diff --git a/src/deck/strings.f90 b/src/deck/strings.f90
index 05ec760..3116ced 100644
--- a/src/deck/strings.f90
+++ b/src/deck/strings.f90
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ END SUBROUTINE integer8_as_string
   FUNCTION str_cmp(str_in, str_test)
 
     CHARACTER(*), INTENT(IN) ::  str_in, str_test
-    CHARACTER(LEN=string_length) :: str_trim
+    CHARACTER(LEN=c_max_string_length) :: str_trim
     INTEGER :: test_len, in_len
     LOGICAL :: str_cmp
 
diff --git a/src/housekeeping/utilities.f90 b/src/housekeeping/utilities.f90
index 6c1e389..3bfd872 100644
--- a/src/housekeeping/utilities.f90
+++ b/src/housekeeping/utilities.f90
@@ -72,9 +72,9 @@ END SUBROUTINE grow_integer_array
 
   SUBROUTINE grow_string_array(array, idx)
 
-    CHARACTER(LEN=string_length), DIMENSION(:), POINTER :: array
+    CHARACTER(LEN=c_max_string_length), DIMENSION(:), POINTER :: array
     INTEGER, INTENT(IN) :: idx
-    CHARACTER(LEN=string_length), DIMENSION(:), ALLOCATABLE :: tmp_array
+    CHARACTER(LEN=c_max_string_length), DIMENSION(:), ALLOCATABLE :: tmp_array
     INTEGER :: old_size, new_size, i
 
     old_size = SIZE(array)
diff --git a/src/shared_data.F90 b/src/shared_data.F90
index fe31f86..3ce598b 100644
--- a/src/shared_data.F90
+++ b/src/shared_data.F90
@@ -127,10 +127,7 @@ MODULE constants
   INTEGER, PARAMETER :: c_stagger_max = c_stagger_ex + c_stagger_bx
 
   ! Length of a standard string
-  ! TODO Why so many different values here?
-  INTEGER, PARAMETER :: string_length = 256
-  INTEGER, PARAMETER :: c_max_string_length = 64
-  INTEGER, PARAMETER :: c_id_length = 32
+  INTEGER, PARAMETER :: c_max_string_length = 256
 
 END MODULE constants
 
@@ -146,11 +143,11 @@ MODULE shared_data
   !----------------------------------------------------------------------------
   ! string handling
   !----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-  CHARACTER(LEN=string_length) :: blank
+  CHARACTER(LEN=c_max_string_length) :: blank
   TYPE string_type
-    CHARACTER(string_length) :: value
+    CHARACTER(c_max_string_length) :: value
   END TYPE string_type
-  CHARACTER(LEN=string_length) :: extended_error_string
+  CHARACTER(LEN=c_max_string_length) :: extended_error_string
 
   !----------------------------------------------------------------------------
   ! Choice of problem set-up
@@ -206,7 +203,7 @@ MODULE shared_data
   ! Object representing a particle species
   TYPE particle_species
     ! Core properties
-    CHARACTER(string_length) :: name
+    CHARACTER(c_max_string_length) :: name
     TYPE(particle_species), POINTER :: next, prev
     INTEGER :: id
     INTEGER :: count_update_step