diff --git a/include/aws/io/pem.h b/include/aws/io/pem.h
index ed9d5913a..0f2e7841f 100644
--- a/include/aws/io/pem.h
+++ b/include/aws/io/pem.h
@@ -49,11 +49,11 @@ enum aws_pem_object_type {
  * decoding for each object).
  * type will be set to object type or to AWS_PEM_TYPE_UNKNOWN if it could not
  * figure out type.
- * type_buf are the types bytes, i.e. the string between -----BEGIN and -----
+ * type_string is the string between -----BEGIN and -----
  */
 struct aws_pem_object {
     enum aws_pem_object_type type;
-    struct aws_byte_buf type_buf;
+    struct aws_string *type_string;
     struct aws_byte_buf data;
 };
 
diff --git a/source/pem.c b/source/pem.c
index b1ac9ae4c..a2205c9d6 100644
--- a/source/pem.c
+++ b/source/pem.c
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ void aws_pem_objects_clean_up(struct aws_array_list *cert_chain) {
 
         if (pem_obj_ptr != NULL) {
             aws_byte_buf_clean_up_secure(&pem_obj_ptr->data);
-            aws_byte_buf_clean_up_secure(&pem_obj_ptr->type_buf);
+            aws_string_destroy(&pem_obj_ptr->type_string);
         }
     }
 
@@ -312,10 +312,10 @@ static int s_convert_pem_to_raw_base64(
                         aws_byte_buf_init(&current_obj_buf, allocator, current_obj_len);
 
                     } else {
-                        struct aws_byte_buf type_buf;
-                        aws_byte_buf_init_copy_from_cursor(&type_buf, allocator, current_obj_type_cur);
                         struct aws_pem_object pem_object = {
-                            .data = current_obj_buf, .type_buf = type_buf, .type = current_obj_type};
+                            .data = current_obj_buf, 
+                            .type_string = aws_string_new_from_cursor(allocator, &current_obj_type_cur), 
+                            .type = current_obj_type,};
 
                         if (aws_array_list_push_back(pem_objects, &pem_object)) {
                             goto on_end_of_loop;
diff --git a/tests/pem_test.c b/tests/pem_test.c
index 8a4822828..12d4426ca 100644
--- a/tests/pem_test.c
+++ b/tests/pem_test.c
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ static int s_test_pem_cert_parse_from_file(struct aws_allocator *allocator, void
     struct aws_pem_object *pem_object = NULL;
     aws_array_list_get_at_ptr(&output_list, (void **)&pem_object, 0);
     ASSERT_BIN_ARRAYS_EQUALS(s_expected, sizeof(s_expected), pem_object->data.buffer, pem_object->data.len);
-    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_buf(&pem_object->type_buf), "CERTIFICATE");
+    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_string(&pem_object->type_string), "CERTIFICATE");
     ASSERT_INT_EQUALS(AWS_PEM_TYPE_X509, pem_object->type);
 
     aws_pem_objects_clean_up(&output_list);
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ static int s_test_pem_private_key_parse_from_file(struct aws_allocator *allocato
     struct aws_pem_object *pem_object = NULL;
     aws_array_list_get_at_ptr(&output_list, (void **)&pem_object, 0);
     ASSERT_BIN_ARRAYS_EQUALS(s_expected, sizeof(s_expected), pem_object->data.buffer, pem_object->data.len);
-    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_buf(&pem_object->type_buf), "RSA PRIVATE KEY");
+    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_string(&pem_object->type_string), "RSA PRIVATE KEY");
     ASSERT_INT_EQUALS(AWS_PEM_TYPE_PRIVATE_RSA_PKCS1, pem_object->type);
 
     aws_pem_objects_clean_up(&output_list);
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ static int s_test_pem_single_cert_parse(struct aws_allocator *allocator, void *c
     struct aws_pem_object *pem_object = NULL;
     aws_array_list_get_at_ptr(&output_list, (void **)&pem_object, 0);
     ASSERT_BIN_ARRAYS_EQUALS(s_expected, sizeof(s_expected), pem_object->data.buffer, pem_object->data.len);
-    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_buf(&pem_object->type_buf), "CERTIFICATE");
+    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_string(&pem_object->type_string), "CERTIFICATE");
     ASSERT_INT_EQUALS(AWS_PEM_TYPE_X509, pem_object->type);
 
