diff --git a/src/lang.zig b/src/lang.zig
index 80450f3..c80af14 100644
--- a/src/lang.zig
+++ b/src/lang.zig
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ pub const Command = struct {
     pub const Load = struct {
         pub const base_tag = Tag.load;
         base: Command,
-        path: []u8,
+        path: []const u8,
     };
 
     pub const Quicksave = struct {
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ pub const Lang = struct {
                     f32 => try std.fmt.parseFloat(f32, arg),
                     u64 => try std.fmt.parseInt(u64, arg, 10),
                     usize => try std.fmt.parseInt(usize, arg, 10),
-                    []const u8 => try self.allocator.dupe(u8, arg),
+                    []const u8 => arg,
                     else => @compileError("parameter struct has unsupported type " ++ @typeName(cmd_field.field_type)),
                 };
 
@@ -586,8 +586,7 @@ pub const Lang = struct {
                     usize => try std.fmt.parseInt(usize, arg, 10),
                     i32 => try std.fmt.parseInt(i32, arg, 10),
                     f32 => try std.fmt.parseFloat(f32, arg),
-                    []u8 => try self.allocator.dupe(u8, arg),
-                    []const u8 => try self.allocator.dupe(u8, arg),
+                    []const u8 => arg,
                     else => @compileError("Invalid parameter type (" ++ @typeName(cmd_field.field_type) ++ ") left on command struct " ++ @typeName(command_struct) ++ "."),
                 };
 
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 15e1524..4fd6525 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ pub fn doRepl(allocator: *std.mem.Allocator, args_it: anytype) !void {
         // TODO: deliberate memleak here. we only allocate this
         // command once, for the start of the file, so.
         var load_cmd = try allocator.create(langs.Command.Load);
-        std.mem.copy(u8, load_cmd.path, ":0");
+        load_cmd.path = ":0";
         load_cmd.base.tag = langs.Command.Tag.load;
 
         // taking address is fine, because load_cmd lives in the lifetime