diff --git a/cc3200/hal/cc3200_hal.c b/cc3200/hal/cc3200_hal.c
index 7ea243d1b2..b29c0fee0b 100644
--- a/cc3200/hal/cc3200_hal.c
+++ b/cc3200/hal/cc3200_hal.c
@@ -31,13 +31,16 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <string.h>
+
+
+#include "py/mpstate.h"
+#include MICROPY_HAL_H
+#include "py/runtime.h"
+#include "py/objstr.h"
 #include "inc/hw_types.h"
 #include "inc/hw_ints.h"
 #include "inc/hw_nvic.h"
 #include "hw_memmap.h"
-#include "py/mpstate.h"
-#include "py/runtime.h"
-#include MICROPY_HAL_H
 #include "rom_map.h"
 #include "interrupt.h"
 #include "systick.h"
@@ -142,7 +145,7 @@ void mp_hal_stdout_tx_strn(const char *str, uint32_t len) {
         if (MP_OBJ_IS_TYPE(MP_STATE_PORT(os_term_dup_obj)->stream_o, &pyb_uart_type)) {
             uart_tx_strn(MP_STATE_PORT(os_term_dup_obj)->stream_o, str, len);
         } else {
-            MP_STATE_PORT(os_term_dup_obj)->write[2] = mp_obj_new_bytes((const byte*)str, len);
+            MP_STATE_PORT(os_term_dup_obj)->write[2] = mp_obj_new_str_of_type(&mp_type_str, (const byte *)str, len);
             mp_call_method_n_kw(1, 0, MP_STATE_PORT(os_term_dup_obj)->write);
         }
     }
@@ -181,10 +184,11 @@ int mp_hal_stdin_rx_chr(void) {
                 }
             } else {
                 MP_STATE_PORT(os_term_dup_obj)->read[2] = mp_obj_new_int(1);
-                mp_obj_t rbytes = mp_call_method_n_kw(1, 0, MP_STATE_PORT(os_term_dup_obj)->read);
-                if (rbytes != mp_const_none) {
+                mp_obj_t data = mp_call_method_n_kw(1, 0, MP_STATE_PORT(os_term_dup_obj)->read);
+                // data len is > 0
+                if (mp_obj_is_true(data)) {
                     mp_buffer_info_t bufinfo;
-                    mp_get_buffer_raise(rbytes, &bufinfo, MP_BUFFER_READ);
+                    mp_get_buffer_raise(data, &bufinfo, MP_BUFFER_READ);
                     return ((int *)(bufinfo.buf))[0];
                 }
             }
diff --git a/cc3200/mods/modussl.c b/cc3200/mods/modussl.c
index 31005631ba..a11d2b2ef9 100644
--- a/cc3200/mods/modussl.c
+++ b/cc3200/mods/modussl.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ STATIC mp_obj_t mod_ssl_wrap_socket(mp_uint_t n_args, const mp_obj_t *pos_args,
         goto arg_error;
     }
 
-    // retrieve the file paths (with an 6 byte offset because to strip the '/flash' prefix)
+    // retrieve the file paths (with an 6 byte offset in order to strip it from the '/flash' prefix)
     const char *keyfile  = (args[1].u_obj == mp_const_none) ? NULL : &(mp_obj_str_get_str(args[1].u_obj)[6]);
     const char *certfile = (args[2].u_obj == mp_const_none) ? NULL : &(mp_obj_str_get_str(args[2].u_obj)[6]);
     const char *cafile   = (args[5].u_obj == mp_const_none || args[4].u_int != SSL_CERT_REQUIRED) ?