     aws_pem_objects_clean_up(&output_list);
@@ -601,16 +601,16 @@ static int s_test_pem_cert_chain_parse(struct aws_allocator *allocator, void *ct
     aws_array_list_get_at_ptr(&output_list, (void **)&pem_object, 0);
     ASSERT_BIN_ARRAYS_EQUALS(
         s_expected_intermediate_1, sizeof(s_expected_intermediate_1), pem_object->data.buffer, pem_object->data.len);
-    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_buf(&pem_object->type_buf), "CERTIFICATE");
+    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_string(&pem_object->type_string), "CERTIFICATE");
     ASSERT_INT_EQUALS(AWS_PEM_TYPE_X509, pem_object->type);
     aws_array_list_get_at_ptr(&output_list, (void **)&pem_object, 1);
     ASSERT_BIN_ARRAYS_EQUALS(
         s_expected_intermediate_2, sizeof(s_expected_intermediate_2), pem_object->data.buffer, pem_object->data.len);
-    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_buf(&pem_object->type_buf), "CERTIFICATE");
+    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_string(&pem_object->type_string), "CERTIFICATE");
     ASSERT_INT_EQUALS(AWS_PEM_TYPE_X509, pem_object->type);
     aws_array_list_get_at_ptr(&output_list, (void **)&pem_object, 2);
     ASSERT_BIN_ARRAYS_EQUALS(s_expected_leaf, sizeof(s_expected_leaf), pem_object->data.buffer, pem_object->data.len);
-    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_buf(&pem_object->type_buf), "CERTIFICATE");
+    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_string(&pem_object->type_string), "CERTIFICATE");
     ASSERT_INT_EQUALS(AWS_PEM_TYPE_X509, pem_object->type);
 
     aws_pem_objects_clean_up(&output_list);
@@ -730,7 +730,7 @@ static int s_test_pem_private_key_parse(struct aws_allocator *allocator, void *c
     struct aws_pem_object *pem_object = NULL;
     aws_array_list_get_at_ptr(&output_list, (void **)&pem_object, 0);
     ASSERT_BIN_ARRAYS_EQUALS(s_expected, sizeof(s_expected), pem_object->data.buffer, pem_object->data.len);
-    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_buf(&pem_object->type_buf), "RSA PRIVATE KEY");
+    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_string(&pem_object->type_string), "RSA PRIVATE KEY");
     ASSERT_INT_EQUALS(AWS_PEM_TYPE_PRIVATE_RSA_PKCS1, pem_object->type);
 
     aws_pem_objects_clean_up(&output_list);
@@ -961,16 +961,16 @@ static int s_test_pem_cert_chain_comments_and_whitespace(struct aws_allocator *a
     aws_array_list_get_at_ptr(&output_list, (void **)&pem_object, 0);
     ASSERT_BIN_ARRAYS_EQUALS(
         s_expected_intermediate_1, sizeof(s_expected_intermediate_1), pem_object->data.buffer, pem_object->data.len);
-    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_buf(&pem_object->type_buf), "CERTIFICATE");
+    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_string(&pem_object->type_string), "CERTIFICATE");
     ASSERT_INT_EQUALS(AWS_PEM_TYPE_X509, pem_object->type);
     aws_array_list_get_at_ptr(&output_list, (void **)&pem_object, 1);
     ASSERT_BIN_ARRAYS_EQUALS(
         s_expected_intermediate_2, sizeof(s_expected_intermediate_2), pem_object->data.buffer, pem_object->data.len);
-    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_buf(&pem_object->type_buf), "CERTIFICATE");
+    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_string(&pem_object->type_string), "CERTIFICATE");
     ASSERT_INT_EQUALS(AWS_PEM_TYPE_X509, pem_object->type);
     aws_array_list_get_at_ptr(&output_list, (void **)&pem_object, 2);
     ASSERT_BIN_ARRAYS_EQUALS(s_expected_leaf, sizeof(s_expected_leaf), pem_object->data.buffer, pem_object->data.len);
-    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_buf(&pem_object->type_buf), "CERTIFICATE");
+    ASSERT_CURSOR_VALUE_CSTRING_EQUALS(aws_byte_cursor_from_string(&pem_object->type_string), "CERTIFICATE");
     ASSERT_INT_EQUALS(AWS_PEM_TYPE_X509, pem_object->type);
 
     aws_pem_objects_clean_up(&output_list);