diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 296d9f867..d4eeb6f60 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 //! [librdkafka-config]: https://github.com/edenhill/librdkafka/blob/master/CONFIGURATION.md
 
 use std::collections::HashMap;
-use std::ffi::{CStr, CString};
+use std::ffi::CString;
 use std::iter::FromIterator;
 use std::os::raw::c_char;
 use std::ptr;
diff --git a/src/groups.rs b/src/groups.rs
index 2c805dc79..69ed060c7 100644
--- a/src/groups.rs
+++ b/src/groups.rs
@@ -2,12 +2,11 @@
 
 use std::ffi::CStr;
 use std::fmt;
-use std::slice;
 
 use rdkafka_sys as rdsys;
 use rdkafka_sys::types::*;
 
-use crate::util::{KafkaDrop, NativePtr};
+use crate::util::{self, KafkaDrop, NativePtr};
 
 /// Group member information container.
 pub struct GroupMemberInfo(RDKafkaGroupMemberInfo);
@@ -43,28 +42,20 @@ impl GroupMemberInfo {
     /// Return the metadata of the member.
     pub fn metadata(&self) -> Option<&[u8]> {
         unsafe {
-            if self.0.member_metadata.is_null() {
-                None
-            } else {
-                Some(slice::from_raw_parts::<u8>(
-                    self.0.member_metadata as *const u8,
-                    self.0.member_metadata_size as usize,
-                ))
-            }
+            util::ptr_to_opt_slice(
+                self.0.member_metadata as *const u8,
+                self.0.member_metadata_size as usize,
+            )
         }
     }
 
     /// Return the partition assignment of the member.
     pub fn assignment(&self) -> Option<&[u8]> {
         unsafe {
-            if self.0.member_assignment.is_null() {
-                None
-            } else {
-                Some(slice::from_raw_parts::<u8>(
-                    self.0.member_assignment as *const u8,
-                    self.0.member_assignment_size as usize,
-                ))
-            }
+            util::ptr_to_opt_slice(
+                self.0.member_assignment as *const u8,
+                self.0.member_assignment_size as usize,
+            )
         }
     }
 }
@@ -85,7 +76,7 @@ impl GroupInfo {
     /// Returns the members of the group.
     pub fn members(&self) -> &[GroupMemberInfo] {
         unsafe {
-            slice::from_raw_parts(
+            util::ptr_to_slice(
                 self.0.members as *const GroupMemberInfo,
                 self.0.member_cnt as usize,
             )
@@ -149,8 +140,6 @@ impl GroupList {
 
     /// Returns all the groups in the list.
     pub fn groups(&self) -> &[GroupInfo] {
-        unsafe {
-            slice::from_raw_parts(self.0.groups as *const GroupInfo, self.0.group_cnt as usize)
-        }
+        unsafe { util::ptr_to_slice(self.0.groups as *const GroupInfo, self.0.group_cnt as usize) }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/message.rs b/src/message.rs
index 76bac9c39..96f0195c9 100644
--- a/src/message.rs
+++ b/src/message.rs
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ impl Headers for BorrowedHeaders {
                 Some(Header {
                     key: CStr::from_ptr(name_ptr).to_str().unwrap(),
                     value: (!value_ptr.is_null())
-                        .then(|| util::ptr_to_slice(value_ptr, value_size)),
+                        .then(|| util::ptr_to_slice(value_ptr as *const u8, value_size)),
                 })
             }
         }
@@ -425,20 +425,20 @@ impl<'a> Message for BorrowedMessage<'a> {
     type Headers = BorrowedHeaders;
 
     fn key(&self) -> Option<&[u8]> {
-        unsafe { util::ptr_to_opt_slice((*self.ptr).key, (*self.ptr).key_len) }
+        unsafe { util::ptr_to_opt_slice(self.ptr.key as *const u8, self.ptr.key_len) }
     }
 
     fn payload(&self) -> Option<&[u8]> {
-        unsafe { util::ptr_to_opt_slice((*self.ptr).payload, (*self.ptr).len) }
+        unsafe { util::ptr_to_opt_slice(self.ptr.payload as *const u8, self.ptr.len) }
     }
 
     unsafe fn payload_mut(&mut self) -> Option<&mut [u8]> {
-        util::ptr_to_opt_mut_slice((*self.ptr).payload, (*self.ptr).len)
+        util::ptr_to_opt_mut_slice(self.ptr.payload as *mut u8, self.ptr.len)
     }
 
     fn topic(&self) -> &str {
         unsafe {
-            CStr::from_ptr(rdsys::rd_kafka_topic_name((*self.ptr).rkt))
+            CStr::from_ptr(rdsys::rd_kafka_topic_name(self.ptr.rkt))
                 .to_str()
                 .expect("Topic name is not valid UTF-8")
         }
diff --git a/src/metadata.rs b/src/metadata.rs
index a70ab1787..2e4320751 100644
--- a/src/metadata.rs
+++ b/src/metadata.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 //! Cluster metadata.
 
