diff --git a/lib/main_common.pm b/lib/main_common.pm
index ef7db37e..94fdca70 100644
--- a/lib/main_common.pm
+++ b/lib/main_common.pm
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use base 'Exporter';
 use Exporter;
 
 use testapi;
-our @EXPORT = qw/run_with_error_check check_type_string type_safely type_very_safely desktop_vt boot_to_login_screen console_login console_switch_layout/;
+our @EXPORT = qw/run_with_error_check type_safely type_very_safely desktop_vt boot_to_login_screen console_login console_switch_layout/;
 
 sub run_with_error_check {
     my ($func, $error_screen) = @_;
@@ -15,29 +15,11 @@ sub run_with_error_check {
     die "Error screen appeared" if (check_screen $error_screen, 5);
 }
 
-# type the string in sets of characters at a time (default 3), waiting
-# for a screen change after each set. Intended to be safer when the VM
-# is busy and regular type_string may overload the input buffer. Args
-# passed along to `type_string`. Accepts additional args:
-# `size` - size of character groups (default 3) - set to 1 for extreme
-#          safety (but slower and more screenshotting)
-sub check_type_string {
-    my ($string, %args) = @_;
-    $args{size} //= 3;
-
-    # split string into an array of pieces of specified size
-    # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/372370
-    my @pieces = unpack("(a$args{size})*", $string);
-    for my $piece (@pieces) {
-        wait_screen_change { type_string($piece, %args); };
-    }
-}
-
 # high-level 'type this string quite safely but reasonably fast'
 # function whose specific implementation may vary
 sub type_safely {
     my $string = shift;
-    check_type_string($string, max_interval => 20);
+    type_string($string, wait_screen_change => 3, max_interval => 20);
     wait_still_screen 2;
 }
 
@@ -45,7 +27,7 @@ sub type_safely {
 # function whose specific implementation may vary
 sub type_very_safely {
     my $string = shift;
-    check_type_string($string, size => 1, still => 5, max_interval => 1);
+    type_string($string, wait_screen_change => 1, max_interval => 1);
     wait_still_screen 5;
 }