diff --git a/include/mapnik/coord_array.hpp b/include/mapnik/coord_array.hpp
index 91b896117..dc3c2edd6 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/coord_array.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/coord_array.hpp
@@ -27,10 +27,11 @@
 #include <mapnik/coord.hpp>
 
 // stl
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <cassert>
-#include <cstring>
 
 namespace mapnik {
+
 template <typename T>
 class coord_array
 {
@@ -43,8 +44,9 @@ public:
 
     coord_array(coord_array const& rhs)
         : pt_(static_cast<coord_type*>(rhs.size_==0?0: ::operator new (sizeof(coord_type)*rhs.size_))),
-          size_(rhs.size_) {
-        std::memcpy(pt_,rhs.pt_,sizeof(coord_type)*rhs.size_);
+          size_(rhs.size_)
+    {
+        std::copy(rhs.pt_, rhs.pt_ + rhs.size_ , pt_);
     }
 
     ~coord_array()
diff --git a/include/mapnik/graphics.hpp b/include/mapnik/graphics.hpp
index 483bf50b2..b15d9f46b 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/graphics.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/graphics.hpp
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@
 #include <mapnik/global.hpp>
 
 // stl
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <string>
-#include <cstring> // memset
 #include <memory>
 
 // boost
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ public:
 
     inline void clear()
     {
-        std::memset(data_.getData(),0,sizeof(mapnik::image_data_32::pixel_type)*data_.width()*data_.height());
+        std::fill(data_.getData(), data_.getData() + data_.width() * data_.height(), 0);
     }
 
     boost::optional<color> const& get_background() const;
diff --git a/include/mapnik/hextree.hpp b/include/mapnik/hextree.hpp
index 96091b62b..166398a75 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/hextree.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/hextree.hpp
@@ -29,10 +29,9 @@
 #include <mapnik/noncopyable.hpp>
 
 // stl
-#include <vector>
-#include <cstring>
-#include <set>
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <vector>
+#include <set>
 #include <cmath>
 
 namespace mapnik {
@@ -67,7 +66,7 @@ class hextree : private mapnik::noncopyable
               reduce_cost(0.0),
               children_count(0)
         {
-            std::memset(&children_[0],0,sizeof(children_));
+            std::fill(children_, children_ + 16, nullptr);
         }
 
         ~node ()
diff --git a/include/mapnik/octree.hpp b/include/mapnik/octree.hpp
index bf2b55638..f98eb53f8 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/octree.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/octree.hpp
@@ -29,10 +29,9 @@
 #include <mapnik/noncopyable.hpp>
 
 // stl
-#include <vector>
-#include <cstring>
-#include <deque>
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <vector>
+#include <deque>
 
 namespace mapnik {
 
@@ -63,7 +62,7 @@ class octree : private mapnik::noncopyable
                children_count(0),
                index(0)
         {
-            std::memset(&children_[0],0,sizeof(children_));
+            std::fill(children_,children_ + 8, nullptr);
         }
 
         ~node()
diff --git a/include/mapnik/quad_tree.hpp b/include/mapnik/quad_tree.hpp
index ddd0509fa..ed716bf4d 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/quad_tree.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/quad_tree.hpp
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@
 #include <boost/ptr_container/ptr_vector.hpp>
 
 // stl
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <vector>
-#include <cstring>
 
 namespace mapnik
 {
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class quad_tree : mapnik::noncopyable
         explicit node(box2d<double> const& ext)
             : extent_(ext)
         {
-            std::memset(children_,0,4*sizeof(node*));
+            std::fill(children_, children_ + 4, nullptr);
         }
 
         box2d<double> const& extent() const
diff --git a/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_wkb.hpp b/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_wkb.hpp
index bd90161b9..3ec50fc04 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_wkb.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_wkb.hpp
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ struct wkb_stream
 
     void write(char const* data, std::size_t size)
     {
-        std::memcpy(buffer_ + pos_, data, size);
+        std::copy(data, data + size, buffer_ + pos_);
         pos_ += size;
     }
 
diff --git a/include/mapnik/vertex_vector.hpp b/include/mapnik/vertex_vector.hpp
index e21769c57..198865cc5 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/vertex_vector.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/vertex_vector.hpp
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@
 #include <mapnik/noncopyable.hpp>
 
 // stl
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <tuple>
-#include <cstring>  // required for memcpy with linux/g++
 #include <cstdint>
 
 namespace mapnik
@@ -131,8 +131,8 @@ private:
             command_size** new_commands = (command_size**)(new_vertices + max_blocks_ + grow_by);
             if (vertices_)
             {
-                std::memcpy(new_vertices,vertices_,max_blocks_ * sizeof(coord_type*));
-                std::memcpy(new_commands,commands_,max_blocks_ * sizeof(command_size*));
+                std::copy(vertices_, vertices_ + max_blocks_, new_vertices);
+                std::copy(commands_, commands_ + max_blocks_, new_commands);
                 ::operator delete(vertices_);
             }
             vertices_ = new_vertices;
diff --git a/include/mapnik/webp_io.hpp b/include/mapnik/webp_io.hpp
index 08fa4f890..85ab3fcca 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/webp_io.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/webp_io.hpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ extern "C"
 #pragma clang diagnostic pop
 
 // stl
+#include <algorithm>
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <string>
 
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ inline int import_image_data(T2 const& image,
         {
             typename T2::pixel_type const * row_from = image.getRow(y);
             image_data_32::pixel_type * row_to = im.getRow(y);
-            std::memcpy(row_to,row_from,stride);
+            std::copy(row_from, row_from + stride, row_to);
         }
         if (alpha)
         {