diff --git a/src/detect-content.c b/src/detect-content.c
index 9afd97a707..631466e4cd 100644
--- a/src/detect-content.c
+++ b/src/detect-content.c
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ uint32_t DetectContentMaxId(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx) {
  *  \retval -1 error
  *  \retval 0 ok
  */
-int DetectContentDataParse(char *keyword, char *contentstr, char** pstr, uint16_t *plen, int *flags)
+int DetectContentDataParse(const char *keyword, const char *contentstr,
+        uint8_t **pstr, uint16_t *plen, uint32_t *flags)
 {
     char *str = NULL;
     uint16_t len;
@@ -120,10 +121,6 @@ int DetectContentDataParse(char *keyword, char *contentstr, char** pstr, uint16_
 
     SCLogDebug("\"%s\", len %" PRIu32 "", str, len);
 
-    len = strlen(str);
-    if (len == 0)
-        goto error;
-
     //SCLogDebug("DetectContentParse: \"%s\", len %" PRIu32 "", str, len);
     char converted = 0;
 
@@ -209,7 +206,7 @@ int DetectContentDataParse(char *keyword, char *contentstr, char** pstr, uint16_
     }
 
     *plen = len;
-    *pstr = str;
+    *pstr = (uint8_t *)str;
     return 0;
 
 error:
@@ -224,12 +221,12 @@ error:
 DetectContentData *DetectContentParse (char *contentstr)
 {
     DetectContentData *cd = NULL;
-    char *str = NULL;
-    uint16_t len;
-    int flags;
+    uint8_t *content = NULL;
+    uint16_t len = 0;
+    uint32_t flags = 0;
     int ret;
 
-    ret = DetectContentDataParse("content", contentstr, &str, &len, &flags);
+    ret = DetectContentDataParse("content", contentstr, &content, &len, &flags);
     if (ret == -1) {
         return NULL;
     }
@@ -243,7 +240,7 @@ DetectContentData *DetectContentParse (char *contentstr)
 
     cd = SCMalloc(sizeof(DetectContentData) + len);
     if (unlikely(cd == NULL)) {
-        SCFree(str);
+        SCFree(content);
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
 
@@ -253,7 +250,7 @@ DetectContentData *DetectContentParse (char *contentstr)
         cd->flags |= DETECT_CONTENT_NEGATED;
 
     cd->content = (uint8_t *)cd + sizeof(DetectContentData);
-    memcpy(cd->content, str, len);
+    memcpy(cd->content, content, len);
     cd->content_len = len;
 
     /* Prepare Boyer Moore context for searching faster */
@@ -263,7 +260,7 @@ DetectContentData *DetectContentParse (char *contentstr)
     cd->within = 0;
     cd->distance = 0;
 
-    SCFree(str);
+    SCFree(content);
     return cd;
 
 }
diff --git a/src/detect-content.h b/src/detect-content.h
index 51a04df951..2e121b64a6 100644
--- a/src/detect-content.h
+++ b/src/detect-content.h
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ typedef struct DetectContentData_ {
 void DetectContentRegister (void);
 uint32_t DetectContentMaxId(DetectEngineCtx *);
 DetectContentData *DetectContentParse (char *contentstr);
-int DetectContentDataParse(char *keyword, char *contentstr, char** pstr, uint16_t *plen, int *flags);
+int DetectContentDataParse(const char *keyword, const char *contentstr,
+    uint8_t **pstr, uint16_t *plen, uint32_t *flags);
 DetectContentData *DetectContentParseEncloseQuotes(char *);
 
 int DetectContentSetup(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, char *contentstr);
diff --git a/src/detect-fileext.c b/src/detect-fileext.c
index 3b971dd5d7..8e51981bc9 100644
--- a/src/detect-fileext.c
+++ b/src/detect-fileext.c
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ static DetectFileextData *DetectFileextParse (char *str)
 
     memset(fileext, 0x00, sizeof(DetectFileextData));
 
-    if (DetectContentDataParse("fileext", str, (char **)&fileext->ext, &fileext->len, (int *)&fileext->flags) == -1) {
+    if (DetectContentDataParse("fileext", str, &fileext->ext, &fileext->len, &fileext->flags) == -1) {
         goto error;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/detect-filemagic.c b/src/detect-filemagic.c
index 03de60025f..f838133b01 100644
--- a/src/detect-filemagic.c
+++ b/src/detect-filemagic.c
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ static DetectFilemagicData *DetectFilemagicParse (char *str)
 
     memset(filemagic, 0x00, sizeof(DetectFilemagicData));
 
-    if (DetectContentDataParse ("filemagic", str, (char **)&filemagic->name, &filemagic->len, (int *)&filemagic->flags) == -1) {
+    if (DetectContentDataParse ("filemagic", str, &filemagic->name, &filemagic->len, &filemagic->flags) == -1) {
         goto error;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/detect-filename.c b/src/detect-filename.c
index d9294ffeef..d41dab8ad3 100644
--- a/src/detect-filename.c
+++ b/src/detect-filename.c
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ static DetectFilenameData *DetectFilenameParse (char *str)
 
     memset(filename, 0x00, sizeof(DetectFilenameData));
 
