diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index a7d56c07..da755cf6 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ namespace Kakoune
 namespace
 {
 
-Buffer* open_fifo(const String& name , const String& filename, bool scroll)
+Buffer* open_fifo(StringView name, StringView filename, bool scroll)
 {
     int fd = open(parse_filename(filename).c_str(), O_RDONLY);
     fcntl(fd, F_SETFD, FD_CLOEXEC);
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ Buffer* open_fifo(const String& name , const String& filename, bool scroll)
 
     BufferManager::instance().delete_buffer_if_exists(name);
 
-    return create_fifo_buffer(std::move(name), fd, scroll);
+    return create_fifo_buffer(name, fd, scroll);
 }
 
 template<typename T>
@@ -1163,7 +1163,7 @@ const CommandDesc prompt_cmd = {
 
         context.input_handler().prompt(
             params[0], std::move(initstr), get_face("Prompt"), Completer{},
-            [=](const String& str, PromptEvent event, Context& context)
+            [=](StringView str, PromptEvent event, Context& context)
             {
                 if (event != PromptEvent::Validate)
                     return;
diff --git a/src/input_handler.cc b/src/input_handler.cc
index badac088..fde0aa51 100644
--- a/src/input_handler.cc
+++ b/src/input_handler.cc
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ void history_push(std::vector<String>& history, StringView entry)
 class Prompt : public InputMode
 {
 public:
-    Prompt(InputHandler& input_handler, const String& prompt,
+    Prompt(InputHandler& input_handler, StringView prompt,
            String initstr, Face face, Completer completer,
            PromptCallback callback)
         : InputMode(input_handler), m_prompt(prompt), m_prompt_face(face),
@@ -1058,7 +1058,7 @@ void InputHandler::repeat_last_insert()
     kak_assert(dynamic_cast<InputModes::Normal*>(m_mode.get()) != nullptr);
 }
 
-void InputHandler::prompt(const String& prompt, String initstr,
+void InputHandler::prompt(StringView prompt, String initstr,
                           Face prompt_face, Completer completer,
                           PromptCallback callback)
 {
diff --git a/src/input_handler.hh b/src/input_handler.hh
index 7911f3c6..8039d6cc 100644
--- a/src/input_handler.hh
+++ b/src/input_handler.hh
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ enum class PromptEvent
     Abort,
     Validate
 };
-using PromptCallback = std::function<void (const String&, PromptEvent, Context&)>;
+using PromptCallback = std::function<void (StringView, PromptEvent, Context&)>;
 using KeyCallback = std::function<void (Key, Context&)>;
 
 class InputMode;
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public:
     // abort or validation with corresponding PromptEvent value
     // returns to normal mode after validation if callback does
     // not change the mode itself
-    void prompt(const String& prompt, String initstr,
+    void prompt(StringView prompt, String initstr,
                 Face prompt_face, Completer completer,
                 PromptCallback callback);
     void set_prompt_face(Face prompt_face);
diff --git a/src/normal.cc b/src/normal.cc
index 89a92df3..8a3b0f6a 100644
--- a/src/normal.cc
+++ b/src/normal.cc
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ void command(Context& context, int)
     context.input_handler().prompt(
         ":", "", get_face("Prompt"),
         std::bind(&CommandManager::complete, &CommandManager::instance(), _1, _2, _3, _4),
-        [](const String& cmdline, PromptEvent event, Context& context) {
+        [](StringView cmdline, PromptEvent event, Context& context) {
             if (context.has_ui())
             {
                 context.ui().info_hide();
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ void pipe(Context& context, int)
 {
     const char* prompt = mode == InsertMode::Replace ? "pipe:" : "pipe (ins):";
     context.input_handler().prompt(prompt, "", get_face("Prompt"), shell_complete,
-        [](const String& cmdline, PromptEvent event, Context& context)
+        [](StringView cmdline, PromptEvent event, Context& context)
         {
             if (event != PromptEvent::Validate)
                 return;
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ void pipe(Context& context, int)
                 real_cmd = context.main_sel_register_value("|");
             else
             {
-                RegisterManager::instance()['|'] = cmdline;
+                RegisterManager::instance()['|'] = String{cmdline};
                 real_cmd = cmdline;
             }
 
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ void regex_prompt(Context& context, const String prompt, T func)
 {
     SelectionList selections = context.selections();
     context.input_handler().prompt(prompt, "", get_face("Prompt"), complete_nothing,
-        [=](const String& str, PromptEvent event, Context& context) mutable {
+        [=](StringView str, PromptEvent event, Context& context) mutable {
             try
             {
                 if (event != PromptEvent::Change and context.has_ui())
@@ -546,7 +546,9 @@ void regex_prompt(Context& context, const String prompt, T func)
 
                 if (event == PromptEvent::Validate)
                     context.push_jump();
-                func(str.empty() ? Regex{} : Regex{str}, event, context);
+                Regex regex = str.empty() ? Regex{}
+                                          : Regex{str.begin(), str.end()};
+                func(std::move(regex), event, context);
             }
             catch (RegexError& err)
             {
@@ -748,7 +750,7 @@ void keep_pipe(Context& context, int)
 {
     context.input_handler().prompt(
         "keep pipe:", "", get_face("Prompt"), shell_complete,
-        [](const String& cmdline, PromptEvent event, Context& context) {
+        [](StringView cmdline, PromptEvent event, Context& context) {
             if (event != PromptEvent::Validate)
                 return;
             const Buffer& buffer = context.buffer();