diff --git a/src/librustdoc/formats/renderer.rs b/src/librustdoc/formats/renderer.rs
index 25a4129fdd1c7..b8ef3384c5908 100644
--- a/src/librustdoc/formats/renderer.rs
+++ b/src/librustdoc/formats/renderer.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ crate trait FormatRenderer<'tcx>: Sized {
     fn item(&mut self, item: clean::Item) -> Result<(), Error>;
 
     /// Renders a module (should not handle recursing into children).
-    fn mod_item_in(&mut self, item: &clean::Item, item_name: &str) -> Result<(), Error>;
+    fn mod_item_in(&mut self, item: &clean::Item) -> Result<(), Error>;
 
     /// Runs after recursively rendering all sub-items of a module.
     fn mod_item_out(&mut self) -> Result<(), Error> {
@@ -73,13 +73,10 @@ crate fn run_format<'tcx, T: FormatRenderer<'tcx>>(
         if item.is_mod() && T::RUN_ON_MODULE {
             // modules are special because they add a namespace. We also need to
             // recurse into the items of the module as well.
-            let name = item.name.as_ref().unwrap().to_string();
-            if name.is_empty() {
-                panic!("Unexpected module with empty name");
-            }
-            let _timer = prof.generic_activity_with_arg("render_mod_item", name.as_str());
+            let _timer =
+                prof.generic_activity_with_arg("render_mod_item", item.name.unwrap().to_string());
 
-            cx.mod_item_in(&item, &name)?;
+            cx.mod_item_in(&item)?;
             let module = match *item.kind {
                 clean::StrippedItem(box clean::ModuleItem(m)) | clean::ModuleItem(m) => m,
                 _ => unreachable!(),
diff --git a/src/librustdoc/html/render/context.rs b/src/librustdoc/html/render/context.rs
index d3ef97c0d59f9..9cffcef9749f8 100644
--- a/src/librustdoc/html/render/context.rs
+++ b/src/librustdoc/html/render/context.rs
@@ -578,7 +578,7 @@ impl<'tcx> FormatRenderer<'tcx> for Context<'tcx> {
         }
     }
 
-    fn mod_item_in(&mut self, item: &clean::Item, item_name: &str) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    fn mod_item_in(&mut self, item: &clean::Item) -> Result<(), Error> {
         // Stripped modules survive the rustdoc passes (i.e., `strip-private`)
         // if they contain impls for public types. These modules can also
         // contain items such as publicly re-exported structures.
@@ -590,8 +590,9 @@ impl<'tcx> FormatRenderer<'tcx> for Context<'tcx> {
             self.render_redirect_pages = item.is_stripped();
         }
         let scx = &self.shared;
-        self.dst.push(item_name);
-        self.current.push(item_name.to_owned());
+        let item_name = item.name.as_ref().unwrap().to_string();
+        self.dst.push(&item_name);
+        self.current.push(item_name);
 
         info!("Recursing into {}", self.dst.display());
 
diff --git a/src/librustdoc/json/mod.rs b/src/librustdoc/json/mod.rs
index 346d44511594f..b048e7f919fa4 100644
--- a/src/librustdoc/json/mod.rs
+++ b/src/librustdoc/json/mod.rs
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ impl<'tcx> FormatRenderer<'tcx> for JsonRenderer<'tcx> {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn mod_item_in(&mut self, item: &clean::Item, _module_name: &str) -> Result<(), Error> {
+    fn mod_item_in(&mut self, item: &clean::Item) -> Result<(), Error> {
         use clean::types::ItemKind::*;
         if let ModuleItem(m) = &*item.kind {
             for item in &m.items {