diff --git a/crates/snapbox/src/assert.rs b/crates/snapbox/src/assert.rs
index 28c3ac49..a4aca798 100644
--- a/crates/snapbox/src/assert.rs
+++ b/crates/snapbox/src/assert.rs
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ impl Assert {
         // On `expected` being an error, make a best guess
         if expected
             .as_ref()
-            .map(|d| d.as_str().is_some())
+            .map(|d| d.try_string().is_ok())
             .unwrap_or(true)
         {
             actual = actual.try_text().map_text(crate::utils::normalize_lines);
@@ -197,11 +197,15 @@ impl Assert {
     ) -> (crate::Result<crate::Data>, crate::Data) {
         let expected = expected.map(|d| d.map_text(crate::utils::normalize_lines));
         // On `expected` being an error, make a best guess
-        if let Some(expected) = expected.as_ref().map(|d| d.as_str()).unwrap_or(Some("")) {
+        if let Ok(expected) = expected
+            .as_ref()
+            .map(|d| d.try_string())
+            .unwrap_or(Ok(String::new()))
+        {
             actual = actual
                 .try_text()
                 .map_text(crate::utils::normalize_text)
-                .map_text(|t| self.substitutions.normalize(t, expected));
+                .map_text(|t| self.substitutions.normalize(t, &expected));
         }
 
         (expected, actual)
diff --git a/crates/snapbox/src/cmd.rs b/crates/snapbox/src/cmd.rs
index 88618adb..54494dc0 100644
--- a/crates/snapbox/src/cmd.rs
+++ b/crates/snapbox/src/cmd.rs
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ impl Command {
         // before we read. Here we do this by dropping the Command object.
         drop(self.cmd);
 
-        let (stdout, stderr) = process_io(&mut child, self.stdin.as_ref().map(|d| d.as_bytes()))?;
+        let (stdout, stderr) = process_io(&mut child, self.stdin.as_ref().map(|d| d.to_bytes()))?;
 
         let status = wait(child, self.timeout)?;
         let _stdout = stdout
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ impl Command {
         self.cmd.stderr(std::process::Stdio::piped());
         let mut child = self.cmd.spawn()?;
 
-        let (stdout, stderr) = process_io(&mut child, self.stdin.as_ref().map(|d| d.as_bytes()))?;
+        let (stdout, stderr) = process_io(&mut child, self.stdin.as_ref().map(|d| d.to_bytes()))?;
 
         let status = wait(child, self.timeout)?;
         let stdout = stdout
@@ -370,11 +370,10 @@ impl Command {
 
 fn process_io(
     child: &mut std::process::Child,
-    input: Option<&[u8]>,
+    input: Option<Vec<u8>>,
 ) -> std::io::Result<(Stream, Stream)> {
     use std::io::Write;
 
-    let input = input.map(|b| b.to_owned());
     let stdin = input.and_then(|i| {
         child
             .stdin
diff --git a/crates/snapbox/src/data.rs b/crates/snapbox/src/data.rs
index 96b46a19..515f9dba 100644
--- a/crates/snapbox/src/data.rs
+++ b/crates/snapbox/src/data.rs
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ impl Data {
                 format!("Failed to create parent dir for {}: {}", path.display(), e)
             })?;
         }
-        std::fs::write(path, self.as_bytes())
+        std::fs::write(path, self.to_bytes())
             .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to write {}: {}", path.display(), e).into())
     }
 
@@ -112,37 +112,25 @@ impl Data {
     ///
     /// Note: this will **not** do a binary-content check
     pub fn make_text(&mut self) -> Result<(), std::str::Utf8Error> {
-        *self = Self::text(std::mem::take(self).into_string()?);
+        *self = Self::text(std::mem::take(self).try_string()?);
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    /// Coerce to a string
-    ///
-    /// Note: this will **not** do a binary-content check
-    pub fn into_string(self) -> Result<String, std::str::Utf8Error> {
-        match self.inner {
+    /// Tries to convert the underlying data into a String
+    pub fn try_string(&self) -> Result<String, std::str::Utf8Error> {
+        match &self.inner {
             DataInner::Binary(data) => {
-                let data = String::from_utf8(data).map_err(|e| e.utf8_error())?;
+                let data = String::from_utf8(data.clone()).map_err(|e| e.utf8_error())?;
                 Ok(data)
             }
-            DataInner::Text(data) => Ok(data),
-        }
-    }
-
-    /// Return the underlying `str`
-    ///
-    /// Note: this will not inspect binary data for being a valid `str`.
-    pub fn as_str(&self) -> Option<&str> {
-        match &self.inner {
-            DataInner::Binary(_) => None,
-            DataInner::Text(data) => Some(data.as_str()),
+            DataInner::Text(data) => Ok(data.to_owned()),
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn as_bytes(&self) -> &[u8] {
+    pub fn to_bytes(&self) -> Vec<u8> {
         match &self.inner {
-            DataInner::Binary(data) => data,
-            DataInner::Text(data) => data.as_bytes(),
+            DataInner::Binary(data) => data.clone(),
+            DataInner::Text(data) => data.clone().into_bytes(),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/snapbox/src/path.rs b/crates/snapbox/src/path.rs
index 691152de..f26ff82f 100644
--- a/crates/snapbox/src/path.rs
+++ b/crates/snapbox/src/path.rs
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ impl PathDiff {
                     let expected = crate::Data::read_from(&expected_path, None)
                         .map(|d| d.map_text(crate::utils::normalize_lines))
                         .map_err(Self::Failure)?;
-                    if expected.as_str().is_some() {
+                    if expected.try_string().is_ok() {
                         actual = actual.try_text().map_text(crate::utils::normalize_lines);
                     }
 