-    if (DetectContentDataParse ("filename", str, (char **)&filename->name, &filename->len, (int *)&filename->flags) == -1) {
+    if (DetectContentDataParse ("filename", str, &filename->name, &filename->len, &filename->flags) == -1) {
         goto error;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/detect-flowvar.c b/src/detect-flowvar.c
index 52d5e96136..c0bcd7f83d 100644
--- a/src/detect-flowvar.c
+++ b/src/detect-flowvar.c
@@ -140,9 +140,9 @@ static int DetectFlowvarSetup (DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, char *raws
     int ret = 0, res = 0;
     int ov[MAX_SUBSTRINGS];
     const char *str_ptr;
-    char *contentstr = NULL;
+    uint8_t *content = NULL;
     uint16_t contentlen = 0;
-    int contentflags = 0;
+    uint32_t contentflags = 0;
 
     ret = pcre_exec(parse_regex, parse_regex_study, rawstr, strlen(rawstr), 0, 0, ov, MAX_SUBSTRINGS);
     if (ret != 3) {
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ static int DetectFlowvarSetup (DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, char *raws
     }
     varcontent = (char *)str_ptr;
 
-    res = DetectContentDataParse("flowvar", varcontent, &contentstr, &contentlen, &contentflags);
+    res = DetectContentDataParse("flowvar", varcontent, &content, &contentlen, &contentflags);
     if (res == -1)
         goto error;
 
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ static int DetectFlowvarSetup (DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, char *raws
     if (unlikely(fd->content == NULL))
         goto error;
 
-    memcpy(fd->content, contentstr, contentlen);;
+    memcpy(fd->content, content, contentlen);
     fd->content_len = contentlen;
     fd->flags = contentflags;
 
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ static int DetectFlowvarSetup (DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, char *raws
 
     SigMatchAppendSMToList(s, sm, DETECT_SM_LIST_MATCH);
 
-    SCFree(contentstr);
+    SCFree(content);
     return 0;
 
 error:
@@ -202,8 +202,8 @@ error:
         DetectFlowvarDataFree(fd);
     if (sm != NULL)
         SCFree(sm);
-    if (contentstr != NULL)
-        SCFree(contentstr);
+    if (content != NULL)
+        SCFree(content);
     return -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/detect-replace.c b/src/detect-replace.c
index 6b06875a0f..53f12259a8 100644
--- a/src/detect-replace.c
+++ b/src/detect-replace.c
@@ -70,13 +70,13 @@ void DetectReplaceRegister (void) {
 
 int DetectReplaceSetup(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, char *replacestr)
 {
-    char *str = NULL;
+    uint8_t *content = NULL;
     uint16_t len = 0;
-    int flags;
+    uint32_t flags = 0;
     SigMatch *pm = NULL;
     DetectContentData *ud = NULL;
 
-    int ret = DetectContentDataParse("replace", replacestr, &str, &len, &flags);
+    int ret = DetectContentDataParse("replace", replacestr, &content, &len, &flags);
     if (ret == -1)
         goto error;
 
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ int DetectReplaceSetup(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, char *replacestr)
     if (pm == NULL) {
         SCLogError(SC_ERR_WITHIN_MISSING_CONTENT, "replace needs"
                 "preceding content option for raw sig");
-        SCFree(str);
+        SCFree(content);
         return -1;
     }
 
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ int DetectReplaceSetup(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, char *replacestr)
     ud = (DetectContentData *)pm->ctx;
     if (ud == NULL) {
         SCLogError(SC_ERR_INVALID_ARGUMENT, "invalid argument");
-        SCFree(str);
+        SCFree(content);
         return -1;
     }
     if (ud->flags & DETECT_CONTENT_NEGATED) {
@@ -130,19 +130,19 @@ int DetectReplaceSetup(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, char *replacestr)
     if (ud->replace == NULL) {
         goto error;
     }
-    memcpy(ud->replace, str, len);
+    memcpy(ud->replace, content, len);
     ud->replace_len = len;
     ud->flags |= DETECT_CONTENT_REPLACE;
     /* want packet matching only won't be able to replace data with
      * a flow.
      */
     s->flags |= SIG_FLAG_REQUIRE_PACKET;
-    SCFree(str);
+    SCFree(content);
 
     return 0;
 
 error:
-    SCFree(str);
+    SCFree(content);
     return -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/detect-uricontent.c b/src/detect-uricontent.c
index ee09f434a0..a0944f9d14 100644
--- a/src/detect-uricontent.c
+++ b/src/detect-uricontent.c
@@ -153,50 +153,6 @@ void DetectUricontentPrint(DetectContentData *cd)
     SCLogDebug("-----------");
 }
 
-/**
- * \brief   Setup the detecturicontent keyword data from the string defined in
- *          the rule set.
- * \param   contentstr  Pointer to the string which has been defined in the rule
- */
-DetectContentData *DoDetectUricontentSetup(char *contentstr)
-{
-    DetectContentData *cd = NULL;
-    char *str = NULL;
-    uint16_t len;
-    int flags;
-    int ret;
-
-    ret = DetectContentDataParse("uricontent", contentstr, &str, &len, &flags);
-    if (ret == -1) {
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
-    cd = SCMalloc(sizeof(DetectContentData) + len);
-    if (unlikely(cd == NULL)) {
-        SCFree(str);
-        exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-    }
-
-    memset(cd, 0, sizeof(DetectContentData) + len);
-
-    if (flags == DETECT_CONTENT_NEGATED)
-        cd->flags |= DETECT_CONTENT_NEGATED;
-
-    cd->content = (uint8_t *)cd + sizeof(DetectContentData);
-    memcpy(cd->content, str, len);
-    cd->content_len = len;
-
-    /* Prepare Boyer Moore context for searching faster */
-    cd->bm_ctx = BoyerMooreCtxInit(cd->content, cd->content_len);
-    cd->depth = 0;
-    cd->offset = 0;
-    cd->within = 0;
-    cd->distance = 0;
-
-    SCFree(str);
-    return cd;
-}
-
 /**
  * \brief Creates a SigMatch for the uricontent keyword being sent as argument,
  *        and appends it to the Signature(s).