diff --git a/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/WString.cpp b/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/WString.cpp
index 61ce3755b..d057849aa 100644
--- a/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/WString.cpp
+++ b/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/WString.cpp
@@ -54,16 +54,21 @@ String::String(StringSumHelper &&rval)
 String::String(char c)
 {
 	init();
-	*this = c;
+	char buf[2];
+	buf[0] = c;
+	buf[1] = 0;
+	*this = buf;
 }
 
-String::String(unsigned char c)
+String::String(unsigned char value, unsigned char base)
 {
 	init();
-	*this = (char)c;
+	char buf[9];
+	utoa(value, buf, base);
+	*this = buf;
 }
 
-String::String(const int value, unsigned char base)
+String::String(int value, unsigned char base)
 {
 	init();
 	char buf[18];
@@ -75,7 +80,7 @@ String::String(unsigned int value, unsigned char base)
 {
 	init();
 	char buf[17];
-  	utoa(value, buf, base);
+	utoa(value, buf, base);
 	*this = buf;
 }
 
@@ -209,14 +214,6 @@ String & String::operator = (const char *cstr)
 	return *this;
 }
 
-String & String::operator = (char c)
-{
-	char buf[2];
-	buf[0] = c;
-	buf[1] = 0;
-	return copy(buf, 1);
-}
-
 /*********************************************/
 /*  concat                                   */
 /*********************************************/
@@ -243,42 +240,6 @@ unsigned char String::concat(const char *cstr)
 	return concat(cstr, strlen(cstr));
 }
 
-unsigned char String::concat(char c)
-{
-	char buf[2];
-	buf[0] = c;
-	buf[1] = 0;
-	return concat(buf, 1);
-}
-
-unsigned char String::concat(int num)
-{
-	char buf[7];
-	itoa(num, buf, 10);
-	return concat(buf, strlen(buf));
-}
-
-unsigned char String::concat(unsigned int num)
-{
-	char buf[6];
-	utoa(num, buf, 10);
-	return concat(buf, strlen(buf));
-}
-
-unsigned char String::concat(long num)
-{
-	char buf[12];
-	ltoa(num, buf, 10);
-	return concat(buf, strlen(buf));
-}
-
-unsigned char String::concat(unsigned long num)
-{
-	char buf[11];
-	ultoa(num, buf, 10);
-	return concat(buf, strlen(buf));
-}
-
 /*********************************************/
 /*  Concatenate                              */
 /*********************************************/
@@ -297,57 +258,10 @@ StringSumHelper & operator + (const StringSumHelper &lhs, const char *cstr)
 	return a;
 }
 
-StringSumHelper & operator + (const StringSumHelper &lhs, char c)
-{
-	StringSumHelper &a = const_cast<StringSumHelper&>(lhs);
-	if (!a.concat(c)) a.invalidate();
-	return a;
-}
-
-StringSumHelper & operator + (const StringSumHelper &lhs, unsigned char c)
-{
-	StringSumHelper &a = const_cast<StringSumHelper&>(lhs);
-	if (!a.concat(c)) a.invalidate();
-	return a;
-}
-
-StringSumHelper & operator + (const StringSumHelper &lhs, int num)
-{
-	StringSumHelper &a = const_cast<StringSumHelper&>(lhs);
-	if (!a.concat(num)) a.invalidate();
-	return a;
-}
-
-StringSumHelper & operator + (const StringSumHelper &lhs, unsigned int num)
-{
-	StringSumHelper &a = const_cast<StringSumHelper&>(lhs);
-	if (!a.concat(num)) a.invalidate();
-	return a;
-}
-
-StringSumHelper & operator + (const StringSumHelper &lhs, long num)
-{
-	StringSumHelper &a = const_cast<StringSumHelper&>(lhs);
-	if (!a.concat(num)) a.invalidate();
-	return a;
-}
-
-StringSumHelper & operator + (const StringSumHelper &lhs, unsigned long num)
-{
-	StringSumHelper &a = const_cast<StringSumHelper&>(lhs);
-	if (!a.concat(num)) a.invalidate();
-	return a;
-}
-
 /*********************************************/
 /*  Comparison                               */
 /*********************************************/
 
-String::operator bool() const
-{
-	return !!buffer;
-}
-
 int String::compareTo(const String &s) const
 {
 	if (!buffer || !s.buffer) {
diff --git a/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/WString.h b/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/WString.h
index 180f58e5a..bbbe7e80a 100644
--- a/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/WString.h
+++ b/hardware/arduino/cores/arduino/WString.h
@@ -41,6 +41,12 @@ class StringSumHelper;
 // The string class
 class String
 {
+	// use a function pointer to allow for "if (s)" without the
+	// complications of an operator bool(). for more information, see:
+	// http://www.artima.com/cppsource/safebool.html
+	typedef void (String::*StringIfHelperType)() const;
+	void StringIfHelper() const {}
+
 public:
 	// constructors
 	// creates a copy of the initial value.
@@ -53,12 +59,12 @@ public:
 	String(String &&rval);
 	String(StringSumHelper &&rval);
 	#endif
-	String(char c);
-	String(unsigned char c);
-	String(int, unsigned char base=10);
-	String(unsigned int, unsigned char base=10);
-	String(long, unsigned char base=10);
-	String(unsigned long, unsigned char base=10);
+	explicit String(char c);
+	explicit String(unsigned char, unsigned char base=10);
+	explicit String(int, unsigned char base=10);
+	explicit String(unsigned int, unsigned char base=10);
+	explicit String(long, unsigned char base=10);
+	explicit String(unsigned long, unsigned char base=10);
 	~String(void);
 
