diff --git a/include/anope.h b/include/anope.h
index 57fbfce69..865727260 100644
--- a/include/anope.h
+++ b/include/anope.h
@@ -463,18 +463,6 @@ namespace Anope
 	extern CoreExport void Unhex(const string &src, string &dest);
 	extern CoreExport void Unhex(const string &src, char *dest, size_t sz);
 
-	/** Base 64 encode a string
-	 * @param src The string to encode
-	 * @param target Where the encoded string is placed
-	 */
-	extern CoreExport void B64Encode(const string &src, string &target);
-
-	/** Base 64 decode a string
-	 * @param src The base64 encoded string
-	 * @param target The plain text result
-	 */
-	extern CoreExport void B64Decode(const string &src, string &target);
-
 	/** Encrypts what is in 'src' to 'dest'
 	 * @param src The source string to encrypt
 	 * @param dest The destination where the encrypted string is placed
diff --git a/include/modules/rpc.h b/include/modules/rpc.h
index e4fb9fb59..a026876f1 100644
--- a/include/modules/rpc.h
+++ b/include/modules/rpc.h
@@ -228,9 +228,7 @@ public:
 		if (header.compare(0, 7, "Bearer ", 7) != 0)
 			return false; // No token provided.
 
-		Anope::string rawtoken;
-		Anope::B64Decode(header.substr(7), rawtoken);
-
+		auto rawtoken = Anope::B64Decode(header.substr(7));
 		for (const auto &token : tokens)
 		{
 			if (!CompareToken(token, rawtoken))
diff --git a/include/textproc.h b/include/textproc.h
index fd0f57c37..622c249d8 100644
--- a/include/textproc.h
+++ b/include/textproc.h
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@
 
 namespace Anope
 {
+	/** Encode a string as base-64.
+	 * @param str The string to encode as base-64 .
+	 */
+	extern CoreExport Anope::string B64Encode(const Anope::string &str);
+
+	/** Decode a string from base-64.
+	 * @param str The string to decode from base-64.
+	 */
+	extern CoreExport Anope::string B64Decode(const Anope::string &str);
+
 	/** Calculates the levenshtein distance between two strings.
 	 * @param s1 The first string.
 	 * @param s2 The second string.
diff --git a/modules/database/db_atheme.cpp b/modules/database/db_atheme.cpp
index 11df9765d..fbdd67d8c 100644
--- a/modules/database/db_atheme.cpp
+++ b/modules/database/db_atheme.cpp
@@ -443,10 +443,9 @@ private:
 		if (pass.compare(0, 18, "$anope$enc_sha256$", 18) == 0)
 		{
 			auto sep = pass.find('$', 18);
-			Anope::string iv, pass;
-			Anope::B64Decode(pass.substr(18, sep - 18), iv);
-			Anope::B64Decode(pass.substr(sep + 1), pass);
-			nc->pass = "sha256:" + Anope::Hex(pass) + ":" + Anope::Hex(iv);
+			auto iv = Anope::B64Decode(pass.substr(18, sep - 18));
+			auto pw = Anope::B64Decode(pass.substr(sep + 1));
+			nc->pass = "sha256:" + Anope::Hex(pw) + ":" + Anope::Hex(iv);
 		}
 
 		else if (pass.compare(0, 9, "$argon2d$", 9) == 0)
@@ -460,8 +459,7 @@ private:
 
 		else if (pass.compare(0, 8, "$base64$", 8) == 0)
 		{
-			Anope::string rawpass;
-			Anope::B64Decode(pass.substr(8), rawpass);
+			auto rawpass = Anope::B64Decode(pass.substr(8));
 			Anope::Encrypt(rawpass, nc->pass);
 		}
 
diff --git a/modules/encryption/enc_none.cpp b/modules/encryption/enc_none.cpp
index 309a317c0..f6970fa1f 100644
--- a/modules/encryption/enc_none.cpp
+++ b/modules/encryption/enc_none.cpp
@@ -35,9 +35,7 @@ public:
 		if (!hash_method.equals_cs("plain"))
 			return;
 
-		Anope::string b64pass;
-		Anope::B64Encode(req->GetPassword(), b64pass);
-		auto enc = "plain:" + b64pass;
+		auto enc = "plain:" + Anope::B64Encode(req->GetPassword());
 		if (nc->pass.equals_cs(enc))
 		{
 			// If we are NOT the first encryption module we want to re-encrypt
diff --git a/modules/nickserv/ns_sasl.cpp b/modules/nickserv/ns_sasl.cpp
index 2f318a6c0..39c336736 100644
--- a/modules/nickserv/ns_sasl.cpp
+++ b/modules/nickserv/ns_sasl.cpp
@@ -100,8 +100,7 @@ public:
 		else if (m.type == "C")
 		{
 			// message = [authzid] UTF8NUL authcid UTF8NUL passwd
-			Anope::string message;
-			Anope::B64Decode(m.data[0], message);
+			auto message = Anope::B64Decode(m.data[0]);
 
