diff --git a/include/nc.h b/include/nc.h
index aa597c9c3..2275c0e86 100644
--- a/include/nc.h
+++ b/include/nc.h
@@ -38,11 +38,7 @@ typedef struct NC {
 typedef struct {
 	/* all xdr'd */
 	size_t nchars;
-#ifdef __arm__
-  signed char *cp;
-#else
   char *cp;
-#endif
 
 } NC_string;
 
@@ -55,17 +51,10 @@ free_NC_string(NC_string *ncstrp);
 extern int
 NC_check_name(const char *name);
 
-#ifdef __arm__
-extern NC_string *
-new_NC_string(size_t slen, const signed char *str);
-extern int
-set_NC_string(NC_string *ncstrp, const signed char *str);
-#else
 extern NC_string *
 new_NC_string(size_t slen, const char *str);
 extern int
 set_NC_string(NC_string *ncstrp, const char *str);
-#endif
 
 
 /* End defined in string.c */
diff --git a/libdispatch/dstring.c b/libdispatch/dstring.c
index d251fe471..10f53e636 100644
--- a/libdispatch/dstring.c
+++ b/libdispatch/dstring.c
@@ -228,13 +228,8 @@ fail:
 NC_new_string(count, str)
  */
 
-#ifdef __arm__
-NC_string *
-new_NC_string(size_t slen, const signed char *str)
-#else
 NC_string *
 new_NC_string(size_t slen, const char *str)
-#endif
 {
 	NC_string *ncstrp;
 	size_t sz = M_RNDUP(sizeof(NC_string)) + slen + 1;
@@ -269,13 +264,8 @@ new_NC_string(size_t slen, const char *str)
 NC_re_string()
  */
 
-#ifdef __arm__
- int
-   set_NC_string(NC_string *ncstrp, const signed char *str)
-#else
  int
    set_NC_string(NC_string *ncstrp, const char *str)
-#endif
  {
 	size_t slen;
 
diff --git a/libdispatch/dvarput.c b/libdispatch/dvarput.c
index 59e071bc7..fca2750f3 100644
--- a/libdispatch/dvarput.c
+++ b/libdispatch/dvarput.c
@@ -226,7 +226,11 @@ NCDEFAULT_put_vars(int ncid, int varid, const size_t * start,
 #endif
         else {
 	  /* mystart is unsigned, will never be < 0 */
+#ifdef ISSUE243
 	  if(mystart[i] > dimlen)
+#else
+          if(mystart[i] >= dimlen)
+#endif
 	    return NC_EINVALCOORDS;
           /* myediges is unsigned, will never be < 0 */
 	  if(mystart[i] + myedges[i] > dimlen)
@@ -422,7 +426,11 @@ NCDEFAULT_put_varm(
        */
       for (idim = isrecvar; idim < maxidim; ++idim)
       {
+#ifdef ISSUE243
 	 if (mystart[idim] > varshape[idim])
+#else
+         if (mystart[idim] >= varshape[idim])
+#endif
 	 {
 	    status = NC_EINVALCOORDS;
 	    goto done;
diff --git a/libsrc/ncx.h b/libsrc/ncx.h
index 01e8433c4..08a7874b1 100644
--- a/libsrc/ncx.h
+++ b/libsrc/ncx.h
@@ -989,21 +989,6 @@ ncx_putn_ulonglong_ulonglong(void **xpp, size_t nelems, const ulonglong *ip);
  */
 
 /* read ASCII characters */
-#ifdef __arm__
-
-extern int
-ncx_getn_text(const void **xpp, size_t nchars, signed char *cp);
-extern int
-ncx_pad_getn_text(const void **xpp, size_t nchars, signed char *cp);
-
-/* write ASCII characters */
-extern int
-ncx_putn_text(void **xpp, size_t nchars, const signed char *cp);
-extern int
-ncx_pad_putn_text(void **xpp, size_t nchars, const signed char *cp);
-
-#else // ifdef __arm__
-
 extern int
 ncx_getn_text(const void **xpp, size_t nchars, char *cp);
 extern int
@@ -1015,7 +1000,6 @@ ncx_putn_text(void **xpp, size_t nchars, const char *cp);
 extern int
 ncx_pad_putn_text(void **xpp, size_t nchars, const char *cp);
 
-#endif //ifdef __arm__
 
 /* for symmetry */
 #define ncx_getn_char_char(xpp, nelems, fillp) ncx_getn_text(xpp, nelems, fillp)
diff --git a/libsrc/v1hpg.c b/libsrc/v1hpg.c
index acb211da2..b8fda9247 100644
--- a/libsrc/v1hpg.c
+++ b/libsrc/v1hpg.c
@@ -85,11 +85,7 @@ fault_v1hs(v1hs *gsp, size_t extent)
 
 	if(gsp->base != NULL)
 	{
-#ifdef __arm__
 		const ptrdiff_t incr = (signed char *)gsp->pos - (signed char *)gsp->base;
-#else
-        const ptrdiff_t incr = (char *)gsp->pos - (char *)gsp->base;
-#endif
 		status = rel_v1hs(gsp);
 		if(status)
 			return status;
@@ -107,11 +103,7 @@ fault_v1hs(v1hs *gsp, size_t extent)
 
 	gsp->pos = gsp->base;
 