 	// memory management
@@ -77,7 +83,6 @@ public:
 	String & operator = (String &&rval);
 	String & operator = (StringSumHelper &&rval);
 	#endif
-	String & operator = (char c);
 
 	// concat
 	// returns true on success, false on failure (in which case, the string
@@ -85,36 +90,19 @@ public:
 	// concatenation is considered unsucessful.  
 	unsigned char concat(const String &str);
 	unsigned char concat(const char *cstr);
-	unsigned char concat(char c);
-	unsigned char concat(unsigned char c)		{return concat((char)c);}
-	unsigned char concat(int num);
-	unsigned char concat(unsigned int num);
-	unsigned char concat(long num);
-	unsigned char concat(unsigned long num);
 	
 	// if there's not enough memory for the concatenated value, the string
 	// will be left unchanged (but this isn't signalled in any way)
 	String & operator += (const String &rhs)	{concat(rhs); return (*this);}
 	String & operator += (const char *cstr)		{concat(cstr); return (*this);}
-	String & operator += (char c)			{concat(c); return (*this);}
-	String & operator += (unsigned char c)		{concat((char)c); return (*this);}
-	String & operator += (int num)			{concat(num); return (*this);}
-	String & operator += (unsigned int num)		{concat(num); return (*this);}
-	String & operator += (long num)			{concat(num); return (*this);}
-	String & operator += (unsigned long num)	{concat(num); return (*this);}
 
 	// concatenate
 	friend StringSumHelper & operator + (const StringSumHelper &lhs, const String &rhs);
 	friend StringSumHelper & operator + (const StringSumHelper &lhs, const char *cstr);
-	friend StringSumHelper & operator + (const StringSumHelper &lhs, char c);
-	friend StringSumHelper & operator + (const StringSumHelper &lhs, unsigned char c);
-	friend StringSumHelper & operator + (const StringSumHelper &lhs, int num);
-	friend StringSumHelper & operator + (const StringSumHelper &lhs, unsigned int num);
-	friend StringSumHelper & operator + (const StringSumHelper &lhs, long num);
-	friend StringSumHelper & operator + (const StringSumHelper &lhs, unsigned long num);
 
 	// comparison
-	operator bool() const;
+	operator StringIfHelperType() const { return buffer ? &String::StringIfHelper : 0; }
+
 	int compareTo(const String &s) const;
 	unsigned char equals(const String &s) const;
 	unsigned char equals(const char *cstr) const;
@@ -185,48 +173,7 @@ class StringSumHelper : public String
 public:
 	StringSumHelper(const String &s) : String(s) {}
 	StringSumHelper(const char *p) : String(p) {}
-	StringSumHelper(char c) : String(c) {}
-	StringSumHelper(unsigned char c) : String(c) {}
-	StringSumHelper(int num) : String(num, 10) {}
-	StringSumHelper(unsigned int num) : String(num, 10) {}
-	StringSumHelper(long num) : String(num, 10) {}
-	StringSumHelper(unsigned long num) : String(num, 10) {}
 };
 
-inline StringSumHelper operator + (const String &lhs, const String &rhs)
-	{ return StringSumHelper(lhs) + rhs; }
-	
-inline StringSumHelper operator + (const String &lhs, const char *cstr)
-	{ return StringSumHelper(lhs) + cstr; }
-inline StringSumHelper operator + (const String &lhs, char c)
-	{ return StringSumHelper(lhs) + c; }
-inline StringSumHelper operator + (const String &lhs, unsigned char c)
-	{ return StringSumHelper(lhs) + c; }
-inline StringSumHelper operator + (const String &lhs, int num)
-	{ return StringSumHelper(lhs) + num; }
-inline StringSumHelper operator + (const String &lhs, unsigned int num)
-	{ return StringSumHelper(lhs) + num; }
-inline StringSumHelper operator + (const String &lhs, long num)
-	{ return StringSumHelper(lhs) + num; }
-inline StringSumHelper operator + (const String &lhs, unsigned long num)
-	{ return StringSumHelper(lhs) + num; }
-	
-inline StringSumHelper operator + (const char *cstr, const String &rhs)
-	{ return StringSumHelper(cstr) + rhs; }
-inline StringSumHelper operator + (char c, const String &rhs)
-	{ return StringSumHelper(c) + rhs; }
-inline StringSumHelper operator + (unsigned char c, const String &rhs)
-	{ return StringSumHelper(c) + rhs; }
-inline StringSumHelper operator + (int num, const String &rhs)
-	{ return StringSumHelper(num) + rhs; }
-inline StringSumHelper operator + (unsigned int num, const String &rhs)
-	{ return StringSumHelper(num) + rhs; }
-inline StringSumHelper operator + (long num, const String &rhs)
-	{ return StringSumHelper(num) + rhs; }
-inline StringSumHelper operator + (unsigned long num, const String &rhs)
-	{ return StringSumHelper(num) + rhs; }
-	
-
-
 #endif  // __cplusplus
 #endif  // String_class_h