diff --git a/api/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/api/ComponentWidget.scala b/api/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/api/ComponentWidget.scala
index 010acc3..389d116 100644
--- a/api/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/api/ComponentWidget.scala
+++ b/api/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/api/ComponentWidget.scala
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ trait ComponentWidget
     .getOrElse(throw XWException("Widget " + key + " is not on any tab."))
     .key
   def setTab(tabKey: WidgetKey): Unit =
-    ws.xwTabs.find(_.key == normalizeString(tabKey)) match {
+    ws.xwTabs.find(_.key == tabKey) match {
       case None ⇒ throw XWException("Tab " + tabKey + " does not exist.")
       case Some(newTab) ⇒
         tab match {
diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/state/Reader.scala b/core/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/state/Reader.scala
index d86a750..da6086d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/state/Reader.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/state/Reader.scala
@@ -50,13 +50,13 @@ class Reader(
   def widgetKeyVector: Vector[WidgetKey] = Vector() ++ widgetMap.keys
 
   private def mutablePropertyMap(widgetKey: WidgetKey): Either[XWException, MutablePropertyMap] =
-    widgetMap.get(normalizeString(widgetKey)).orException(
+    widgetMap.get(widgetKey).orException(
       "Widget " + widgetKey + " does not exist.")
 
   def propertyMap(widgetKey: WidgetKey): Either[XWException, PropertyMap] =
     mutablePropertyMap(widgetKey).right.map(_.toMap)
 
-  def contains(widgetKey: WidgetKey) = widgetMap.contains(normalizeString(widgetKey))
+  def contains(widgetKey: WidgetKey) = widgetMap.contains(widgetKey)
 
   def propertyKeyVector(widgetKey: WidgetKey): Either[XWException, Vector[PropertyKey]] =
     mutablePropertyMap(widgetKey).right.map(Vector() ++ _.keysIterator)
diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/state/Writer.scala b/core/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/state/Writer.scala
index 9a963eb..9e87bb2 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/state/Writer.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/state/Writer.scala
@@ -37,20 +37,19 @@ class Writer(
   }
 
   def add(widgetKey: WidgetKey, propertyMap: PropertyMap): Unit = {
-    val wKey = normalizeString(widgetKey)
     val properties = propertyMap.normalizeKeys
-    reader.validateNonEmpty("widget key", wKey).rightOrThrow
-    reader.validateUnique("widget key", wKey).rightOrThrow
+    reader.validateNonEmpty("widget key", widgetKey).rightOrThrow
+    reader.validateUnique("widget key", widgetKey).rightOrThrow
     val kind = getKind(widgetKey, properties)
     val tabProperty: PropertyMap = kind match {
       case _: TabKind[_] ⇒ Map.empty
       case _ if properties.isDefinedAt(tabPropertyKey) ⇒ Map.empty
       case _ ⇒ Map(tabPropertyKey -> getLastTabKey)
     }
-    val keyProperty = Map(keyPropertyKey -> wKey)
+    val keyProperty = Map(keyPropertyKey -> widgetKey)
     val allProperties = kind.defaultValues ++ properties ++ tabProperty ++ keyProperty
-    widgetMap += wKey -> allProperties.asMutablePropertyMap
-    publish(AddWidget(wKey, allProperties))
+    widgetMap += widgetKey -> allProperties.asMutablePropertyMap
+    publish(AddWidget(widgetKey, allProperties))
   }
 
   def getKind(widgetKey: WidgetKey, propertyMap: PropertyMap): WidgetKind[_] = {
@@ -86,16 +85,15 @@ class Writer(
       .getOrElse(throw new XWException("No widget tab has been created yet."))
 
   def remove(widgetKey: WidgetKey): Unit = {
-    val wKey = normalizeString(widgetKey)
     // Special case: if we're removing a tab, also
     // remove the widgets on that tab from the widget map
-    if (reader.get(kindPropertyKey, wKey) == tabKindName) {
+    if (reader.get(kindPropertyKey, widgetKey) == tabKindName) {
       widgetMap --= widgetMap.collect {
-        case (k, ps) if ps.get(tabPropertyKey) == Some(wKey) ⇒ k
+        case (k, ps) if ps.get(tabPropertyKey) == Some(widgetKey) ⇒ k
       }
     }
-    widgetMap -= wKey
-    publish(RemoveWidget(wKey))
+    widgetMap -= widgetKey
+    publish(RemoveWidget(widgetKey))
   }
 
   def set(
@@ -110,14 +108,13 @@ class Writer(
     propertyValue: PropertyValue,
     publishEvent: Boolean): Unit = {
 
-    val wKey = normalizeString(widgetKey)
-    val propertyMap = widgetMap.getOrElse(wKey,
-      throw XWException("Widget " + wKey + " does not exist."))
+    val propertyMap = widgetMap.getOrElse(widgetKey,
+      throw XWException("Widget " + widgetKey + " does not exist."))
     val pKey = normalizeString(propertyKey)
     val oldValue = propertyMap.get(pKey)
     if (Some(propertyValue) != oldValue) {
       propertyMap += pKey -> propertyValue
-      if (publishEvent) publish(SetProperty(wKey, pKey, propertyValue))
+      if (publishEvent) publish(SetProperty(widgetKey, pKey, propertyValue))
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/xw/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/extension/WidgetContextManager.scala b/xw/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/extension/WidgetContextManager.scala
index da6d048..0ef192a 100644
--- a/xw/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/extension/WidgetContextManager.scala
+++ b/xw/src/main/scala/uk/ac/surrey/xw/extension/WidgetContextManager.scala
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package uk.ac.surrey.xw.extension
 
 import uk.ac.surrey.xw.api.WidgetKey
 import uk.ac.surrey.xw.api.XWException
-import uk.ac.surrey.xw.api.normalizeString
 
 class WidgetContextManager {
   var stack: List[WidgetKey] = List.empty
@@ -14,7 +13,7 @@ class WidgetContextManager {
       | block passed to xw:create-<kind>, xw:ask or xw:of.
       |""".stripMargin))
   def withContext[A](key: WidgetKey)(f: () ⇒ A): A = {
-    stack = normalizeString(key) :: stack // push
+    stack = key :: stack // push
     val result = f()
     stack = stack.tail // pop
     result