diff --git a/src/Client.cpp b/src/Client.cpp
index ba3019b3..1e87b191 100644
--- a/src/Client.cpp
+++ b/src/Client.cpp
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ void CClient::ReadLine(const CString& sData) {
 
 	DEBUG("(" << GetFullName() << ") CLI -> ZNC [" << sLine << "]");
 
-	if (sLine.Left(1) == "@") {
+	if (sLine.StartsWith("@")) {
 		// TODO support message-tags properly
 		sLine = sLine.Token(1, true);
 	}
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ void CClient::ReadLine(const CString& sData) {
 	if (bReturn) return;
 
 	CString sCommand = sLine.Token(0);
-	if (sCommand.Left(1) == ":") {
+	if (sCommand.StartsWith(":")) {
 		// Evil client! Sending a nickmask prefix on client's command
 		// is bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, BAD, B A D!
 		sLine = sLine.Token(1, true);
diff --git a/src/ClientCommand.cpp b/src/ClientCommand.cpp
index f1258357..0852b0d9 100644
--- a/src/ClientCommand.cpp
+++ b/src/ClientCommand.cpp
@@ -1588,7 +1588,7 @@ void CClient::UserPortCommand(CString& sLine) {
 		if (sPort.empty() || sAddr.empty() || sAccept.empty()) {
 			PutStatus("Usage: AddPort <[+]port> <ipv4|ipv6|all> <web|irc|all> [bindhost [uriprefix]]");
 		} else {
-			bool bSSL = (sPort.Left(1).Equals("+"));
+			bool bSSL = (sPort.StartsWith("+"));
 			const CString sBindHost = sLine.Token(4);
 			const CString sURIPrefix = sLine.Token(5);
 
diff --git a/src/Config.cpp b/src/Config.cpp
index 7e7c1906..a77fc9ed 100644
--- a/src/Config.cpp
+++ b/src/Config.cpp
@@ -85,18 +85,18 @@ bool CConfig::Parse(CFile& file, CString& sErrorMsg)
 		sLine.TrimLeft();
 		sLine.TrimRight("\r\n");
 
-		if (bCommented || sLine.Left(2) == "/*") {
+		if (bCommented || sLine.StartsWith("/*")) {
 			/* Does this comment end on the same line again? */
 			bCommented = (sLine.Right(2) != "*/");
 
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		if ((sLine.empty()) || (sLine[0] == '#') || (sLine.Left(2) == "//")) {
+		if ((sLine.empty()) || (sLine.StartsWith("#")) || (sLine.StartsWith("//"))) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		if ((sLine.Left(1) == "<") && (sLine.Right(1) == ">")) {
+		if ((sLine.StartsWith("<")) && (sLine.Right(1) == ">")) {
 			sLine.LeftChomp();
 			sLine.RightChomp();
 			sLine.Trim();
diff --git a/src/FileUtils.cpp b/src/FileUtils.cpp
index f0a92a92..3e76ffdb 100644
--- a/src/FileUtils.cpp
+++ b/src/FileUtils.cpp
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ CFile::~CFile() {
 }
 
 void CFile::SetFileName(const CString& sLongName) {
-	if (sLongName.Left(2) == "~/") {
+	if (sLongName.StartsWith("~/")) {
 		m_sLongName = CFile::GetHomePath() + sLongName.substr(1);
 	} else
 		m_sLongName = sLongName;
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ CString CDir::ChangeDir(const CString& sPath, const CString& sAdd, const CString
 
 	CString sAddDir(sAdd);
 
-	if (sAddDir.Left(2) == "~/") {
+	if (sAddDir.StartsWith("~/")) {
 		sAddDir.LeftChomp();
 		sAddDir = sHomeDir + sAddDir;
 	}
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ CString CDir::CheckPathPrefix(const CString& sPath, const CString& sAdd, const C
 	CString sPrefix = sPath.Replace_n("//", "/").TrimRight_n("/") + "/";
 	CString sAbsolutePath = ChangeDir(sPrefix, sAdd, sHomeDir);
 
-	if (sAbsolutePath.Left(sPrefix.length()) != sPrefix)
+	if (!sAbsolutePath.StartsWith(sPrefix))
 		return "";
 	return sAbsolutePath;
 }
@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ bool CDir::MakeDir(const CString& sPath, mode_t iMode) {
 	}
 
