diff --git a/src/script_opt/TempVar.cc b/src/script_opt/TempVar.cc
index e6b818c2e4..18b0f05616 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/TempVar.cc
+++ b/src/script_opt/TempVar.cc
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ TempVar::TempVar(int num, const TypePtr& t, ExprPtr _rhs) : type(t)
 	{
 	char buf[8192];
 	snprintf(buf, sizeof buf, "#%d", num);
-	name = util::copy_string(buf);
+	name = buf;
 	id = nullptr;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/script_opt/TempVar.h b/src/script_opt/TempVar.h
index d79ade7902..3cfab4f6fe 100644
--- a/src/script_opt/TempVar.h
+++ b/src/script_opt/TempVar.h
@@ -5,18 +5,18 @@
 // Class for managing temporary variables created during statement reduction
 // for compilation.
 
+#include <string>
+
 #include "zeek/ID.h"
 #include "zeek/Expr.h"
 
-
 namespace zeek::detail {
 
 class TempVar {
 public:
 	TempVar(int num, const TypePtr& t, ExprPtr rhs);
-	~TempVar()	{ delete name; }
 
-	const char* Name() const	{ return name; }
+	const char* Name() const	{ return name.data(); }
 	const zeek::Type* Type() const	{ return type.get(); }
 	const Expr* RHS() const		{ return rhs.get(); }
 
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ public:
 	bool IsActive() const	{ return active; }
 
 protected:
-	char* name;
+	std::string name;
 	IDPtr id;
 	const TypePtr& type;
 	ExprPtr rhs;