-#ifdef __arm__
 	gsp->end = (signed char *)gsp->base + gsp->extent;
-#else
-    gsp->end = (char *)gsp->base + gsp->extent;
-#endif
     return NC_NOERR;
 }
 
@@ -128,13 +120,8 @@ fprintf(stderr, "nextread %lu, remaining %lu\n",
 	(unsigned long)nextread,
 	(unsigned long)((char *)gsp->end - (char *)gsp->pos));
 #endif
-#ifdef __arm__
 if((signed char *)gsp->pos + nextread <= (signed char *)gsp->end)
         return NC_NOERR;
-#else
- if((char *)gsp->pos + nextread <= (char *)gsp->end)
-        return NC_NOERR;
-#endif
 
     return fault_v1hs(gsp, nextread);
 }
@@ -613,13 +600,8 @@ v1h_put_NC_attrV(v1hs *psp, const NC_attr *attrp)
 
 		(void) memcpy(psp->pos, value, nbytes);
 
-#ifdef __arm__
 		psp->pos = (void *)((signed char *)psp->pos + nbytes);
 		value = (void *)((signed char *)value + nbytes);
-#else
-        psp->pos = (void *)((char *)psp->pos + nbytes);
-		value = (void *)((char *)value + nbytes);
-#endif
         remaining -= nbytes;
 
 	} while(remaining != 0);
@@ -675,13 +657,8 @@ v1h_get_NC_attrV(v1hs *gsp, NC_attr *attrp)
 			return status;
 
 		(void) memcpy(value, gsp->pos, nget);
-#ifdef __arm__
 		gsp->pos = (void *)((signed char *)gsp->pos + nget);
 		value = (void *)((signed char *)value + nget);
-#else
-        gsp->pos = (void *)((char *)gsp->pos + nget);
-		value = (void *)((char *)value + nget);
-#endif
 
         remaining -= nget;
 
@@ -1473,11 +1450,8 @@ nc_get_NC(NC3_INFO* ncp)
 	NC_set_numrecs(ncp, nrecs);
 	}
 
-#ifdef __arm__
 	assert((signed char *)gs.pos < (signed char *)gs.end);
-#else
-    assert((char *)gs.pos < (char *)gs.end);
-#endif
+
 	status = v1h_get_NC_dimarray(&gs, &ncp->dims);
     if(status != NC_NOERR)
 		goto unwind_get;
diff --git a/libsrc4/nc4hdf.c b/libsrc4/nc4hdf.c
index b66317666..0758f109d 100644
--- a/libsrc4/nc4hdf.c
+++ b/libsrc4/nc4hdf.c
@@ -625,8 +625,12 @@ nc4_put_vara(NC *nc, int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
       assert(dim && dim->dimid == var->dimids[d2]);
       if (!dim->unlimited)
         {
+#ifdef ISSUE243
           if (start[d2] > (hssize_t)fdims[d2] ||
               (start[d2] == (hssize_t)fdims[d2] && count[d2] > 0))
+#else
+          if (start[d2] >= (hssize_t)fdims[d2])
+#endif
             BAIL_QUIET(NC_EINVALCOORDS);
           if (start[d2] + count[d2] > fdims[d2])
             BAIL_QUIET(NC_EEDGE);
@@ -957,8 +961,12 @@ nc4_get_vara(NC *nc, int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
 	  BAIL(retval);
 
         /* Check for out of bound requests. */
+#ifdef ISSUE243
         if (start[d2] > (hssize_t)ulen ||
             (start[d2] == (hssize_t)ulen && count[d2] > 0))
+#else
+        if (start[d2] >= (hssize_t)ulen && count[d2])
+#endif
           BAIL_QUIET(NC_EINVALCOORDS);
         if (start[d2] + count[d2] > ulen)
           BAIL_QUIET(NC_EEDGE);
@@ -981,8 +989,12 @@ nc4_get_vara(NC *nc, int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
     else
       {
         /* Check for out of bound requests. */
+#ifdef ISSUE243
         if (start[d2] > (hssize_t)fdims[d2] ||
             (start[d2] == (hssize_t)fdims[d2] && count[d2] > 0))
+#else
+        if (start[d2] >= (hssize_t)fdims[d2])
+#endif
           BAIL_QUIET(NC_EINVALCOORDS);
         if (start[d2] + count[d2] > fdims[d2])
           BAIL_QUIET(NC_EEDGE);