diff --git a/src/core/support/string.c b/src/core/support/string.c
index 74d98de5c13..9babbd910ac 100644
--- a/src/core/support/string.c
+++ b/src/core/support/string.c
@@ -215,21 +215,20 @@ char *gpr_strjoin_sep(const char **strs, size_t nstrs, const char *sep,
  *
  * Returns 1 and updates \a begin and \a end. Returns 0 otherwise. */
 static int slice_find_separator_offset(const gpr_slice str,
-                                       const gpr_slice sep,
+                                       const char *sep,
                                        const size_t read_offset,
                                        size_t *begin,
                                        size_t *end) {
   size_t i;
   const gpr_uint8 *str_ptr = GPR_SLICE_START_PTR(str) + read_offset;
-  const gpr_uint8 *sep_ptr = GPR_SLICE_START_PTR(sep);
   const size_t str_len = GPR_SLICE_LENGTH(str) - read_offset;
-  const size_t sep_len = GPR_SLICE_LENGTH(sep);
+  const size_t sep_len = strlen(sep);
   if (str_len < sep_len) {
     return 0;
   }
 
   for (i = 0; i <= str_len - sep_len; i++) {
-    if (memcmp(str_ptr + i, sep_ptr, sep_len) == 0) {
+    if (memcmp(str_ptr + i, sep, sep_len) == 0) {
       *begin = read_offset;
       *end = read_offset + i;
       return 1;
@@ -238,8 +237,8 @@ static int slice_find_separator_offset(const gpr_slice str,
   return 0;
 }
 
-void gpr_slice_split(gpr_slice str, gpr_slice sep, gpr_slice_buffer *dst) {
-  const size_t sep_len = GPR_SLICE_LENGTH(sep);
+void gpr_slice_split(gpr_slice str, const char *sep, gpr_slice_buffer *dst) {
+  const size_t sep_len = strlen(sep);
   size_t begin, end;
 
   GPR_ASSERT(sep_len > 0);
diff --git a/src/core/support/string.h b/src/core/support/string.h
index 819ce4ac838..3ac4abeef85 100644
--- a/src/core/support/string.h
+++ b/src/core/support/string.h
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ char *gpr_strjoin_sep(const char **strs, size_t nstrs, const char *sep,
 
 /** Split \a str by the separator \a sep. Results are stored in \a dst, which
  * should be a properly initialized instance. */
-void gpr_slice_split(gpr_slice str, gpr_slice sep, gpr_slice_buffer *dst);
+void gpr_slice_split(gpr_slice str, const char *sep, gpr_slice_buffer *dst);
 
 /* A vector of strings... for building up a final string one piece at a time */
 typedef struct {
diff --git a/test/core/support/string_test.c b/test/core/support/string_test.c
index 7a58307d05b..9023d0746b3 100644
--- a/test/core/support/string_test.c
+++ b/test/core/support/string_test.c
@@ -223,7 +223,6 @@ static void test_strjoin_sep(void) {
 static void test_strsplit(void) {
   gpr_slice_buffer* parts;
   gpr_slice str;
-  gpr_slice sep;
 
   LOG_TEST_NAME("test_strsplit");
 
@@ -231,8 +230,7 @@ static void test_strsplit(void) {
   gpr_slice_buffer_init(parts);
 
   str = gpr_slice_from_copied_string("one, two, three, four");
-  sep = gpr_slice_from_copied_string(", ");
-  gpr_slice_split(str, sep, parts);
+  gpr_slice_split(str, ", ", parts);
   GPR_ASSERT(4 == parts->count);
   GPR_ASSERT(0 == gpr_slice_str_cmp(parts->slices[0], "one"));
   GPR_ASSERT(0 == gpr_slice_str_cmp(parts->slices[1], "two"));
@@ -243,15 +241,15 @@ static void test_strsplit(void) {
 
   /* separator not present in string */
   str = gpr_slice_from_copied_string("one two three four");
-  gpr_slice_split(str, sep, parts);
+  gpr_slice_split(str, ", ", parts);
   GPR_ASSERT(1 == parts->count);
   GPR_ASSERT(0 == gpr_slice_str_cmp(parts->slices[0], "one two three four"));
   gpr_slice_buffer_reset_and_unref(parts);
   gpr_slice_unref(str);
 
   /* separator at the end */
-  str = gpr_slice_from_copied_string("foo, ");
-  gpr_slice_split(str, sep, parts);
+  str = gpr_slice_from_copied_string("foo,");
+  gpr_slice_split(str, ",", parts);
   GPR_ASSERT(2 == parts->count);
   GPR_ASSERT(0 == gpr_slice_str_cmp(parts->slices[0], "foo"));
   GPR_ASSERT(0 == gpr_slice_str_cmp(parts->slices[1], ""));
@@ -259,8 +257,8 @@ static void test_strsplit(void) {
   gpr_slice_unref(str);
 
   /* separator at the beginning */
-  str = gpr_slice_from_copied_string(", foo");
-  gpr_slice_split(str, sep, parts);
+  str = gpr_slice_from_copied_string(",foo");
+  gpr_slice_split(str, ",", parts);
   GPR_ASSERT(2 == parts->count);
   GPR_ASSERT(0 == gpr_slice_str_cmp(parts->slices[0], ""));
   GPR_ASSERT(0 == gpr_slice_str_cmp(parts->slices[1], "foo"));
@@ -268,8 +266,8 @@ static void test_strsplit(void) {
   gpr_slice_unref(str);
 
   /* standalone separator */
-  str = gpr_slice_from_copied_string(", ");
-  gpr_slice_split(str, sep, parts);
+  str = gpr_slice_from_copied_string(",");
+  gpr_slice_split(str, ",", parts);
   GPR_ASSERT(2 == parts->count);
   GPR_ASSERT(0 == gpr_slice_str_cmp(parts->slices[0], ""));
   GPR_ASSERT(0 == gpr_slice_str_cmp(parts->slices[1], ""));
@@ -278,13 +276,12 @@ static void test_strsplit(void) {
 
   /* empty input */
   str = gpr_slice_from_copied_string("");
-  gpr_slice_split(str, sep, parts);
+  gpr_slice_split(str, ", ", parts);
   GPR_ASSERT(1 == parts->count);
   GPR_ASSERT(0 == gpr_slice_str_cmp(parts->slices[0], ""));
   gpr_slice_buffer_reset_and_unref(parts);
   gpr_slice_unref(str);
 
-  gpr_slice_unref(sep);
   gpr_slice_buffer_destroy(parts);
   gpr_free(parts);
 }