diff --git a/builtin/remote-fd.c b/builtin/remote-fd.c
index 91dfe07e06..b2a3980b1d 100644
--- a/builtin/remote-fd.c
+++ b/builtin/remote-fd.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ static void command_loop(int input_fd, int output_fd)
 		if (!strcmp(buffer, "capabilities")) {
 			printf("*connect\n\n");
 			fflush(stdout);
-		} else if (!strncmp(buffer, "connect ", 8)) {
+		} else if (starts_with(buffer, "connect ")) {
 			printf("\n");
 			fflush(stdout);
 			if (bidirectional_transfer_loop(input_fd,
diff --git a/bundle-uri.c b/bundle-uri.c
index 36268dda17..6462ab6deb 100644
--- a/bundle-uri.c
+++ b/bundle-uri.c
@@ -620,7 +620,7 @@ static int config_to_packet_line(const char *key, const char *value, void *data)
 {
 	struct packet_reader *writer = data;
 
-	if (!strncmp(key, "bundle.", 7))
+	if (starts_with(key, "bundle."))
 		packet_write_fmt(writer->fd, "%s=%s", key, value);
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/ref-filter.c b/ref-filter.c
index a24324123e..f8203c6b05 100644
--- a/ref-filter.c
+++ b/ref-filter.c
@@ -1209,7 +1209,7 @@ static const char *copy_name(const char *buf)
 {
 	const char *cp;
 	for (cp = buf; *cp && *cp != '\n'; cp++) {
-		if (!strncmp(cp, " <", 2))
+		if (starts_with(cp, " <"))
 			return xmemdupz(buf, cp - buf);
 	}
 	return xstrdup("");
diff --git a/urlmatch.c b/urlmatch.c
index b615adc923..620a648efc 100644
--- a/urlmatch.c
+++ b/urlmatch.c
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ static char *url_normalize_1(const char *url, struct url_info *out_info, char al
 	 */
 	if (!url_len || strchr(":/?#", *url)) {
 		/* Missing host invalid for all URL schemes except file */
-		if (strncmp(norm.buf, "file:", 5)) {
+		if (!starts_with(norm.buf, "file:")) {
 			if (out_info) {
 				out_info->url = NULL;
 				out_info->err = _("missing host and scheme is not 'file:'");
@@ -268,11 +268,11 @@ static char *url_normalize_1(const char *url, struct url_info *out_info, char al
 		if (url == slash_ptr) {
 			/* Skip ":" port with no number, it's same as default */
 		} else if (slash_ptr - url == 2 &&
-			   !strncmp(norm.buf, "http:", 5) &&
+			   starts_with(norm.buf, "http:") &&
 			   !strncmp(url, "80", 2)) {
 			/* Skip http :80 as it's the default */
 		} else if (slash_ptr - url == 3 &&
-			   !strncmp(norm.buf, "https:", 6) &&
+			   starts_with(norm.buf, "https:") &&
 			   !strncmp(url, "443", 3)) {
 			/* Skip https :443 as it's the default */
 		} else {