@@ -258,11 +258,11 @@ impl PathDiff {
                     let expected = crate::Data::read_from(&expected_path, None)
                         .map(|d| d.map_text(crate::utils::normalize_lines))
                         .map_err(Self::Failure)?;
-                    if let Some(expected) = expected.as_str() {
+                    if let Ok(expected) = expected.try_string() {
                         actual = actual
                             .try_text()
                             .map_text(crate::utils::normalize_text)
-                            .map_text(|t| substitutions.normalize(t, expected));
+                            .map_text(|t| substitutions.normalize(t, &expected));
                     }
 
                     if expected != actual {
diff --git a/crates/snapbox/src/report/diff.rs b/crates/snapbox/src/report/diff.rs
index c3a8ac61..ba086617 100644
--- a/crates/snapbox/src/report/diff.rs
+++ b/crates/snapbox/src/report/diff.rs
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ pub fn write_diff(
     #[allow(unused_mut)]
     let mut rendered = false;
     #[cfg(feature = "diff")]
-    if let (Some(expected), Some(actual)) = (expected.as_str(), actual.as_str()) {
+    if let (Ok(expected), Ok(actual)) = (expected.try_string(), actual.try_string()) {
         write_diff_inner(
             writer,
-            expected,
-            actual,
+            &expected,
+            &actual,
             expected_name,
             actual_name,
             palette,
diff --git a/src/runner.rs b/src/runner.rs
index a50eea48..e3e1e299 100644
--- a/src/runner.rs
+++ b/src/runner.rs
@@ -419,8 +419,8 @@ impl Case {
         }
 
         if let Some(expected_content) = expected_content {
-            if let Some(e) = expected_content.as_str() {
-                stream.content = stream.content.map_text(|t| substitutions.normalize(t, e));
+            if let Ok(e) = expected_content.try_string() {
+                stream.content = stream.content.map_text(|t| substitutions.normalize(t, &e));
             }
             if stream.content != *expected_content {
                 stream.status = StreamStatus::Expected(expected_content.clone());
diff --git a/src/schema.rs b/src/schema.rs
index 33d9ecb9..eff46c7b 100644
--- a/src/schema.rs
+++ b/src/schema.rs
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ impl TryCmd {
             } else if ext == std::ffi::OsStr::new("trycmd") || ext == std::ffi::OsStr::new("md") {
                 let raw = crate::Data::read_from(path, Some(snapbox::DataFormat::Text))?
                     .map_text(snapbox::utils::normalize_lines)
-                    .into_string()
+                    .try_string()
                     .unwrap();
                 Self::parse_trycmd(&raw)?
             } else {
@@ -144,10 +144,7 @@ impl TryCmd {
                         .expected_stdout_source
                         .clone()
                         .expect("always present for .trycmd");
-                    let mut stdout = stdout
-                        .as_str()
-                        .expect("already converted to Text")
-                        .to_owned();
+                    let mut stdout = stdout.try_string().expect("already converted to Text");
                     // Add back trailing newline removed when parsing
                     stdout.push('\n');
                     let mut raw = crate::Data::read_from(path, Some(snapbox::DataFormat::Text))?
@@ -323,7 +320,7 @@ fn overwrite_toml_output(
         let output_path = path.with_extension(output_ext);
         if output_path.exists() {
             output.write_to(&output_path)?;
-        } else if let Some(output) = output.as_str() {
+        } else if let Ok(output) = output.try_string() {
             let raw = std::fs::read_to_string(path)
                 .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to read {}: {}", path.display(), e))?;
             let mut doc = raw
@@ -360,9 +357,9 @@ fn replace_lines(
     let mut output_lines = String::new();
 
     let s = data
-        .as_str()
-        .ok_or("Binary file can't have lines replaced")?;
-    for (line_num, line) in snapbox::utils::LinesWithTerminator::new(s)
+        .try_string()
+        .expect("Binary file can't have lines replaced");
+    for (line_num, line) in snapbox::utils::LinesWithTerminator::new(&s)
         .enumerate()
         .map(|(i, l)| (i + 1, l))
     {