadModel(groupName) {
         let file = Gio.File.new_for_uri('resource:///org/gnome/shell/osk-layouts/%s.json'.format(groupName));
         let [success_, contents] = file.load_contents(null);
-        if (contents instanceof Uint8Array)
-            contents = imports.byteArray.toString(contents);
+        contents = ByteArray.toString(contents);
 
         return JSON.parse(contents);
     }
diff --git a/js/ui/padOsd.js b/js/ui/padOsd.js
index 115b72be2..9ab1cbb9d 100644
--- a/js/ui/padOsd.js
+++ b/js/ui/padOsd.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 const { Atk, Clutter, GDesktopEnums, Gio,
         GLib, GObject, Gtk, Meta, Pango, Rsvg, St } = imports.gi;
+const ByteArray = imports.byteArray;
 const Signals = imports.signals;
 
 const Main = imports.ui.main;
@@ -297,8 +298,7 @@ var PadDiagram = GObject.registerClass({
     _init(params) {
         let file = Gio.File.new_for_uri('resource:///org/gnome/shell/theme/pad-osd.css');
         let [success_, css] = file.load_contents(null);
-        if (css instanceof Uint8Array)
-            css = imports.byteArray.toString(css);
+        css = ByteArray.toString(css);
         this._curEdited = null;
         this._prevEdited = null;
         this._css = css;
diff --git a/js/ui/sessionMode.js b/js/ui/sessionMode.js
index 454804933..2136e948f 100644
--- a/js/ui/sessionMode.js
+++ b/js/ui/sessionMode.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // -*- mode: js; js-indent-level: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil -*-
 /* exported SessionMode, listModes */
 
+const ByteArray = imports.byteArray;
 const GLib = imports.gi.GLib;
 const Signals = imports.signals;
 
@@ -105,8 +106,7 @@ function _loadMode(file, info) {
     let fileContent, success_, newMode;
     try {
         [success_, fileContent] = file.load_contents(null);
-        if (fileContent instanceof Uint8Array)
-            fileContent = imports.byteArray.toString(fileContent);
+        fileContent = ByteArray.toString(fileContent);
         newMode = JSON.parse(fileContent);
     } catch (e) {
         return;