 use std::ffi::CStr;
-use std::slice;
 
 use rdkafka_sys as rdsys;
 use rdkafka_sys::types::*;
 
 use crate::error::IsError;
-use crate::util::{KafkaDrop, NativePtr};
+use crate::util::{self, KafkaDrop, NativePtr};
 
 /// Broker metadata information.
 pub struct MetadataBroker(RDKafkaMetadataBroker);
@@ -60,12 +59,12 @@ impl MetadataPartition {
 
     /// Returns the broker IDs of the replicas.
     pub fn replicas(&self) -> &[i32] {
-        unsafe { slice::from_raw_parts(self.0.replicas, self.0.replica_cnt as usize) }
+        unsafe { util::ptr_to_slice(self.0.replicas, self.0.replica_cnt as usize) }
     }
 
     /// Returns the broker IDs of the in-sync replicas.
     pub fn isr(&self) -> &[i32] {
-        unsafe { slice::from_raw_parts(self.0.isrs, self.0.isr_cnt as usize) }
+        unsafe { util::ptr_to_slice(self.0.isrs, self.0.isr_cnt as usize) }
     }
 }
 
@@ -85,7 +84,7 @@ impl MetadataTopic {
     /// Returns the partition metadata information for all the partitions.
     pub fn partitions(&self) -> &[MetadataPartition] {
         unsafe {
-            slice::from_raw_parts(
+            ptr_to_slice(
                 self.0.partitions as *const MetadataPartition,
                 self.0.partition_cnt as usize,
             )
@@ -141,7 +140,7 @@ impl Metadata {
     /// Returns the metadata information for all the brokers in the cluster.
     pub fn brokers(&self) -> &[MetadataBroker] {
         unsafe {
-            slice::from_raw_parts(
+            util::ptr_to_slice(
                 self.0.brokers as *const MetadataBroker,
                 self.0.broker_cnt as usize,
             )
@@ -151,7 +150,7 @@ impl Metadata {
     /// Returns the metadata information for all the topics in the cluster.
     pub fn topics(&self) -> &[MetadataTopic] {
         unsafe {
-            slice::from_raw_parts(
+            util::ptr_to_slice(
                 self.0.topics as *const MetadataTopic,
                 self.0.topic_cnt as usize,
             )
diff --git a/src/producer/base_producer.rs b/src/producer/base_producer.rs
index 1cc6e05ce..472d72562 100644
--- a/src/producer/base_producer.rs
+++ b/src/producer/base_producer.rs
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ use std::marker::PhantomData;
 use std::mem;
 use std::os::raw::c_void;
 use std::ptr;
-use std::slice;
 use std::str;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 use std::sync::Arc;
@@ -67,7 +66,7 @@ use crate::producer::{
     DefaultProducerContext, Partitioner, Producer, ProducerContext, PurgeConfig,
 };
 use crate::topic_partition_list::TopicPartitionList;
-use crate::util::{IntoOpaque, NativePtr, Timeout};
+use crate::util::{self, IntoOpaque, NativePtr, Timeout};
 
 pub use crate::message::DeliveryResult;
 
@@ -217,11 +216,7 @@ unsafe extern "C" fn partitioner_cb<Part: Partitioner, C: ProducerContext<Part>>
 
     let is_partition_available = |p: i32| rdsys::rd_kafka_topic_partition_available(topic, p) == 1;
 
-    let key = if keydata.is_null() {
-        None
-    } else {
-        Some(slice::from_raw_parts(keydata as *const u8, keylen))
-    };
+    let key = util::ptr_to_opt_slice(keydata, keylen);
 
     let producer_context = &mut *(rkt_opaque as *mut C);
 
diff --git a/src/topic_partition_list.rs b/src/topic_partition_list.rs
index 1d8e77ce9..71c28eacb 100644
--- a/src/topic_partition_list.rs
+++ b/src/topic_partition_list.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::ffi::{CStr, CString};
 use std::fmt;
-use std::slice;
 use std::str;
 
 use libc::c_void;
@@ -139,7 +138,8 @@ impl<'a> TopicPartitionListElem<'a> {
 
     /// Returns the optional metadata associated with the entry.
     pub fn metadata(&self) -> &str {
-        let bytes = unsafe { util::ptr_to_slice(self.ptr.metadata, self.ptr.metadata_size) };
+        let bytes =
+            unsafe { util::ptr_to_slice(self.ptr.metadata as *const u8, self.ptr.metadata_size) };
         str::from_utf8(bytes).expect("Metadata is not UTF-8")
     }
 
