diff --git a/src/openrct2-ui/UiContext.macOS.mm b/src/openrct2-ui/UiContext.macOS.mm
index d0101d7344..5fe2d61938 100644
--- a/src/openrct2-ui/UiContext.macOS.mm
+++ b/src/openrct2-ui/UiContext.macOS.mm
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ namespace OpenRCT2::Ui
                 else
                 {
                     SDL_RaiseWindow(window);
-                    return "";
+                    return {};
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/openrct2-ui/interface/FileBrowser.cpp b/src/openrct2-ui/interface/FileBrowser.cpp
index 588d5b277d..3d6220d3b0 100644
--- a/src/openrct2-ui/interface/FileBrowser.cpp
+++ b/src/openrct2-ui/interface/FileBrowser.cpp
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ namespace OpenRCT2::Ui::FileBrowser
                 Guard::Fail("Unsupported load/save directory type.");
         }
 
-        return "";
+        return nullptr;
     }
 
     u8string RemovePatternWildcard(u8string_view pattern)
diff --git a/src/openrct2-ui/scripting/ScWidget.hpp b/src/openrct2-ui/scripting/ScWidget.hpp
index 522e3556cd..6a6f69f147 100644
--- a/src/openrct2-ui/scripting/ScWidget.hpp
+++ b/src/openrct2-ui/scripting/ScWidget.hpp
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ namespace OpenRCT2::Scripting
                     return widget->string;
                 }
             }
-            return "";
+            return {};
         }
 
         void text_set(std::string value)
diff --git a/src/openrct2-ui/windows/EditorObjectSelection.cpp b/src/openrct2-ui/windows/EditorObjectSelection.cpp
index bcb67007b6..983c3d5b27 100644
--- a/src/openrct2-ui/windows/EditorObjectSelection.cpp
+++ b/src/openrct2-ui/windows/EditorObjectSelection.cpp
@@ -1559,7 +1559,7 @@ namespace OpenRCT2::Ui::Windows
                     return rideObject->GetDescription();
                 }
                 default:
-                    return "";
+                    return {};
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/openrct2-ui/windows/EditorScenarioOptions.cpp b/src/openrct2-ui/windows/EditorScenarioOptions.cpp
index 20ab3dac86..d1bca40861 100644
--- a/src/openrct2-ui/windows/EditorScenarioOptions.cpp
+++ b/src/openrct2-ui/windows/EditorScenarioOptions.cpp
@@ -2209,7 +2209,7 @@ namespace OpenRCT2::Ui::Windows
         {
             const auto* ride = GetRide(rideId);
             if (ride == nullptr)
-                return "";
+                return {};
             return ride->getName();
         }
 
diff --git a/src/openrct2/core/Http.Android.cpp b/src/openrct2/core/Http.Android.cpp
index 08a1010a9f..244765ba63 100644
--- a/src/openrct2/core/Http.Android.cpp
+++ b/src/openrct2/core/Http.Android.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ namespace OpenRCT2::Http
         auto jstringToString = [](JNIEnv* env, jstring jstr) -> std::string {
             if (jstr == nullptr)
             {
-                return "";
+                return {};
             }
             const char* cstr = env->GetStringUTFChars(jstr, nullptr);
             std::string str = cstr;
diff --git a/src/openrct2/core/StringBuilder.cpp b/src/openrct2/core/StringBuilder.cpp
index 4e65857166..f8ff0df519 100644
--- a/src/openrct2/core/StringBuilder.cpp
+++ b/src/openrct2/core/StringBuilder.cpp
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ const utf8* StringBuilder::GetBuffer() const
 {
     // buffer may be empty, so return an immutable empty string
     if (_buffer.empty())
-        return "";
+        return u8"";
     return _buffer.c_str();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/openrct2/drawing/NewDrawing.cpp b/src/openrct2/drawing/NewDrawing.cpp
index 6566ac16bb..6f22e3300e 100644
--- a/src/openrct2/drawing/NewDrawing.cpp
+++ b/src/openrct2/drawing/NewDrawing.cpp
@@ -275,5 +275,5 @@ std::string ScreenshotDump()
     {
         return drawingEngine->Screenshot();
     }
-    return "";
+    return {};
 }
diff --git a/src/openrct2/interface/Screenshot.cpp b/src/openrct2/interface/Screenshot.cpp
index ad3d6840d4..46d53ec93a 100644
--- a/src/openrct2/interface/Screenshot.cpp
+++ b/src/openrct2/interface/Screenshot.cpp
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ std::string ScreenshotDumpPNG(RenderTarget& rt)
 
     if (!path.has_value())
     {
-        return "";
+        return {};
     }
 
     if (WriteDpiToFile(path.value(), rt, gPalette))
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ std::string ScreenshotDumpPNG(RenderTarget& rt)
         return path.value();
     }
 
