diff --git a/libguile/struct.c b/libguile/struct.c
index 8bfbcf433..3bf2e3687 100644
--- a/libguile/struct.c
+++ b/libguile/struct.c
@@ -990,10 +990,10 @@ scm_init_struct ()
      OBJ once OBJ has undergone class redefinition.  */
   GC_REGISTER_DISPLACEMENT (2 * sizeof (scm_t_bits));
 
-  required_vtable_fields = scm_from_locale_string (SCM_VTABLE_BASE_LAYOUT);
+  required_vtable_fields = scm_from_latin1_string (SCM_VTABLE_BASE_LAYOUT);
   scm_c_define ("standard-vtable-fields", required_vtable_fields);
-  required_applicable_fields = scm_from_locale_string (SCM_APPLICABLE_BASE_LAYOUT);
-  required_applicable_with_setter_fields = scm_from_locale_string (SCM_APPLICABLE_WITH_SETTER_BASE_LAYOUT);
+  required_applicable_fields = scm_from_latin1_string (SCM_APPLICABLE_BASE_LAYOUT);
+  required_applicable_with_setter_fields = scm_from_latin1_string (SCM_APPLICABLE_WITH_SETTER_BASE_LAYOUT);
 
   scm_standard_vtable_vtable =
     scm_i_make_vtable_vtable (required_vtable_fields);