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ impl TopicPartitionList {
 
     /// Sets all partitions in the list to the specified offset.
     pub fn set_all_offsets(&mut self, offset: Offset) -> Result<(), KafkaError> {
-        let slice = unsafe { slice::from_raw_parts_mut((*self.ptr).elems, self.count()) };
+        let slice = unsafe { util::ptr_to_mut_slice(self.ptr.elems, self.count()) };
         for elem_ptr in slice {
             let mut elem = TopicPartitionListElem::from_ptr(self, &mut *elem_ptr);
             elem.set_offset(offset)?;
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ impl TopicPartitionList {
 
     /// Returns all the elements of the list.
     pub fn elements(&self) -> Vec<TopicPartitionListElem<'_>> {
-        let slice = unsafe { slice::from_raw_parts_mut((*self.ptr).elems, self.count()) };
+        let slice = unsafe { util::ptr_to_mut_slice(self.ptr.elems, self.count()) };
         let mut vec = Vec::with_capacity(slice.len());
         for elem_ptr in slice {
             vec.push(TopicPartitionListElem::from_ptr(self, &mut *elem_ptr));
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ impl TopicPartitionList {
 
     /// Returns all the elements of the list that belong to the specified topic.
     pub fn elements_for_topic<'a>(&'a self, topic: &str) -> Vec<TopicPartitionListElem<'a>> {
-        let slice = unsafe { slice::from_raw_parts_mut((*self.ptr).elems, self.count()) };
+        let slice = unsafe { util::ptr_to_mut_slice(self.ptr.elems, self.count()) };
         let mut vec = Vec::with_capacity(slice.len());
         for elem_ptr in slice {
             let tp = TopicPartitionListElem::from_ptr(self, &mut *elem_ptr);
diff --git a/src/util.rs b/src/util.rs
index 543481d3f..e319859b2 100644
--- a/src/util.rs
+++ b/src/util.rs
@@ -105,32 +105,39 @@ pub fn current_time_millis() -> i64 {
 
 /// Converts a pointer to an array to an optional slice. If the pointer is null,
 /// returns `None`.
-pub(crate) unsafe fn ptr_to_opt_slice<'a, T>(ptr: *const c_void, size: usize) -> Option<&'a [T]> {
+pub(crate) unsafe fn ptr_to_opt_slice<'a, T>(ptr: *const T, size: usize) -> Option<&'a [T]> {
     if ptr.is_null() {
         None
     } else {
-        Some(slice::from_raw_parts::<T>(ptr as *const T, size))
+        Some(slice::from_raw_parts(ptr, size))
     }
 }
 
-pub(crate) unsafe fn ptr_to_opt_mut_slice<'a, T>(
-    ptr: *const c_void,
-    size: usize,
-) -> Option<&'a mut [T]> {
+pub(crate) unsafe fn ptr_to_opt_mut_slice<'a, T>(ptr: *mut T, size: usize) -> Option<&'a mut [T]> {
     if ptr.is_null() {
         None
     } else {
-        Some(slice::from_raw_parts_mut::<T>(ptr as *mut T, size))
+        Some(slice::from_raw_parts_mut(ptr, size))
     }
 }
 
 /// Converts a pointer to an array to a slice. If the pointer is null or the
 /// size is zero, returns a zero-length slice..
-pub(crate) unsafe fn ptr_to_slice<'a, T>(ptr: *const c_void, size: usize) -> &'a [T] {
+pub(crate) unsafe fn ptr_to_slice<'a, T>(ptr: *const T, size: usize) -> &'a [T] {
     if ptr.is_null() || size == 0 {
         &[][..]
     } else {
-        slice::from_raw_parts::<T>(ptr as *const T, size)
+        slice::from_raw_parts(ptr, size)
+    }
+}
+
+/// Converts a pointer to an array to a mutable slice. If the pointer is null
+/// or the size is zero, returns a zero-length slice.
+pub(crate) unsafe fn ptr_to_mut_slice<'a, T>(ptr: *mut T, size: usize) -> &'a mut [T] {
+    if ptr.is_null() || size == 0 {
+        &mut [][..]
+    } else {
+        slice::from_raw_parts_mut(ptr, size)
     }
 }