diff --git a/src/Options.cc b/src/Options.cc
index b7382716dc..6ab5b5bb0c 100644
--- a/src/Options.cc
+++ b/src/Options.cc
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ Options parse_cmdline(int argc, char** argv)
 			set_analysis_option(optarg, rval);
 			break;
 		case 'o':
-			rval.analysis_options.only_func = util::copy_string(optarg);
+			rval.analysis_options.only_func = optarg;
 			break;
 		case 'P':
 			if ( rval.dns_mode != detail::DNS_DEFAULT )
diff --git a/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.cc b/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.cc
index 87fc95ac75..12809d7ce9 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.cc
+++ b/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.cc
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ void optimize_func(ScriptFunc* f, ProfileFunc* pf, ScopePtr scope_ptr,
 		return;
 
 	if ( analysis_options.only_func &&
-	     ! util::streq(f->Name(), analysis_options.only_func) )
+	     *analysis_options.only_func != f->Name() )
 		return;
 
 	if ( analysis_options.only_func )
@@ -110,7 +110,11 @@ void analyze_scripts(Options& opts)
 		check_env_opt("ZEEK_XFORM", analysis_options.activate);
 
 		if ( ! analysis_options.only_func )
-			analysis_options.only_func = getenv("ZEEK_ONLY");
+			{
+			auto zo = getenv("ZEEK_ONLY");
+			if ( zo )
+				analysis_options.only_func = zo;
+			}
 
 		if ( analysis_options.only_func )
 			analysis_options.activate = true;
diff --git a/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.h b/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.h
index 6e4ee4b03f..ca1a86892f 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.h
+++ b/src/script_opt/ScriptOpt.h
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#include <string>
+#include <optional>
+
 #include "zeek/Func.h"
 #include "zeek/Expr.h"
 #include "zeek/Scope.h"
@@ -25,7 +28,7 @@ struct AnalyOpt {
 	bool dump_xform = false;
 
 	// If non-nil, then only analyze the given function/event/hook.
-	const char* only_func = nullptr;
+	std::optional<std::string> only_func;
 
 	// If true, do global inlining.
 	bool inliner = false;