diff --git a/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/back/link.rs b/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/back/link.rs
index 07edb70634e8b..40fe3c86e4301 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/back/link.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_codegen_ssa/src/back/link.rs
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ use std::ffi::OsString;
 use std::fs::{File, OpenOptions};
 use std::io::{BufWriter, Write};
 use std::lazy::OnceCell;
+use std::ops::Deref;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::process::{ExitStatus, Output, Stdio};
 use std::{ascii, char, env, fmt, fs, io, mem, str};
@@ -1586,7 +1587,7 @@ fn add_post_link_objects(
 /// FIXME: Determine where exactly these args need to be inserted.
 fn add_pre_link_args(cmd: &mut dyn Linker, sess: &Session, flavor: LinkerFlavor) {
     if let Some(args) = sess.target.pre_link_args.get(&flavor) {
-        cmd.args(args);
+        cmd.args(args.iter().map(Deref::deref));
     }
     cmd.args(&sess.opts.debugging_opts.pre_link_args);
 }
@@ -1634,15 +1635,15 @@ fn add_late_link_args(
         });
     if any_dynamic_crate {
         if let Some(args) = sess.target.late_link_args_dynamic.get(&flavor) {
-            cmd.args(args);
+            cmd.args(args.iter().map(Deref::deref));
         }
     } else {
         if let Some(args) = sess.target.late_link_args_static.get(&flavor) {
-            cmd.args(args);
+            cmd.args(args.iter().map(Deref::deref));
         }
     }
     if let Some(args) = sess.target.late_link_args.get(&flavor) {
-        cmd.args(args);
+        cmd.args(args.iter().map(Deref::deref));
     }
 }
 
@@ -1650,7 +1651,7 @@ fn add_late_link_args(
 /// FIXME: Determine where exactly these args need to be inserted.
 fn add_post_link_args(cmd: &mut dyn Linker, sess: &Session, flavor: LinkerFlavor) {
     if let Some(args) = sess.target.post_link_args.get(&flavor) {
-        cmd.args(args);
+        cmd.args(args.iter().map(Deref::deref));
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/avr_gnu_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/avr_gnu_base.rs
index 9d4ec2edc515a..c288e8b0e9ea3 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/avr_gnu_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/avr_gnu_base.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ pub fn target(target_cpu: &'static str) -> Target {
             linker: Some("avr-gcc".into()),
             executables: true,
             eh_frame_header: false,
-            pre_link_args: [(LinkerFlavor::Gcc, vec![format!("-mmcu={}", target_cpu)])]
+            pre_link_args: [(LinkerFlavor::Gcc, vec![format!("-mmcu={}", target_cpu).into()])]
                 .into_iter()
                 .collect(),
             late_link_args: [(LinkerFlavor::Gcc, vec!["-lgcc".into()])].into_iter().collect(),
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mod.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mod.rs
index 6d23ddc09855b..96623e1c1630c 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/mod.rs
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ impl fmt::Display for LinkOutputKind {
     }
 }
 
-pub type LinkArgs = BTreeMap<LinkerFlavor, Vec<String>>;
+pub type LinkArgs = BTreeMap<LinkerFlavor, Vec<Cow<'static, str>>>;
 
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Hash, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum SplitDebuginfo {
@@ -1978,7 +1978,7 @@ impl Target {
                             .map(|(i,s)| {
                                 let s = s.as_string().ok_or_else(||
                                     format!("{}.{}[{}]: expected a JSON string", name, k, i))?;
-                                Ok(s.into())
+                                Ok(s.to_string().into())
                             })
                             .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, String>>()?;
 
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/wasm_base.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/wasm_base.rs
index d884dcf68bfa6..de7b7374af314 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/wasm_base.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/wasm_base.rs
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ use std::collections::BTreeMap;
 pub fn options() -> TargetOptions {
     let mut lld_args = Vec::new();
     let mut clang_args = Vec::new();
-    let mut arg = |arg: &str| {
+    let mut arg = |arg: &'static str| {
         lld_args.push(arg.into());
-        clang_args.push(format!("-Wl,{}", arg));
+        clang_args.push(format!("-Wl,{}", arg).into());
     };
 
     // By default LLD only gives us one page of stack (64k) which is a
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/x86_64_fortanix_unknown_sgx.rs b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/x86_64_fortanix_unknown_sgx.rs
index 33b5917b40168..47c70513faf88 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/x86_64_fortanix_unknown_sgx.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_target/src/spec/x86_64_fortanix_unknown_sgx.rs
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ pub fn target() -> Target {
         position_independent_executables: true,
         pre_link_args: iter::once((
             LinkerFlavor::Lld(LldFlavor::Ld),
-            PRE_LINK_ARGS.iter().cloned().map(String::from).collect(),
+            PRE_LINK_ARGS.iter().cloned().map(Cow::from).collect(),
         ))
         .collect(),
         override_export_symbols: Some(EXPORT_SYMBOLS.iter().cloned().map(Cow::from).collect()),