diff --git a/core/block.js b/core/block.js
index c1e43e58c..36fb5ac28 100644
--- a/core/block.js
+++ b/core/block.js
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ goog.require('Blockly.Workspace');
 goog.require('Blockly.Xml');
 goog.require('goog.array');
 goog.require('goog.math.Coordinate');
-goog.require('goog.string');
 
 
 /**
@@ -1055,12 +1054,14 @@ Blockly.Block.prototype.toString = function(opt_maxLength, opt_emptyToken) {
       }
     }
   }
-  text = goog.string.trim(text.join(' ')) || '???';
+  text = text.join(' ').trim() || '???';
   if (opt_maxLength) {
     // TODO: Improve truncation so that text from this block is given priority.
     // E.g. "1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9=0" should be "...6+7+8+9=0", not "1+2+3+4+5...".
     // E.g. "1+2+3+4+5=6+7+8+9+0" should be "...4+5=6+7...".
-    text = goog.string.truncate(text, opt_maxLength);
+    if (text.length > opt_maxLength) {
+      text = text.substring(0, opt_maxLength - 3) + '...';
+    }
   }
   return text;
 };
@@ -1260,7 +1261,7 @@ Blockly.Block.prototype.interpolate_ = function(message, args, lastDummyAlign) {
   }
   // Add last dummy input if needed.
   if (elements.length && (typeof elements[elements.length - 1] == 'string' ||
-      goog.string.startsWith(
+      Blockly.utils.startsWith(
           elements[elements.length - 1]['type'], 'field_'))) {
     var dummyInput = {type: 'input_dummy'};
     if (lastDummyAlign) {
diff --git a/core/field_variable.js b/core/field_variable.js
index 467586f0e..b742ff1d9 100644
--- a/core/field_variable.js
+++ b/core/field_variable.js
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ goog.require('Blockly.FieldDropdown');
 goog.require('Blockly.Msg');
 goog.require('Blockly.VariableModel');
 goog.require('Blockly.Variables');
-goog.require('goog.string');
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/gesture.js b/core/gesture.js
index f8b3aa260..7fe357a4b 100644
--- a/core/gesture.js
+++ b/core/gesture.js
@@ -505,8 +505,9 @@ Blockly.Gesture.prototype.doStart = function(e) {
     return;
   }
 
-  if (goog.string.caseInsensitiveEquals(e.type, 'touchstart') ||
-      (goog.string.caseInsensitiveEquals(e.type, 'pointerdown') && e.pointerType != 'mouse')) {
+  if ((e.type.toLowerCase() == 'touchstart' ||
+      e.type.toLowerCase() == 'pointerdown') &&
+       e.pointerType != 'mouse') {
     Blockly.longStart_(e, this);
   }
 
diff --git a/core/touch.js b/core/touch.js
index d5b8c0a36..85c704302 100644
--- a/core/touch.js
+++ b/core/touch.js
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ goog.provide('Blockly.Touch');
 
 goog.require('goog.events');
 goog.require('goog.events.BrowserFeature');
-goog.require('goog.string');
 
 
 /**
@@ -198,7 +197,7 @@ Blockly.Touch.checkTouchIdentifier = function(e) {
  * @param {!Event} e A touch event.
  */
 Blockly.Touch.setClientFromTouch = function(e) {
-  if (goog.string.startsWith(e.type, 'touch')) {
+  if (Blockly.utils.startsWith(e.type, 'touch')) {
     // Map the touch event's properties to the event.
     var touchPoint = e.changedTouches[0];
     e.clientX = touchPoint.clientX;
@@ -212,9 +211,9 @@ Blockly.Touch.setClientFromTouch = function(e) {
  * @return {boolean} true if it is a mouse or touch event; false otherwise.
  */
 Blockly.Touch.isMouseOrTouchEvent = function(e) {
-  return goog.string.startsWith(e.type, 'touch') ||
-      goog.string.startsWith(e.type, 'mouse') ||
-      goog.string.startsWith(e.type, 'pointer');
+  return Blockly.utils.startsWith(e.type, 'touch') ||
+      Blockly.utils.startsWith(e.type, 'mouse') ||
+      Blockly.utils.startsWith(e.type, 'pointer');
 };
 
 /**
@@ -223,8 +222,8 @@ Blockly.Touch.isMouseOrTouchEvent = function(e) {
  * @return {boolean} true if it is a touch event; false otherwise.
  */
 Blockly.Touch.isTouchEvent = function(e) {
-  return goog.string.startsWith(e.type, 'touch') ||
-      goog.string.startsWith(e.type, 'pointer');
+  return Blockly.utils.startsWith(e.type, 'touch') ||
+      Blockly.utils.startsWith(e.type, 'pointer');
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/utils.js b/core/utils.js
index 543761c39..478c07228 100644
--- a/core/utils.js
+++ b/core/utils.js
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ Blockly.utils.tokenizeInterpolation_ = function(message,
           // BKY_ is the prefix used to namespace the strings used in Blockly
           // core files and the predefined blocks in ../blocks/. These strings
           // are defined in ../msgs/ files.
-          var bklyKey = goog.string.startsWith(keyUpper, 'BKY_') ?
+          var bklyKey = Blockly.utils.startsWith(keyUpper, 'BKY_') ?
               keyUpper.substring(4) : null;
           if (bklyKey && bklyKey in Blockly.Msg) {
             var rawValue = Blockly.Msg[bklyKey];
@@ -901,3 +901,14 @@ Blockly.utils.getViewportBBox = function() {
     left: scrollOffset.x
   };
 };
+
+/**
+ * Fast prefix-checker.
+ * Copied from Closure's goog.string.startsWith.
+ * @param {string} str The string to check.
+ * @param {string} prefix A string to look for at the start of `str`.
+ * @return {boolean} True if `str` begins with `prefix`.
+ */
+Blockly.utils.startsWith = function(str, prefix) {
+  return str.lastIndexOf(prefix, 0) == 0;
+};
diff --git a/core/variable_model.js b/core/variable_model.js
index 339620532..a047b18e7 100644
--- a/core/variable_model.js
+++ b/core/variable_model.js
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ goog.provide('Blockly.VariableModel');
 
 goog.require('Blockly.Events.VarCreate');
 
-goog.require('goog.string');
-
 
 /**
  * Class for a variable model.
@@ -97,5 +95,13 @@ Blockly.VariableModel.prototype.getId = function() {
  * @package
  */
 Blockly.VariableModel.compareByName = function(var1, var2) {
-  return goog.string.caseInsensitiveCompare(var1.name, var2.name);
+  var name1 = var1.name.toLowerCase();
+  var name2 = var2.name.toLowerCase();
+  if (name1 < name2) {
+    return -1;
+  } else if (name1 == name2) {
+    return 0;
+  } else {
+    return 1;
+  }
 };
diff --git a/core/variables_dynamic.js b/core/variables_dynamic.js
index 7cf3e6430..7ee4d8787 100644
--- a/core/variables_dynamic.js
+++ b/core/variables_dynamic.js
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ goog.require('Blockly.constants');
 goog.require('Blockly.VariableModel');
 // TODO Fix circular dependencies
 // goog.require('Blockly.Workspace');
-goog.require('goog.string');
 
 
 Blockly.VariablesDynamic.onCreateVariableButtonClick_String = function(button) {