diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/jme/StatsDisplay.java b/src/java/com/threerings/jme/StatsDisplay.java
index 7db52c44..2fe5df26 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/jme/StatsDisplay.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/jme/StatsDisplay.java
@@ -71,11 +71,11 @@ public class StatsDisplay extends Node
         _stats.setLength(0);
         _stats.append("FPS: ").append((int)timer.getFrameRate());
         _stats.append(" - ").append(renderer.getStatistics(_temp));
-        _text.print(_stats);
+        _text.print(_stats.toString());
     }
 
     protected Text _text;
-    protected StringBuffer _stats = new StringBuffer();
+    protected StringBuilder _stats = new StringBuilder();
     protected StringBuffer _temp = new StringBuffer();
 
     protected static final String DEFAULT_JME_FONT =
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/jme/util/ShaderCache.java b/src/java/com/threerings/jme/util/ShaderCache.java
index 63d77716..3f799008 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/jme/util/ShaderCache.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/jme/util/ShaderCache.java
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ public class ShaderCache
         // fetch the shader source
         String source = _sources.get(shader);
         if (source == null) {
-            StringBuffer buf = new StringBuffer();
+            StringBuilder buf = new StringBuilder();
             try {
                 BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(
                     new InputStreamReader(_rsrcmgr.getResource(shader)));
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ public class ShaderCache
         }
 
         // prepend the definitions (the version directive comes before anything else)
-        StringBuffer buf = new StringBuffer();
+        StringBuilder buf = new StringBuilder();
         buf.append("#version 110\n");
         for (String def : defs) {
             buf.append("#define ").append(def).append('\n');
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/jme/util/ShaderConfig.java b/src/java/com/threerings/jme/util/ShaderConfig.java
index 6dcec802..897cbda7 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/jme/util/ShaderConfig.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/jme/util/ShaderConfig.java
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ public abstract class ShaderConfig
     protected void getDerivedDefinitions (ArrayList<String> ddefs)
     {
         // add the def that sets the front color based on the light types
-        StringBuffer buf = new StringBuffer("SET_FRONT_COLOR ");
+        StringBuilder buf = new StringBuilder("SET_FRONT_COLOR ");
         if (_lights != null) {
             // start with the "scene color," which combines scene ambient, emissivity, etc.
             buf.append("vec3 frontColor = gl_FrontLightModelProduct.sceneColor.rgb; ");
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ public abstract class ShaderConfig
         ddefs.add(buf.toString());
 
         // add the def that sets the texture coordinates based on the env map modes
-        buf = new StringBuffer("SET_TEX_COORDS");
+        buf = new StringBuilder("SET_TEX_COORDS");
         if (_textures != null) {
             for (int ii = 0; ii < _textures.length; ii++) {
                 TextureConfig texture = _textures[ii];
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ public abstract class ShaderConfig
         ddefs.add(buf.toString());
 
         // add the definition that sets the fog alpha based on the density function
-        buf = new StringBuffer("SET_FOG_ALPHA");
+        buf = new StringBuilder("SET_FOG_ALPHA");
         if (_fogDensityFunc == FogState.DF_EXP) {
             buf.append(" fogAlpha = exp(gl_Fog.density * eyeVertex.z);");
         }