diff --git a/lib/create.js b/lib/create.js
index e5c4383f..9c860d4e 100644
--- a/lib/create.js
+++ b/lib/create.js
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ const addFilesSync = (p, files) => {
   files.forEach(file => {
     if (file.charAt(0) === '@') {
       t({
-        file: path.resolve(p.cwd, file.substr(1)),
+        file: path.resolve(p.cwd, file.slice(1)),
         sync: true,
         noResume: true,
         onentry: entry => p.add(entry),
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ const addFilesAsync = (p, files) => {
     const file = files.shift()
     if (file.charAt(0) === '@') {
       return t({
-        file: path.resolve(p.cwd, file.substr(1)),
+        file: path.resolve(p.cwd, file.slice(1)),
         noResume: true,
         onentry: entry => p.add(entry),
       }).then(_ => addFilesAsync(p, files))
diff --git a/lib/header.js b/lib/header.js
index 194550dd..411d5e45 100644
--- a/lib/header.js
+++ b/lib/header.js
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class Header {
     if (this[TYPE] === '') {
       this[TYPE] = '0'
     }
-    if (this[TYPE] === '0' && this.path.substr(-1) === '/') {
+    if (this[TYPE] === '0' && this.path.slice(-1) === '/') {
       this[TYPE] = '5'
     }
 
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ const splitPrefix = (p, prefixSize) => {
       } else if (Buffer.byteLength(pp) > pathSize &&
           Buffer.byteLength(prefix) <= prefixSize) {
         // prefix fits in prefix, but path doesn't fit in path
-        ret = [pp.substr(0, pathSize - 1), prefix, true]
+        ret = [pp.slice(0, pathSize - 1), prefix, true]
       } else {
         // make path take a bit from prefix
         pp = pathModule.join(pathModule.basename(prefix), pp)
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ const splitPrefix = (p, prefixSize) => {
 
     // at this point, found no resolution, just truncate
     if (!ret) {
-      ret = [p.substr(0, pathSize - 1), '', true]
+      ret = [p.slice(0, pathSize - 1), '', true]
     }
   }
   return ret
diff --git a/lib/pax.js b/lib/pax.js
index a505c1ab..4a7ca853 100644
--- a/lib/pax.js
+++ b/lib/pax.js
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ const parseKVLine = (set, line) => {
     return set
   }
 
-  line = line.substr((n + ' ').length)
+  line = line.slice((n + ' ').length)
   const kv = line.split('=')
   const k = kv.shift().replace(/^SCHILY\.(dev|ino|nlink)/, '$1')
   if (!k) {
diff --git a/lib/replace.js b/lib/replace.js
index 60d07375..c6e619be 100644
--- a/lib/replace.js
+++ b/lib/replace.js
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ const addFilesSync = (p, files) => {
   files.forEach(file => {
     if (file.charAt(0) === '@') {
       t({
-        file: path.resolve(p.cwd, file.substr(1)),
+        file: path.resolve(p.cwd, file.slice(1)),
         sync: true,
         noResume: true,
         onentry: entry => p.add(entry),
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ const addFilesAsync = (p, files) => {
     const file = files.shift()
     if (file.charAt(0) === '@') {
       return t({
-        file: path.resolve(p.cwd, file.substr(1)),
+        file: path.resolve(p.cwd, file.slice(1)),
         noResume: true,
         onentry: entry => p.add(entry),
       }).then(_ => addFilesAsync(p, files))
diff --git a/lib/strip-absolute-path.js b/lib/strip-absolute-path.js
index 1aa2d2ae..185e2dea 100644
--- a/lib/strip-absolute-path.js
+++ b/lib/strip-absolute-path.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ module.exports = path => {
     // but strip the //?/C:/ off of //?/C:/path
     const root = path.charAt(0) === '/' && path.slice(0, 4) !== '//?/' ? '/'
       : parsed.root
-    path = path.substr(root.length)
+    path = path.slice(root.length)
     r += root
     parsed = parse(path)
   }
diff --git a/lib/unpack.js b/lib/unpack.js
index 458f593d..6d9132c2 100644
--- a/lib/unpack.js
+++ b/lib/unpack.js
@@ -311,9 +311,9 @@ class Unpack extends Parser {
     // only encode : chars that aren't drive letter indicators
     if (this.win32) {
       const { root: aRoot } = path.win32.parse(entry.absolute)
-      entry.absolute = aRoot + wc.encode(entry.absolute.substr(aRoot.length))
+      entry.absolute = aRoot + wc.encode(entry.absolute.slice(aRoot.length))
       const { root: pRoot } = path.win32.parse(entry.path)
-      entry.path = pRoot + wc.encode(entry.path.substr(pRoot.length))
+      entry.path = pRoot + wc.encode(entry.path.slice(pRoot.length))
     }
 
     return true
diff --git a/lib/write-entry.js b/lib/write-entry.js
index cad969ff..3b5540f7 100644
--- a/lib/write-entry.js
+++ b/lib/write-entry.js
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ const WriteEntry = warner(class WriteEntry extends MiniPass {
   }
 
   [DIRECTORY] () {
-    if (this.path.substr(-1) !== '/') {
+    if (this.path.slice(-1) !== '/') {
       this.path += '/'
     }
     this.stat.size = 0
diff --git a/test/unpack.js b/test/unpack.js
index 0b8d7231..b23aab3d 100644
--- a/test/unpack.js
+++ b/test/unpack.js
@@ -800,7 +800,7 @@ t.test('absolute paths', t => {
   t.ok(path.isAbsolute(extraAbsolute))
   t.ok(path.isAbsolute(absolute))
   const parsed = path.parse(absolute)
-  const relative = absolute.substr(parsed.root.length)
+  const relative = absolute.slice(parsed.root.length)
   t.notOk(path.isAbsolute(relative))
 
   const data = makeTar([
diff --git a/test/write-entry.js b/test/write-entry.js
index 4cad6969..b72e53a1 100644
--- a/test/write-entry.js
+++ b/test/write-entry.js
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ t.test('win32 <|>? in paths', {
   wc.on('data', c => out.push(c))
   wc.on('end', _ => {
     const data = Buffer.concat(out).toString()
-    t.equal(data.substr(0, 4), '<|>?')
+    t.equal(data.slice(0, 4), '<|>?')
     t.end()
   })