 	// If this is an absolute path, we need to handle this now!
-	if (sPath.Left(1) == "/")
+	if (sPath.StartsWith("/"))
 		sDir = "/";
 
 	// For every single subpath, do...
diff --git a/src/HTTPSock.cpp b/src/HTTPSock.cpp
index 5cb75416..7a48fe00 100644
--- a/src/HTTPSock.cpp
+++ b/src/HTTPSock.cpp
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ bool CHTTPSock::PrintFile(const CString& sFileName, CString sContentType) {
 		}
 
 #ifdef HAVE_ZLIB
-		bool bGzip = m_bAcceptGzip && (sContentType.Left(5).Equals("text/") || sFileName.Right(3).Equals(".js"));
+		bool bGzip = m_bAcceptGzip && (sContentType.StartsWith("text/") || sFileName.Right(3).Equals(".js"));
 
 		if (bGzip) {
 			DEBUG("- Sending gzip-compressed.");
diff --git a/src/Socket.cpp b/src/Socket.cpp
index dd0ceb16..77cd7859 100644
--- a/src/Socket.cpp
+++ b/src/Socket.cpp
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ unsigned int CSockManager::GetAnonConnectionCount(const CString &sIP) const {
 		Csock *pSock = *it;
 		// Logged in CClients have "USR::<username>" as their sockname
 		if (pSock->GetType() == Csock::INBOUND && pSock->GetRemoteIP() == sIP
-				&& pSock->GetSockName().Left(5) != "USR::") {
+				&& !pSock->GetSockName().StartsWith("USR::")) {
 			ret++;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/Template.cpp b/src/Template.cpp
index bc9ce186..46965a31 100644
--- a/src/Template.cpp
+++ b/src/Template.cpp
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ void CTemplate::Init() {
 }
 
 CString CTemplate::ExpandFile(const CString& sFilename, bool bFromInc) {
-	/*if (sFilename.Left(1) == "/" || sFilename.Left(2) == "./") {
+	/*if (sFilename.StartsWith("/") || sFilename.StartsWith("./")) {
 		return sFilename;
 	}*/
 
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ CString CTemplate::ExpandFile(const CString& sFilename, bool bFromInc) {
 		}
 
 		if (CFile::Exists(sFilePath)) {
-			if (sRoot.empty() || sFilePath.Left(sRoot.length()) == sRoot) {
+			if (sRoot.empty() || sFilePath.StartsWith(sRoot)) {
 				DEBUG("    Found  [" + sFilePath + "]");
 				return sFilePath;
 			} else {
@@ -451,15 +451,15 @@ bool CTemplate::Print(const CString& sFileName, ostream& oOut) {
 
 							CString sLoopName = sArgs.Token(0);
 							bool bReverse = (sArgs.Token(1).Equals("REVERSE"));
-							bool bSort = (sArgs.Token(1).Left(4).Equals("SORT"));
+							bool bSort = (sArgs.Token(1).StartsWith("SORT"));
 							vector<CTemplate*>* pvLoop = GetLoop(sLoopName);
 
 							if (bSort && pvLoop != nullptr &&  pvLoop->size() > 1) {
 								CString sKey;
 
-								if(sArgs.Token(1).TrimPrefix_n("SORT").Left(4).Equals("ASC=")) {
+								if(sArgs.Token(1).TrimPrefix_n("SORT").StartsWith("ASC=")) {
 									sKey = sArgs.Token(1).TrimPrefix_n("SORTASC=");
-								} else if(sArgs.Token(1).TrimPrefix_n("SORT").Left(5).Equals("DESC=")) {
+								} else if(sArgs.Token(1).TrimPrefix_n("SORT").StartsWith("DESC=")) {
 									sKey = sArgs.Token(1).TrimPrefix_n("SORTDESC=");
 									bReverse = true;
 								}
@@ -766,10 +766,10 @@ CTemplate* CTemplate::GetCurTemplate() {
 }
 