-    return "";
+    return {};
 }
 
 static int32_t GetHighestBaseClearanceZ(const CoordsXY& location, const bool useViewClipping)
diff --git a/src/openrct2/park/Legacy.cpp b/src/openrct2/park/Legacy.cpp
index 1ca4ec748d..afb3356b43 100644
--- a/src/openrct2/park/Legacy.cpp
+++ b/src/openrct2/park/Legacy.cpp
@@ -2192,7 +2192,7 @@ std::string_view MapToNewObjectIdentifier(std::string_view s)
     {
         return it->second;
     }
-    return "";
+    return {};
 }
 
 static const std::unordered_map<std::string_view, std::string_view> kDATPathNames = {
diff --git a/src/openrct2/platform/Platform.Android.cpp b/src/openrct2/platform/Platform.Android.cpp
index 3008012cec..1ae2dbcaa4 100644
--- a/src/openrct2/platform/Platform.Android.cpp
+++ b/src/openrct2/platform/Platform.Android.cpp
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ namespace OpenRCT2::Platform
             return expectedPath;
         }
 
-        return "";
+        return {};
     }
     #endif
 
diff --git a/src/openrct2/rct1/S4Importer.cpp b/src/openrct2/rct1/S4Importer.cpp
index 3b39bfb774..fba26743b9 100644
--- a/src/openrct2/rct1/S4Importer.cpp
+++ b/src/openrct2/rct1/S4Importer.cpp
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ namespace OpenRCT2::RCT1
             const ScenarioIndexEntry* scenarioEntry = _scenarioRepository->GetByInternalName(_s4.ScenarioName);
             if (scenarioEntry == nullptr)
             {
-                return "";
+                return {};
             }
 
             return Path::GetFileName(scenarioEntry->Path);
diff --git a/src/openrct2/ride/TrackDesign.cpp b/src/openrct2/ride/TrackDesign.cpp
index 7c8555583d..fabed27629 100644
--- a/src/openrct2/ride/TrackDesign.cpp
+++ b/src/openrct2/ride/TrackDesign.cpp
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ static u8string_view TrackDesignGetStationObjectIdentifier(const Ride& ride)
 {
     const auto* stationObject = ride.getStationObject();
     if (stationObject == nullptr)
-        return "";
+        return {};
 
     return stationObject->GetIdentifier();
 }
diff --git a/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/entity/ScLitter.cpp b/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/entity/ScLitter.cpp
index e964b45b1d..f602632d65 100644
--- a/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/entity/ScLitter.cpp
+++ b/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/entity/ScLitter.cpp
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ namespace OpenRCT2::Scripting
                 return std::string{ it->first };
             }
         }
-        return "";
+        return {};
     }
 
     void ScLitter::litterType_set(const std::string& litterType)
diff --git a/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/entity/ScPeep.hpp b/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/entity/ScPeep.hpp
index aac51566cb..dc4baa8877 100644
--- a/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/entity/ScPeep.hpp
+++ b/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/entity/ScPeep.hpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ namespace OpenRCT2::Scripting
             {
                 return peep->Is<Staff>() ? "staff" : "guest";
             }
-            return "";
+            return {};
         }
 
         std::string name_get() const
diff --git a/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/entity/ScStaff.cpp b/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/entity/ScStaff.cpp
index cbfe145e8b..a24ca3e7ec 100644
--- a/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/entity/ScStaff.cpp
+++ b/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/entity/ScStaff.cpp
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ namespace OpenRCT2::Scripting
                     break;
             }
         }
-        return "";
+        return {};
     }
 
     void ScStaff::staffType_set(const std::string& value)
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ namespace OpenRCT2::Scripting
         auto peep = GetStaff();
         if (peep == nullptr)
         {
-            return "";
+            return {};
         }
 
         auto& costumes = costumesByStaffType(peep->AssignedStaffType);
diff --git a/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/ride/ScRide.cpp b/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/ride/ScRide.cpp
index ec4c9ecfba..aa9194681a 100644
--- a/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/ride/ScRide.cpp
+++ b/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/ride/ScRide.cpp
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ namespace OpenRCT2::Scripting
             if (it != BreakdownMap.end())
                 return std::string(it->first);
         }
-        return "";
+        return {};
     }
 
     uint8_t ScRide::downtime_get() const
diff --git a/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/world/ScClimate.hpp b/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/world/ScClimate.hpp
index 2ad160f5eb..54771ce531 100644
--- a/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/world/ScClimate.hpp
+++ b/src/openrct2/scripting/bindings/world/ScClimate.hpp
@@ -78,9 +78,9 @@ namespace OpenRCT2::Scripting
                 case WeatherType::Blizzard:
                     return "blizzard";
                 case WeatherType::Count:
-                    return "";
+                    return {};
             }
-            return "";
+            return {};
         }
 
         std::string type_get() const
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ namespace OpenRCT2::Scripting
             auto& objManager = GetContext()->GetObjectManager();
             auto* climateObj = objManager.GetLoadedObject<ClimateObject>(0);
             if (climateObj == nullptr)
-                return "";
+                return {};
 
             return climateObj->getScriptName();
         }
diff --git a/src/thirdparty/filesystem.hpp b/src/thirdparty/filesystem.hpp
index 6d05f601ba..f27828aacc 100644
--- a/src/thirdparty/filesystem.hpp
+++ b/src/thirdparty/filesystem.hpp
@@ -2555,7 +2555,7 @@ GHC_INLINE path path::extension() const
     impl_string_type fn = filename().string();
     impl_string_type::size_type pos = fn.find_last_of('.');
     if (pos == std::string::npos || pos == 0) {
-        return "";
+        return {};
     }
     return fn.substr(pos);
 }