diff --git a/include/sdf/Types.hh b/include/sdf/Types.hh
index b8ab9a2d4..d1bc921a4 100644
--- a/include/sdf/Types.hh
+++ b/include/sdf/Types.hh
@@ -232,10 +232,19 @@ namespace sdf
   /// \return Lowercase equilvalent of _in.
   std::string SDFORMAT_VISIBLE lowercase(const std::string &_in);
 
+  /// \brief Split a name into a two strings based on the '::' delimeter
+  /// \param[in] _absoluteName The fully qualified absolute name
+  /// \return A pair with the absolute name minus the leaf node name, and the
+  /// leaf name
   SDFORMAT_VISIBLE
   std::pair<std::string, std::string> SplitName(
       const std::string &_absoluteName);
 
+  /// \brief Join two strings with the '::' delimiter.
+  /// This checks for edge cases and is safe to use with any valid names
+  /// \param[in] _scopeName the left-hand-side component
+  /// \param[in] _localName the right-hand-side component
+  /// \return A full string with the names joined by the '::' delimeter.
   SDFORMAT_VISIBLE
   std::string JoinName(
       const std::string &_scopeName, const std::string &_localName);
diff --git a/src/Types.cc b/src/Types.cc
index 212a624d9..fb33c5c5d 100644
--- a/src/Types.cc
+++ b/src/Types.cc
@@ -111,8 +111,9 @@ static bool EndsWithDelimiter(const std::string &_s)
   if (_s.size() < kSdfScopeDelimiter.size())
     return false;
 
-  const size_t findStartPosition = _s.size() - kSdfScopeDelimiter.size();
-  return _s.substr(findStartPosition) == kSdfScopeDelimiter;
+  const size_t startPosition = _s.size() - kSdfScopeDelimiter.size();
+  return _s.compare(
+    startPosition, kSdfScopeDelimiter.size(), kSdfScopeDelimiter) == 0;
 }
 
 static bool StartsWithDelimiter(const std::string &_s)
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ static bool StartsWithDelimiter(const std::string &_s)
   if (_s.size() < kSdfScopeDelimiter.size())
     return false;
 
-  return _s.substr(0, kSdfScopeDelimiter.size()) == kSdfScopeDelimiter;
+  return _s.compare(0, kSdfScopeDelimiter.size(), kSdfScopeDelimiter) == 0;
 }
 
 // Join an scope name prefix with a local name using the scope delimeter