 CString CTemplate::ResolveLiteral(const CString& sString) {
-	if (sString.Left(2) == "**") {
+	if (sString.StartsWith("**")) {
 		// Allow string to start with a literal * by using two in a row
 		return sString.substr(1);
-	} else if (sString.Left(1) == "*") {
+	} else if (sString.StartsWith("*")) {
 		// If it starts with only one * then treat it as a var and do a lookup
 		return GetValue(sString.substr(1));
 	}
diff --git a/src/Utils.cpp b/src/Utils.cpp
index 4cd6b2c1..bd88e18c 100644
--- a/src/Utils.cpp
+++ b/src/Utils.cpp
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ namespace {
 	 * ahead/east of GMT.)"
 	 */
 	inline CString FixGMT(CString sTZ) {
-		if (sTZ.length() >= 4 && sTZ.Left(3) == "GMT") {
+		if (sTZ.length() >= 4 && sTZ.StartsWith("GMT")) {
 			if (sTZ[3] == '+') {
 				sTZ[3] = '-';
 			} else if (sTZ[3] == '-') {
diff --git a/src/WebModules.cpp b/src/WebModules.cpp
index 74e56de6..9c86d67c 100644
--- a/src/WebModules.cpp
+++ b/src/WebModules.cpp
@@ -649,9 +649,9 @@ CWebSock::EPageReqResult CWebSock::OnPageRequestInternal(const CString& sURI, CS
 
 		Redirect("/"); // the login form is here
 		return PAGE_DONE;
-	} else if (sURI.Left(5) == "/pub/") {
+	} else if (sURI.StartsWith("/pub/")) {
 		return PrintStaticFile(sURI, sPageRet);
-	} else if (sURI.Left(11) == "/skinfiles/") {
+	} else if (sURI.StartsWith("/skinfiles/")) {
 		CString sSkinName = sURI.substr(11);
 		CString::size_type uPathStart = sSkinName.find("/");
 		if (uPathStart != CString::npos) {
@@ -668,7 +668,7 @@ CWebSock::EPageReqResult CWebSock::OnPageRequestInternal(const CString& sURI, CS
 			}
 		}
 		return PAGE_NOTFOUND;
-	} else if (sURI.Left(6) == "/mods/" || sURI.Left(10) == "/modfiles/") {
+	} else if (sURI.StartsWith("/mods/") || sURI.StartsWith("/modfiles/")) {
 		// Make sure modules are treated as directories
 		if (sURI.Right(1) != "/" && sURI.find(".") == CString::npos && sURI.TrimLeft_n("/mods/").TrimLeft_n("/").find("/") == CString::npos) {
 			Redirect(sURI + "/");
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ CWebSock::EPageReqResult CWebSock::OnPageRequestInternal(const CString& sURI, CS
 			AddModLoop("UserModLoop", *pModule);
 		}
 
-		if (sURI.Left(10) == "/modfiles/") {
+		if (sURI.StartsWith("/modfiles/")) {
 			m_Template.AppendPath(GetSkinPath(GetSkinName()) + "/mods/" + m_sModName + "/files/");
 			m_Template.AppendPath(pModule->GetModDataDir() + "/files/");
 
diff --git a/src/znc.cpp b/src/znc.cpp
index 4d3f092d..62376ad7 100644
--- a/src/znc.cpp
+++ b/src/znc.cpp
@@ -417,9 +417,9 @@ CString CZNC::ExpandConfigPath(const CString& sConfigFile, bool bAllowMkDir) {
 	if (sConfigFile.empty()) {
 		sRetPath = GetConfPath(bAllowMkDir) + "/znc.conf";
 	} else {
-		if (sConfigFile.Left(2) == "./" || sConfigFile.Left(3) == "../") {
+		if (sConfigFile.StartsWith("./") || sConfigFile.StartsWith("../")) {
 			sRetPath = GetCurPath() + "/" + sConfigFile;
-		} else if (sConfigFile.Left(1) != "/") {
+		} else if (!sConfigFile.StartsWith("/")) {
 			sRetPath = GetConfPath(bAllowMkDir) + "/" + sConfigFile;
 		} else {
 			sRetPath = sConfigFile;
@@ -1762,9 +1762,9 @@ CZNC::TrafficStatsMap CZNC::GetTrafficStats(TrafficStatsPair &Users,
 
 	for (Csock* pSock : m_Manager) {
 		CUser *pUser = nullptr;
-		if (pSock->GetSockName().Left(5) == "IRC::") {
+		if (pSock->GetSockName().StartsWith("IRC::")) {
 			pUser = ((CIRCSock *) pSock)->GetNetwork()->GetUser();
-		} else if (pSock->GetSockName().Left(5) == "USR::") {
+		} else if (pSock->GetSockName().StartsWith("USR::")) {
 			pUser = ((CClient*) pSock)->GetUser();
 		}