diff --git a/libimaglink/src/internal.rs b/libimaglink/src/internal.rs
index f6539014..e22214d1 100644
--- a/libimaglink/src/internal.rs
+++ b/libimaglink/src/internal.rs
@@ -45,25 +45,14 @@ impl InternalLinker for Entry {
                 return Err(e);
             }
             let link = link.get_location().clone();
-            let link = link.to_str();
-            if link.is_none() {
-                return Err(LinkError::new(LinkErrorKind::InternalConversionError, None));
-            }
-            let link = link.unwrap();
-
-            new_links.push(String::from(link));
+            new_links.push(link);
         }
 
-        let new_links = new_links
-            .into_iter()
-            .unique()
-            .map(|s| Value::String(s))
-            .sorted_by(|a, b| {
-                match (a, b) {
-                    (&Value::String(ref a), &Value::String(ref b)) => Ord::cmp(a, b),
-                    _                                              => unreachable!()
-                }
-            });
+        let new_links = links_into_values(new_links);
+        if new_links.iter().any(|o| o.is_none()) {
+            return Err(LinkError::new(LinkErrorKind::InternalConversionError, None));
+        }
+        let new_links = new_links.into_iter().map(|o| o.unwrap()).collect();
         process_rw_result(self.get_header_mut().set("imag.links", Value::Array(new_links)))
     }
 
@@ -100,8 +89,8 @@ impl InternalLinker for Entry {
 
 }
 
-fn rewrite_links(header: &mut EntryHeader, links: Vec<StoreId>) -> Result<()> {
-    let links : Vec<Option<Value>> = links
+fn links_into_values(links: Vec<StoreId>) -> Vec<Option<Value>> {
+    links
         .into_iter()
         .map(|s| s.to_str().map(|s| String::from(s)))
         .unique()
@@ -112,7 +101,11 @@ fn rewrite_links(header: &mut EntryHeader, links: Vec<StoreId>) -> Result<()> {
                 (&None, _) | (_, &None) => Ordering::Equal,
                 _                                              => unreachable!()
             }
-        });
+        })
+}
+
+fn rewrite_links(header: &mut EntryHeader, links: Vec<StoreId>) -> Result<()> {
+    let links = links_into_values(links);
 
     if links.iter().any(|o| o.is_none()) {
         // if any type convert failed we fail as well
@@ -131,23 +124,7 @@ fn add_foreign_link(target: &mut Entry, from: StoreId) -> Result<()> {
     target.get_internal_links()
         .and_then(|mut links| {
             links.push(from);
-            let links : Vec<Option<Value>> = links
-                .into_iter()
-                .map(|s| {
-                    match s.to_str() {
-                        Some(s) => Some(String::from(s)),
-                        _ => None
-                    }
-                })
-                .unique()
-                .map(|elem| elem.map(|s| Value::String(s)))
-                .sorted_by(|a, b| {
-                    match (a, b) {
-                        (&Some(Value::String(ref a)), &Some(Value::String(ref b))) => Ord::cmp(a, b),
-                        (&None, _) | (_, &None) => Ordering::Equal,
-                        _                                              => unreachable!()
-                    }
-                });
+            let links = links_into_values(links);
             if links.iter().any(|o| o.is_none()) {
                 Err(LinkError::new(LinkErrorKind::InternalConversionError, None))
             } else {