 			size_t zcsep = message.find('\0');
 			if (zcsep == Anope::string::npos)
@@ -218,8 +217,7 @@ public:
 		}
 		else if (m.type == "C")
 		{
-			Anope::string decoded;
-			Anope::B64Decode(m.data[0], decoded);
+			auto decoded = Anope::B64Decode(m.data[0]);
 
 			auto user = sess->GetUserInfo();
 			if (!decoded.empty())
diff --git a/modules/protocol/inspircd.cpp b/modules/protocol/inspircd.cpp
index b1b168401..11f186501 100644
--- a/modules/protocol/inspircd.cpp
+++ b/modules/protocol/inspircd.cpp
@@ -1121,8 +1121,7 @@ struct IRCDMessageCapab final
 		if (challenge.empty() || !sha256)
 			return Config->Uplinks[Anope::CurrentUplink].password;
 
-		Anope::string b64challenge;
-		Anope::B64Encode(sha256->HMAC(Config->Uplinks[Anope::CurrentUplink].password, challenge), b64challenge);
+		auto b64challenge = Anope::B64Encode(sha256->HMAC(Config->Uplinks[Anope::CurrentUplink].password, challenge));
 		challenge.clear();
 
 		return "AUTH:" + b64challenge.rtrim('=');
diff --git a/modules/protocol/unrealircd.cpp b/modules/protocol/unrealircd.cpp
index fe5eac084..19287bc6d 100644
--- a/modules/protocol/unrealircd.cpp
+++ b/modules/protocol/unrealircd.cpp
@@ -1233,8 +1233,7 @@ struct IRCDMessageNick final
 			Anope::string ip;
 			if (params[9] != "*")
 			{
-				Anope::string decoded_ip;
-				Anope::B64Decode(params[9], decoded_ip);
+				auto decoded_ip = Anope::B64Decode(params[9]);
 
 				sockaddrs ip_addr;
 				ip_addr.ntop(params[9].length() == 8 ? AF_INET : AF_INET6, decoded_ip.c_str());
@@ -1646,8 +1645,7 @@ struct IRCDMessageUID final
 
 		if (ip != "*")
 		{
-			Anope::string decoded_ip;
-			Anope::B64Decode(ip, decoded_ip);
+			auto decoded_ip = Anope::B64Decode(ip);
 
 			sockaddrs ip_addr;
 			ip_addr.ntop(ip.length() == 8 ? AF_INET : AF_INET6, decoded_ip.c_str());
diff --git a/src/base64.cpp b/src/base64.cpp
index 19df82086..92498f82b 100644
--- a/src/base64.cpp
+++ b/src/base64.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 #include "services.h"
 #include "anope.h"
+#include "textproc.h"
 
 static const Anope::string Base64 = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/";
 static const char Pad64 = '=';
@@ -78,12 +79,12 @@ static const char Pad64 = '=';
 	   characters followed by one "=" padding character.
    */
 
-void Anope::B64Encode(const Anope::string &src, Anope::string &target)
+Anope::string Anope::B64Encode(const Anope::string &src)
 {
 	size_t src_pos = 0, src_len = src.length();
 	unsigned char input[3] = { '\0', '\0', '\0' };
 
-	target.clear();
+	Anope::string target;
 
 	while (src_len - src_pos > 2)
 	{
@@ -112,6 +113,7 @@ void Anope::B64Encode(const Anope::string &src, Anope::string &target)
 			target += Base64[((input[1] & 0x0f) << 2) + (input[2] >> 6)];
 		target += Pad64;
 	}
+	return target;
 }
 
 /* skips all whitespace anywhere.
@@ -119,9 +121,9 @@ void Anope::B64Encode(const Anope::string &src, Anope::string &target)
    src from base - 64 numbers into three 8 bit bytes in the target area.
  */
 
-void Anope::B64Decode(const Anope::string &src, Anope::string &target)
+Anope::string Anope::B64Decode(const Anope::string &src)
 {
-	target.clear();
+	Anope::string target;
 
 	unsigned state = 0;
 	Anope::string::const_iterator ch = src.begin(), end = src.end();
@@ -135,7 +137,7 @@ void Anope::B64Decode(const Anope::string &src, Anope::string &target)
 
 		size_t pos = Base64.find(*ch);
 		if (pos == Anope::string::npos) /* A non-base64 character */
-			return;
+			return {};
 
 		switch (state)
 		{
@@ -160,4 +162,5 @@ void Anope::B64Decode(const Anope::string &src, Anope::string &target)
 	}
 	if (!target.empty() && !target[target.length() - 1])
 		target.erase(target.length() - 1);
+	return target;
 }